Elmgreen & Dragset: This Is How We Bite Our Tongue

摘要

'The Whitechapel Pool was built in 1901, at the initiative of philanthropist John Passmore Edwards, paid for by funds made available by the Borough of Tower Hamlets, and supported by the community efforts of social reformer Samuel Augustus Barnett in conjunction with the East End Dwellings Company,' a sign reads. None of this is true, but it could well be. In fact, The Whitechapel Pool (2018) is the latest large-scale installation by the Danish sculptor duo Elmgreen & Dragset as part of This Is How We Bite Our Tongue, a mid-career retrospective featuring new commissions at London's Whitechapel Gallery, The Whitechapel Pool consists of a public notice beside a 1:1 scale 'abandoned' swimming pool, built out of the main gallery space and complete with waterproof tiling, steps and a fallen fluorescent strip that teeters on the dusty floor of the pool.