Whitechapel Gallery, LondonFrom an installation of a decaying public pool to lonely sculptures thinking the unthinkable, the Scandinavian duo bring their subversive wit to social and sexual politicsRemember the old Whitechapel swimming pool by Aldgate East in London? The kids dive-bombing and semi-drowning, and coming home all red-eyed and reeking of chlorine? The banter in the changing rooms, the towel-flicking and the furtive looks? After it was shut down in the 1980s, there were the club nights, the squatters and the illegal raves. It was an institution, proper old East End. The Whitechapel pool has been sold to some art hotel and resort corporation. It will be a spa, with reduced-price membership for locals on Wednesday afternoons and slack time for wellness junkies and gym bunnies. You should visit before they do it up.A faint tang of chlorine still lingers round the drained pool. The paint is peeling off the walls and the tiles are cracked. There is builders’ rubble down the shallow end and scaffolding up by the entrance. Some of the stains are worrying. The ceiling might be about to give way. Surely this used to be the Whitechapel Gallery? I must have got it wrong. Filled with an echoing silence and with a security guard wandering about, these old baths have been here for decades. Just look. Continue reading…
Via: Elmgreen & Dragset review – a deep dive into sadness, humour and sex
Categories: English News