Witnessing Transformation: My Encounters with Urs Fischer in London and Mexico City
When I first encountered Urs Fischer’s monumental wax sculpture of Dasha Zhukova at the Gagosian in London, I was captivated. “Dasha” wasn’t just a sculpture; it was a living, breathing performance of time and impermanence. Towering and lifelike, the figure of Zhukova—art collector and founder of Garage Museum—stood still yet felt alive as multiple wicks burned through her wax form. Over the course of the exhibition, the sculpture melted, transforming into a surreal mass of dripping wax. The deliberate decay was haunting and mesmerizing, a poignant reminder of the fragility of beauty and the fleeting nature of existence. Watching her dissolve was like witnessing a memento mori, urging us to confront the inevitability of change.
Years later, standing amidst Fischer’s comprehensive exhibition Lovers at Museo Jumex in Mexico City, I found myself reflecting on that same theme of transformation. Lovers was Fischer’s first major showcase in Latin America, a celebration of two decades of his work. It brought together a breathtaking variety of mediums—sculpture, photography, painting, and installations. The exhibition revealed the breadth of his creativity and the profound humor and depth in his exploration of materiality and ephemerality.
One of the most memorable pieces in the Mexico City show was another wax candle sculpture, this time less figurative but equally transient. In the space of Museo Jumex, Fischer’s work invited viewers to not only observe the art but to participate in its impermanence. The melting wax sculptures echoed the transformation of “Dasha” in London, as though time had folded back on itself, connecting these moments in Fischer’s artistic journey.
Experiencing Fischer’s work in both London and Mexico City, I was struck by his ability to turn art into a performance of time. Each piece is imbued with a quiet insistence: nothing is permanent, and it’s in the fleeting moments that the true essence of life emerges. Whether in the intimate gallery space of Gagosian or the sprawling halls of Museo Jumex, Fischer’s art challenges us to let go of the idea that art—or life—is fixed. Instead, we are invited to embrace transformation, however unsettling or beautiful it may be.
Fischer’s art continues to resonate with me, a reminder that the most powerful experiences often lie in the spaces between creation and dissolution. Seeing his work in two vastly different contexts underscored how art transcends borders, connecting us to universal truths about time, loss, and the beauty of change.
