In 1995 Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset began their collaboration on what has since become a wide range of installations, performances and environmental works. In a series of projects entitled "Powerless Structures" the artist duo challenges the conventional perception of space : Architectural and social structures are reorganised in order to investigate the underlying desires of everyday objects and the mechanisms of ideolo-gical control in even the simple arrangements of walls, ceilings, entrances and exits. The works from this series deal with the issue of altering spatial conditions within various fields of the public realm : the urban landscape as well as the art institutional architecture.
The projects often provide a possibility of actual change: a change of social structures in smaller scale; alterations of Modernistic design or projects which accentuate the options for alternative ways of presenting art within the museum or gallery. The emphasis is put on the deconstruc-tion and reconstruction of meaning in predetermined or institutionalised spaces.
In the British magazine Frieze the art critic Lars Bang Larsen wrote: "Space in Elmgreen & Dragset's work doesn't announce itself, it has to be brought out, challenged by the mundane presence of the activities that frame it; it begs you to perform. Rather: It makes you perform, because it analogises several types of behaviour" (Frieze, issue 53, 2000, p.102). This performative layer is sometimes made obvious in a direct, interactive way – or the performative can be displayed in the form of a denial in which the very significance of function is discussed, as the art work encourages and denies the spectator to interfere with it simultaneously.
| Biography
- Michael Elmgreen born in Denmark
- Ingar Dragset born in Norway
- live and work in Berlin, D
| Solo Exhibitions (selected):
2005
- "The Welfare Show", Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen
- Bawag Foundation, Wien
- The Power Plant, Toronto (cat.)
- Wrong Gallery, New York
- "End Station", Bohen Foundation, New York
2004
- "Intervention 37", Sprengel Museum, Hannover
- "Just a Single Wrong Move", Tate Modern, London
- "Moving Energies # 04. Aspekte der Sammlung Olbricht", Museum Folkwang, Essen
2003
- "Short Cut", Fondazione Trussardi, Milan
- "Spaced Out" Portikus, Frankfurt A.M. (cat.)
- "Paris Diaries", Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris
- "Phone Home" Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York
- "Constructed Catastrophes", CCA, Kitakyushu
- "Please, Keep Silent!", Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen, DK
2002
- "How are you today?", Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Milano
- "Powerless Structures, Fig. 229", Gallerie Helga Aldevar, Madrid
- "Museum", Sala Montcada/Fondaciò La Caixa, Barcelona (cat.)
- "Suspended Space", >Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo
2001
- "Taking Place", Kunsthalle Zürich (cat.)
- "Opening Soon", Gallery Tanya Bonakdar, New York
- "A Room Defined by its Accessibility", Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (cat.)
- Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen
- "Linienstr. 160", Klosterfelde, Berlin
- "Powerless Structures, fig. 111", Portikus, Frankfurt/M. (cat.)
2000
- "Zwischen anderen Ereignissen", Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig (cat.)
- Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
1999
- Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen
- "Powerless Structures, Fig. 57-60", The Project, New York
1998
- "Dug Down Gallery/ Powerless Structures, Fig. 45", Galleri I8 & Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik
1997
- "Powerless Structures", Gallery Campbells Occasionally, Copenhagen
- "12 Hours of White Paint", Galleri Tommy Lund, Odense
| Group Exhibitions (selected):
2005
- "Kiss the Frog. The Art of Transformation", Oslo Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Oslo
- "Universal Experience", Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (cat.)
- "Monuments for the USA", CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco (cat.)
2004
- "Modus Operandi", Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Vienna
- "Artists' Favourites", ICA - Institute for Contemporary Art, London
- Lofoten International Art Festival, Lofoten, Norway
- "A arañeira. A colección. Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela
- "Die Zehn Gebote", Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden (cat.)
- "Sammlung Plum", Museum Kurhaus Kleve (cat.)
- "Works and Days", Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst, Humlebaek
- "10 Year Anniversary Exhibition", Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo
2003
- "Utopia Station", 50th Biennale di Venezia, Venice (cat.)
- "Living Inside The Grid", New Museum, New York (cat.)
- "nation", Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt A.M. (cat.)
- "Happiness", Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (cat.)
- "The Living Museum", Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt A.M. (cat.)
- "Skulptur Biennale Münsterland", Münster (cat.)
- "Spectacular", Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf
2002
- 25th Sao Paulo Biennial, Sao Paulo (cat.)
- "Pause", Gwangju Biennial, Gwangju (cat.)
- "Preis der Nationalgalerie für junge Kunst", Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (cat.)
- "Beyond Paradise", National Art Gallery , Bangkok
- Bienal de Arte de Pontevedra, Pontevedra (cat.)
- Palais de Tokyo, Paris
- "Shopping", Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt. A.M. (cat.)
- "Sudden Glory: Slapstick in Contemporary Art", CCAC, San Francisco (cat.)
- "No return. Positionen aus der Sammlung Haubrok", Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach (cat.)
2001
- "Egofugal", 7th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul (cat.)
- "AUDIT", Casino Luxembourg, Forum d'Art Contemporain, Luxembourg (cat.)
- "The End of All Things", Galleria Massimo de Carlo, Milano
- "Neue Welt", Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt/M. (cat.)
- "Hortus Conclusus", Witte de With, Rotterdam (cat.)
- "Inside Space", MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA (cat.)
- "Masculinities", Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center, Copenhagen (cat.)
- "Schauplätze 1", Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hamburg
2000
- "Borderline Syndrome", Manifesta 3, Ljubljana (cat.)
- "What If...", Moderna Museet, Stockholm (cat.)
- "Sporting. Life.", Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (cat.)
- "Century of Innocence", Rooseum, Malmö (cat.)
- "The works in this space...", Neugerriemschneider, Berlin
- "Echigo Tsumari Triennial", Echigo Tsumari
- "Sightings", Center for Curatorial Studies Museum, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson
1999
- "Signs of Life", Melbourne Biennial, Melbourne
- "Extinction des Feux", Art & Public, Genéve
- "Opening", Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen
- "Search for The Spirit", NGBK, Berlin
1998
- "Nordic Nomads", White Columns, New York (cat.)
- "Berlin/Berlin", Berlin Biennale, Berlin (cat.)
- "Warming", The Project, New York
- "Cool Places", Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius
- "Junge Szene", Wiener Secession, Vienna (cat.)
- "High Infidelity", Kunstraum der Universität Lüneburg, Lüneburg
- "Bicycle Thieves", Gallery 400, Chicago
- "Pakkhus", Momentum, Moss (cat.)
- "Nuit Blanche", Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris (cat.)
1997
- "Full House", Galerie Schipper & Krome, Berlin
- "The Louisiana Exhibition", Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek (cat.)
- "6. Muestra de Performance Internacional", Mexico City
1996
- "The Scream", Borealis 8, Arken, Museum of Modern Art, Ishoej (cat.)
- "The April Sessions", ICA, London
- "Between You & Me", Overgaden, Copenhagen
- "Update", Copenhagen
1995
- "Art Against AIDS", Galleri Nicolai Wallner and Michael Andersen, Copenhagen
- "One Night Stand", Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
| Bibliography (selected):
2005
- exh. cat. "Universal Experience. Art, Life, and the Tourist's Eye", Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Ed. Francesco Bonami, pp. 146/147
- exh. cat. "Monuments for the USA", CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco, Ed. Ralph Rugoff, pp. 60-63
- New York Times, April 1, 2005, "All Aboard. End Station", Roberta Smith, p. E27
- Time Out New York, April 28-May 4, 2005, "Elmgreen & Dragset, End Station", Benjamin Carlson, p. 74
2004
- "Turbulenz. Portikus Projekte 2001-2004", Ed. Jochen Volz, Portikus Frankfurt am Main
- exh. cat. "Die Zehn Gebote", Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden, Ed. Klaus Biesenbach
- exh. cat. "Sammlung Plum", Museum Kurhaus, Kleve
- "Coupling. Gender Identity in Michael Elmgreen and IngarDragset's Art", Text by Jenny Lund, in: ARKEN Bulletin 2004, ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, Ishøj, Denmark, Ed. Christian Gether, pp. 64-72
- Evening Standard, May 11, 2004, "Watch the Birdie", Luke Leitch, p. 8
- Guardian, May 12, 2004, "Watch the Birdie", Jonathan Jones, p. 3
2003
- exh. cat. "Spaced Out. Elmgreen & Dragset", Portikus, Frankfurt am Main, Ed. Daniel Birnbaum/Jochen Voltz
- exh. cat. "Dreams and Conflicts. The Dictatorship of the Viewer", 50th International Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Ed. Francesco Bonami, Maria Luisa Frisa
- exh. cat. "Living Inside the Grid", New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, Ed. Dan Cameron
- "Cream 3. Contemporary Art in Culture", London/New York, pp. 128-131
- exh. cat. "Happiness. A Survival Guide for Art + Life", Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Ed. David Elliott and Pier Luigi Tazzi
- exh. cat. "Skulptur Biennale Münsterland 2003", Freiburg, Text by Dorothea von Hantelmann, pp. 66-69, pp. 132-137
- "Installation Art in the New Millenium", London, Text by Nicolas de Oliveira, p. 97
- carnet arte, No. 1, September/October 2003, "The odd couple", Jean Hubert Martin, pp. 19-20
- Flash Art, No. 231, July-September, "Elmgreen&Dragset. Out of Site, Michele Robecchi, pp. 90-93
- Kunst-Bulletin, 7/8, Juli/August, "Das lebendige Museum, Museum Moderner Kunst", Sabine B. Vogel, p. 53
- art-themagazine.com, July 2003, "Short Cut: a funny thing happened on the way to Rimini", Matthew Rose
- Contemporary, No. 51, "New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art - Living inside the grid", Kim Zamet, pp. 82-83
- Interni, No. 532, June, "Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", Germano Celant, pp. 290-295
- The Guardian, June 16, 2003, "The Spell of Venice; Ape answers art's demands", Fiachra Gibbons, p. 4
- Bauwelt, June 13, 2003, "Abschied vom Portikus", Enrico Santifaller, p. 3
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 24, 2003, "Abschied und Neubeginn im Portikus", p. 57
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 25, 2003, "Die Bulldozer warten schon. Abschiedsfest zum Portikus-Abriss", Konstanze Crüwell, p. R3
- Frankfurter Rundschau, May 24, 2003, "Die Stadt als Kunstwerk. Abschied von der Kunsthalle Portikus", Claudia Michels, p. 25
- Sueddeutsche Zeitung, May 23, 2003, "Zu neuen Mainufern. Der Frankfurter Portikus wird abgerissen, soll aber auferstehen", Rudolf Schmitz, p. 19
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 18, 2003, "Das Museum lebt. Menschen als Kunstwerke im MMK", Michael Hierholzer
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 17, 2003, "Das lebendige Museum: Menschen als Kunstwerke im Frankfurter MMK"
- Frankfurter Rundschau, May 15, 2003, "Auf dem Meldeamt. Der Frankfurter Kunstverein widmet sich der komplexen Frage der 'nation'", Elke Buhr
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 14, 2003, "Ohne Autobahn keine deutsche Identität. Internationale 'nation': Ausstellung im Frankfurter Kunstverein", Michael Hierholzer, p. 45
- Corriere della Sera, May 9, 2003, "Pronto, mandante i ghisa: c'è un incidente in Galleria", Gian Guido Vecchi
- il manoifesto, May 9, 2003, "Quella Fiat da galleria", Riccarda Mandrini, p. 15
- Libero, May 8, 2003, "Anche questa è un'opera d'arte e Trussardi la presenta al mondo", Alessandra Menzani, p. 19
- La Repubblica, May 8, 2003, "Trussardi prendre l'arte e la porta da ogni parte", p. XIII
- Boiler, Issue 1/"Great Escape", Interview, Ivanmaria Vele
- The Breeder, issue 9, insert
- (a-n) magazine, March, "Space campaigns and living work", Lars Bang Larsen, pp. 30-33
- Art in America, 2003, "Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset at Emmanuel Perrotin", Ellen McBreen, pp. 155-56
- Paris-art.com, March 2003, "Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. Paris Diaries", Pierre-Evariste Douaire, www.paris-art.com
- The Village VOICE, Feb. 26-Mar.4, Vol. XLVIII, "ShortList", Kim Levin, p. 68
- Adresseavisen, February 21, 2003, "Proveoserer i hele verden", Dag Yngland, p. 26
- Kunst, 2003:01, "Sofistikerte rominvasjoner", Camilla Eeg, pp. 58-63
- Politiken, January 3, 2003, Birger Thøgersen, Interview, Kultursektionen, p.1 and 5
2002
- exh. cat. "Museum", Ed. Chuz Martinez, Fundacio La Caixa, Barcelona
- exh. cat. "Pause", Gwangju Biennial, Ed. Inseon Kim, Gwangju, pp. 108-109
- exh. cat. "No return", Sammlung Haubrock, Abteiberg Museum, Mönchengladbach
- exh. cat. "Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset: Taking Place, Ed. Beatrix Ruf, Kunsthalle Zürich/Hatje Cantz
- "Art now", Ed. B. Riemschneider & U. Grosenick, Taschen Verlag
- "We're All Normal", Contemporary Nordic Artists Writings, Ed. Sander & Sheik, Black Dog Publishing Limited, London, pp. 88-91
- Der Tagesspiegel, October 12th, "Kranker Mann, was nun?", Christina Tillmann, p.27
- Süddeutsche Zeitung, June 28th, "Prämiertes Bett", Jörg Heiser, p.17
- Frankfurter Rundschau, June 28th, "Prämierter Patient", Christiane Meixner, p.21
- taz, June 28th, "Preis der Nationalgalerie lässt kranken Mann genesen", p.16
- Berliner Zeitung, June 28th, "Die Kunst im Krankenbett", Ingeborg Ruthe, p.1
- Der Tagesspiegel, June 28th "Party auf der Intensivstation", Nicola Kuhn
- Art in America, March 2002, "Back to Bosporus", Gregory Volk, p.44 Frankfurter Rundschau ,May 28th, "Im Krankenbett", Christiane Meixner, p. 25
- Die Welt, May 18th "25000 Euro für ein Krankenhausbett", Gabriela Walde, p.28
- Berliner Morgenpost, May 17th, "Sinalco gibt's gratis.", Gabriela Walde, p.15
- taz, May 22nd, "Der Markt schaut mit", Harald Fricke, p. 14
- zitty, no. 11, "Willkommen bei der Glücksspirale", Johannes Wendland, p. 77
- tip, no. 11, "Kunst-Tipp", p. 71
- BZ, May 17, "Ausgezeichnete junge Kunst", UK
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 17, "Nur die Sonne war Zeuge", May 17th, Niklas Maak, p. 48
- Süddeutsche Zeitung, May 17th, "Krankenzimmer mit Meeresblick", Jörg Heiser, p.14
- Der Tagesspiegel, May 17th, "Einer gegen alle", Katrin Wittneven, p. 27
- Berliner Zeitung, May 17th, "Fünf Namen und ein Scheck", Ingeborg Ruthe
- Lapiz, Nr. 179/180, "Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", Sergio Rubira, p. 173
- Metropolis M, Nr. 2, Apr/May, "Elmgreen+Dragset", Mika Hannula, p. 48-51
- Zitty, Nr. 11, "Willkommen bei der Glücksspirale", Johannes Wendland
- Artforum International, April, No.8, "White on white. The Art of Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", Daniel Birnbaum, p. 98-101
- frieze, Jan. – Feb., issue 64, "Istanbul Biennial", Jörg Heiser, p. 92
2001
- exh. cat. "A little bit of history repeated", Kunst-Werke Berlin, p. 20/21
- exh. cat. "Maskuliniteter", Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center, Copenhagen
- die tageszeitung, Oct. 13/14, "Neuer Initiationsritus", Petra Schellen, p. 27
- exh. cat. "I like theater & theater likes me", Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, pp. 10-15
- exh. cat. "egofugal", 7th International Istanbul Biennial, Turkey
- Trans> Arts. Cultures.Media, #9/10, "Small Twists – Bigger Splashes! A conversation with Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", Jens Hoffmann, pp. 294-304
- Artforum International, Oct., "Michael Elmgreen&Ingar Dragset. Klosterfelde.", Jennifer Allen, pp. 167/168
- exh. cat. "audit", Casino Luxembourg, Forum d'art contemporain, "Rent", Jacob Fabricius, pp. 48-53
- exh. cat. "From #4", July, Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, "Breeze od AIR/Hortus Conclusus", Introduction by Tanya Elstgeest, pp. 74-77
- exh. cat. "A Room Defined by its Accessibility", Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
- die tageszeitung, July 12, "Pferdeposter im staatlichen Elend", Axel John Wieder, p. 17
- material 5, "Borderline", Gianni Jetzer, pp. 89-91
- Texte zur Kunst, Juni, 11. Jg., issue 42, "Auf gleicher Wellenlänge", Vanessa Joan Müller, pp. 182-184
- Osnabrücker Zeitung, June 15, "Blick auf die Erdkugel", Christian Huther
- Journal Frankfurt, May, "NATO-Kunst", Silke Hohmann, p. 47
- die tageszeitung, May 11, "Der Luxus der Leere", Katrin Bettina Müller, p. 22
- The Boston Globe, Feb. 20, "Exhibition mixes art and architecture", Christine Temin
- Frankfurter Rundschau, Feb. 20, "Heute in den verbeulten Portikus"
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Feb. 14, "In der weißen Zelle schwingt nun die Frankfurter Welle", Rudolf Schmitz
- Frankfurter Neue Presse, Feb. 6, "Der Kunstcontainer wird zur Raumskulptur", Gabriele Nicole
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Feb. 3, "Wenn sich Boden und Decke wölben", Michael Hierholzer
- Frankfurter Rundschau, "Huch", Feb. 2, Sandra Danicke
- Boston Herald, Feb. 2, "Home is where the cliches aren't. Visual Arts", Joanne Silver
2000
- exh. cat. "Borderline Syndrome", Manifesta 3, pp. 64-66
- exh. cat. "The Port of Pusan", Pusan Contemporary Art Festival, im Gook, Pusan
- Artforum International, Dec., "Best of...", Daniel Birnbaum pp. 126/127
- exh.cat. "Zwischen anderen Ereignissen", Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst Leipzig,
- "Die Heilung der Halle/The Cure of the Cube", Lars Bang Larsen, pp. 10-24;
- "Gespräch mit/Conversation with Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", pp. 49-68
- artext, no. 71, Manifesta 3, p. 83
- Flash Art International, Oct., "Aperto Performance", Jens Hoffmann, pp. 49-51
- nu: The nordic art review, vol. II, no. 5, "Has the title stolen the show?", Sara Arrhenius, pp. 78/79
- exh. cat. "century of innocence – the history of the white monochrome"Rooseum, Malmö, pp. 44-45
- Texte zur Kunst, Sept., issue 39, "Auf den zweiten Blick", Sabeth Buchmann, pp. 200-203
- Frankfurter Rundschau, "Wegen Umbau Geöffnet", Martin Pesch
- Frieze, issue 53, "White Out", Lars Bang Larsen, pp. 100-103
- exh. cat. Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, "Sporting Life"
- Flash Art, May-June, Andreas Schlaegel, p. 120
- cat. Hugo Boss Prize 2000, Guggenheim, New York, "Queering the cube", Alison Gingeras, pp. 43-45
- Blue Magazine, no 25, "Art Beats", Nick Dent, pp. 32-34
1999
- Art in America, Nov., Bill Arning, pp. 163-164
- Art/Text, no. 66, Aug – Oct, "A Fireplace in Harlem", Lawrence Chua, pp. 44-49
- NU: The nordic art review, issue 1, "Signifying Structures", Franklin Sirmans, pp. 76-81
- Frieze, issue 45, "Nordic Nomads", Gregory Williams
- Honcho, no. 8, "Powerless Structures", Bill Arning, pp. 73-74
- New York Times, Feb. 19., Holland Cotter
- ARTnews, Jan., "Melting the Ice", Alan Jolis
- Kunstforum, no. 143, "Berlin Biennale", Thomas Wulffen
1998
- Springerin, Sept-Nov, "Junge Szene 98", Ruth Maurer
- Springerin, Sept-Nov, "Momentum, 98", Andrea Kroksnes
- exh. cat. "Berlin/Berlin", Berlin Biennale, pp. 99-100
- exh. cat. "Junge Szene", Wiener Secession, pp. 89-90
- KunstForum, Bd. 140, "Draußen und Drinnen", Michael Hübl
- ArtForum, March, "Louisiana Exhibition", Alexandre Melo
- Frieze, no. 40, "Nuit Blanche", Sophie Berrebi
- exh. cat. "Nuit Blanche", Musée d´art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
- exh. cat. "Pakkhus", Momentum, pp. 38-39
- exh. cat. "Powerless Structures", Reykjavik, "Transgressive Spaces",
- Sanne Kofod Olsen, pp.4-23; "Digging down a gallery", Mark Kremer, pp.54-55; "Performative Constructions – Interview with Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset", Hnas Ulrich Obrist, pp. 27-45
- Siksi, no. 3-4, "beyond the local context", Lotte Sandberg
1997
- Frieze, issue 34, "Powerless Structures", Lars Bang Larsen, p. 70
- exh. cat. Louisiana
- Art/Text, no. 60, Terry P. Meyers
- Documents sur l´art, no.11, "Alternative Learning", Lars Bang Larsen, pp. 44-50
1996
- exh. cat. Arken Museum of Modern art, Borealis 8, pp. 55-58
|
