Real leaf, galvanised in bronze, hand-painted or lacquered with a rusty lacquer, in bespoke box
32.4 x 32.4 x 7 cm [12.8 x 12.8 x 2.8 inches]
Series of 10, each unique, accompanied by signed certificate.
About the work
Elmgreen & Dragset have created Single Leaves, 2018, a series of unique works to accompany the large-scale installation at Whitechapel Gallery, The Whitechapel Pool, 2018. Each unique work from the series takes a real leaf, galvanised in bronze and hand-painted or lacquered, from the bottom of the derelict swimming pool. The Whitechapel Pool, which is accompanied by a fictional narrative about once being a prosperous public amenity, now a closed and deteriorating architectural space, expresses nostalgia for the past as well as criticality toward austerity measures and gentrification.
Juxtaposed against a clean white surface in a table-based frame, the leaf is removed from it's natural environment and positioned as a specimen to be studied. The leaves, some green and some changed to brown, become a symbol of transition and decay, much like the dilapidated pool where they were found.
About the artist
Michael Elmgreen (born 1961 in Copenhagen, Denmark) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969 in Trondheim, Norway) are based in Berlin and have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. Their beguiling spatial scenarios explore social and sexual politics and unveil the power structures embedded in the everyday.
Selected Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions include Museum Haus Lange, Kunstmuseen Krefeld (2017); FLAG Art Foundation, New York (2016); Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2016); Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2016); PLATEAU, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2015); Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (2014); Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo (2014); Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2013); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (2011); ZKM Museum of Modern Art, Karlsruhe (2010); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León (2009); The Power Plant, Toronto (2006); Serpentine Gallery, London (2006); Tate Modern, London (2004); and Kunsthalle Zürich (2001). Their work has been included in the Istanbul (2013, 2011, 2001), Liverpool (2012), Performa 11 (New York, 2011), Singapore (2011), Moscow (2011, 2007), Venice (2009, 2003), Gwangju (2006, 2002), São Paulo (2002), and Berlin (1998) biennials.
Whitechapel Gallery editions are generously donated by the artists. All proceeds from the sale of these works directly support our exhibition and education programmes. As is traditional in editions publishing, prices will rise as an edition starts to sell out.
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