Erwin Wurm’s instructions and illustrations tell the reader to create certain “sculptures” on his or her way to work. Figure 1, for example, instructs the reader to balance his bag on top of his head as he walks slowly with both his hands down. Another example is figure 5, which instructs the reader to squeeze his bag between his legs while standing in place. These exercises are meant to cause the reader to think about the nature of sculpture while maintaining a lighthearted and humorous approach. This is a main characteristic of Wurm’s work, which include his famous “One Minute Sculptures” and his “Fat Car”. The instructions also reflect the often spontaneous and fleeting nature of his work, which attempts to take the “shortest path” to being created and understood.
Soo Ja Kim’s instructions are not instructions at all, but rather a statement: “I don’t want to ask you to do something.” To me, her lack of instruction to the reader becomes a commentary on the act of giving performance instructions in the first place and is somewhat ironic. Upon looking into her other “actions” on her website, this “untitled” piece fits well with her other works in that the work itself comes from her audience rather than herself (Action 2: It Is Not Fair). Kim is most famous for her performance called “A Needle Woman”, in which she is recorded on video with her back to the camera on the busy streets of different cities around the world. Her works often deal with womanhood and private acts of meditation in public spaces.
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