Editing (English)
Elmgreen & Dragset: Die Zugezogenen
Edited by Magdalena Holzhey
Published by Koenig Books, London, 2017
With the exhibition Die Zugezogenen (on view from February 19 to August 27, 2017), Elmgreen & Dragset transform Museum Haus Lange in Krefeld back into what it was originally intended to be: a family home. The artist duo stages the moment when a fictional German family moves into this modernist building designed by Mies van der Rohe. Having previously relocated to Britain, the family has now decided to move back to Germany following the Brexit vote. Elmgreen & Dragset combine their own artworks with ready-made furniture, objects, and artifacts in order to turn Haus Lange into the family’s new domestic setting. Some items are already unpacked and put in place, while others remain semi-wrapped or in boxes. Near the “For Sale” sign in the front yard, the family’s old Jaguar is parked outside with a roof rack on top, still filled with items from the move. The exhibition references two decidedly European, but still distinct, cultures.
The accompanying catalogue, in German and English, features a new essay written by the exhibition’s curators, Magdalena Holzhey and Irina Raskin, as well as a specially commissioned essay by Mark Taylor, Professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Also included are numerous exhibition views, a reproduction of the artists’ contribution to the February 11, 2017 issue of Westdeutsche Zeitung, and a detailed index of all exhibited works.
Die Zugezogenen can be translated as The Newcomers.
CLIENT
Elmgreen & Dragsetlink
Buchhandlung Walther Koenigcredits
Concept: Elmgreen & DragsetDesign: Anja Schiller