Exploring the Playful Art of Elmgreen & Dragset

Elmgreen & Dragset: A Journey Through Art and Architecture

Innovative Perspectives in Art

Elmgreen & Dragset, the acclaimed duo known for their transformative installations, redefine the boundaries of art. Their distinctive ability to merge architecture with contemporary themes creates immersive experiences that challenge viewers’ perceptions. Their installations often provoke deeper thought about societal norms and individual identities.

Prada Marfa: A Living Sculpture

Elmgreen & Dragset's most famous creation has taken on a life of its own. Prada Marfa is a 'living sculpture' painstakingly recreating a Prada boutique in the Texan desert town of Marfa. Beyonce visited in 2012, and has become a pilgrimage site for fashion fans, who line up to take Instagram selfies in front of the store.
Elmgreen & Dragset’s most famous creation has taken on a life of its own. Prada Marfa is a ‘living sculpture’ painstakingly recreating a Prada boutique in the Texan desert town of Marfa. Beyonce visited in 2012, and has become a pilgrimage site for fashion fans, who line up to take Instagram selfies in front of the store.

Exploring Dark Humor

Their works often incorporate a dark sense of humor, as seen in their installation for the Danish & Nordic Pavilions at the 2009 Venice Biennale. By transforming the pavilions into domestic settings, audiences are invited to voyeuristically engage with the lives within. This interplay of comfort and discomfort in their narratives compels visitors to reflect on their own realities.

The Theme of Loneliness

The duo’s recent work, Aeroport Mille Plateaux in Seoul, Korea, features a recreated airport terminal designed to evoke feelings of loneliness and abandonment. Titled “Modern Moses,” the centerpiece is an abandoned baby alongside an unreachable departure gate, provoking thought about the emotional weight of transitional spaces.

This year, for Aeroport Mille Plateaux in Seoul, Korea, the two recreated an airport terminal complete with an abandoned baby -- titled 'Modern Moses' -- and an unreachable departure gate.
This year, for Aeroport Mille Plateaux in Seoul, Korea, the two recreated an airport terminal complete with an abandoned baby — titled ‘Modern Moses’ — and an unreachable departure gate.

Future Plans

Looking ahead, Elmgreen & Dragset are slated to showcase an extensive exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing on January 23. This exhibition will feature a replica art fair consisting exclusively of their works, further solidifying their innovative approach to contemporary art.

The two are preparing for a major exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing that will open on 23 January, where they will create a replica art fair (not pictured) entirely consisting of their own works.
The two are preparing for a major exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing that will open on 23 January, where they will create a replica art fair (not pictured) entirely consisting of their own works.


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