Gerry Bibby's 'Combination Boiler' exhibition at The Showroom reveals institutional poetry through found objects
At The Showroom in London, Gerry Bibby's exhibition titled 'Combination Boiler' showcases a collection of everyday items, such as a discarded radiator propped up by pillows, carpets, and books featuring texts by Giorgio Agamben, Roland Barthes, Kathy Acker, and Guy Hocquenghem. A cupboard exhibits wastewater collected from the gallery's radiators, while wall panels merge blue and silver cutouts with excerpts from Bibby's writings. The central installation consists of white wooden posts and Plexiglas panels arranged around brick-like objects crafted from PVA glue, coins, tickets, and receipts. One post displays definitions of 'exposé.' Bibby is also developing a manuscript for 'If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution.' This exhibition is part of 'How to work together,' a collaboration among Chisenhale Gallery, Studio Voltaire, and The Showroom.
Key facts
- Gerry Bibby's exhibition 'Combination Boiler' opened at The Showroom in London
- The exhibition is part of the 'How to work together' commissioning program involving Chisenhale Gallery, Studio Voltaire, and The Showroom
- Bibby created assemblages using found objects from the gallery including a radiator, pillows, carpets, and books
- Notebooks in the installation contain writings by Giorgio Agamben, Roland Barthes, Kathy Acker, and Guy Hocquenghem
- The exhibition includes wastewater collected from the gallery's radiators displayed in a vase
- Bibby will work on a manuscript during the show for publication by Amsterdam platform 'If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution'
- The artist incorporated personal materials including his birth certificate hidden in the installation
- One element features a printout of the dictionary definition of 'exposé' and its verb forms
Entities
Artists
- Gerry Bibby
- Giorgio Agamben
- Roland Barthes
- Kathy Acker
- Guy Hocquenghem
Institutions
- Chisenhale Gallery
- Studio Voltaire
- The Showroom
- If I can't dance I don't want to be part of your revolution
- artreview.com
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands