Courtesy Perrotin
The Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin is pleased to announce the exhibition by Elmgreen & Dragset "Side Effects", from January the 19th to March the 8th 2008.
"Side Effects" is an exhibition by Elmgreen & Dragset presenting a new series of abstract, human sized sculptures, dressed according to the following famous fashion designers Vanessa Bruno, Alberta Ferretti, Antonio Marras for Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, Henrik Vibskov and Gaspard Yurkievich.
"Side Effects", which opens January the 19th 2008 in conjunction with the fashion shows Paris Men's Fall-Winter 2008/2009, blurs the lines between fine arts, comic strip aesthetics, and fashion. Using these cyborg-like, abstract sculptures Elmgreen & Dragset are also able to debate the perception of the ideal body in our contemporary culture. Besides being shown in the exhibition itself, where they are staged as abstract visitors, the sculptures also "act" as models for photo shoots, "posing" for the photographers Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello in various settings: a park, a club, the street...
The softly curved organic shapes and skin colored surfaces of the sculptures allude to human features. Their aesthetic refers to a modernist tradition of sculpture, evoking artists such as Henri Moore, Jean Arp, Barbara Hepworth and Constantin Brancusi. However, these sculptures also have a slightly cartoon-like look as if to rewrite art history as a comic strip. The sculptures are fabricated using high-tech, synthetic materials with an industrial, glossy appearance that juxtaposes their references to the human body.
Through their plastic and costumes, each sculpture portrays an identity, embodying a specific social status, sexuality, gender and age. The clothing they wear as well as the sculptures themselves are intended to be artistic metaphors. Each outfit is more of a semi abstract design than a realistic portrayal of a t-shirt, evening gown, leather jacket or any other article of clothing. With the wide range of fabrics and styles Elmgreen & Dragset use in this exposition, they are truly able to capture a variety of personalities.
