Double Dream showcases the breadth of Wurm’s experiments with the figure—at turns present, absent, supplanted, or distorted. Where the artist’s Dreamers visualize psychological weight with upper bodies made of oversized pillows, his Substitutes examine how clothing can function as a stand-in for the individual. Here, clothing is revealed as an icon, symbol, signifier, or even avatar, reinterpreting the age-old maxim “the clothes make the man.” This exhibition reveals Wurm to be a sculptor of surprising economy, continually asking how much can be communicated with how little.
