Elmgreen & Dragset's 'Biography' retrospective in Copenhagen features immersive installations with dysfunctional objects

At a venue in Copenhagen, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset unveil 'Biography,' marking their second mid-career retrospective following its initial presentation at Oslo's Astrup Fearnley Museum. The exhibit showcases three expansive installations, incorporating both new and existing sculptures that imply fragmented stories. Among the pieces, a damaged 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign on an Airstream caravan nods to a Kentucky family's 'Unbridled Spirit.' Another installation features a chainlink-fenced swimming pool with a floating dead man, previously displayed at the 2009 Venice Biennale, alongside a hyperrealistic porcelain Rottweiler. A maze-like setup mimics a sterile public institution, while 'The One & The Many' (2010) offers glimpses into the lives of its inhabitants through windows, addressing themes of social status and predictable futures with an undercurrent of misery that avoids bleakness.