Quotidian objects are stripped of their utility and regarded as sculptural phenomena, taking on minimalist aesthetics that challenge the sterilizing force of the white cube. Performativity and participation are fraught in their work, which invites and denies participation in equal measure-pools are emptied, diving boards are oriented vertically, bars are inaccessible, sinks dysfunctional. Whether through sculptures or total environments, their work draws attention to the institutions that host them and their attendant politics. Preoccupied with objects and their settings, along with the discourse that can arise when those objects are radically recontextualized, Elmgreen & Dragset push against the normal modes for the display of art.
Elmgreen & Dragset work at the crossroads of art and architecture, performance and installation.
