Self Portrait As 47 Pickles by Erwin Wurm

An artist book by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm.

In 2008, the European Parliament debated the repeal of Regulation 1677/88/EEC, which defined quality standards for cucumbers. This seemingly absurd regulation—going so far as to specify acceptable degrees of curvature—has come to symbolise excessive bureaucracy within the EU. That same year, Erwin Wurm unveiled an installation titled Selbstporträtall Gurken (Self-portrait in Pickles).

The cucumbers featured in this book appear convincingly real at first glance but are, in fact, acrylic sculptures cast from actual specimens and hand-painted. With their subtly offbeat presence, these pickles serve not only as humorous self-portraits but also as pointed reflections on history and current events. Long a staple of rural Austrian households, pickles—alongside sausages—have sustained families through the winter months. Wurm's work imbues these modest objects with dignity, irony, and a keen sense of absurdity.

As of today, cucumbers in the EU are free to grow however they please—curved or straight.

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Title: Self Portrait As 47 Pickles
Artist: Erwin Wurm
Publisher: RVB Books, 2020
Format: Hardcover
Size: 130 × 180 mm
Pages: 96
Edition: First edition
ISBN: 978-2-492175-00-8
Price: ¥5,500