Elmgreen & Dragset - I Will Never See You Again

Three days ago I uploaded a photomontage on my tumblr page. This quote is not mine, it was written on an artwork I saw at the Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Paris and at the Venice Biennale in 2008 of Emlgreen and Dragset.

I found it interesting to write it in fireworks as a celebration of this words you never mean when you say it. A sweet but violent issuance of feelings. Anyway the scandinavian duo produces a very narrative and funny work and I found an interview in a french magazine which I'm going to translate here.

Who does what ? How do you divide your work ?

We are both very lazy, which is one of the reason of our collaboration. This helps us to divide the work but unfortunately we also share our payroll. That said, bureaucratic routine is supported by our manager and studio assistants. We are not "practical" people. We deliver ideas, concepts and basic sketches. After 15 years of working together, we kind of turned into a monster with two heads and one brain. Everyone knows what the other thinks.

Elmgreen, give us three adjectives to describe Dragset :

Quiet, gentle socially, creative.

Dragset, give us three adjectives to describe Emlgree : 

Obsessed, impatient very intelligent

How do you work in collaboration with other artists like Tim Etchells :

We love his sense of humor and the dialogue have been written in a merry flow. A ping-pong gam of emails in a short period.

Does derision amuse you ?

It can be a remarkable tool to say serious things slightly

You have a massive list of exhibitions and representation, do you ever pause ?

There are many more prolific artists...aha...whe produce exactly the number of projects that inspire us, no more no less.

Can you give us your definition of contemporary art ?

No.

With the disapperance of oil, what type of materials are you going to choose ?

Art is not a choice of materials. Moreovern the oil painting is still vert present. Painters are still considered the most important artists in the art market, just look at the auction. The medium in itslef is really not the priority today.

Will you get to carve the marble ?

Yes it is in our projects.

What passionates you the most in you work ?

The next project is always the most exciting.

What fascinates you ?

The constant change in our cultures. It's fascinating to wonder why people dream, wish, fear and behave as they do. Our art is more questions than answers.