~RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA/sweeps Chelsea/Gavin Brown

Rirkrit - Olafur

(archival photo) RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA on his way to the OLAFUR ELASSON opening last Spring, (2006)
at TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY, Chelsea, NYC, April 28, 2006
Photo: Nancy Smith

Rirkrit’s current installation at Zwirner, a recreation of his ‘Untitled 1992 (Free)’ received ‘second place’ billing on the show’s 2 man card, (he got the smaller image on the back) – while GORDON MATTA-CLARK, got the star turn, full card image on the front – but it’s Rirkrit’s piece that is blowing everyone away, and it’s not just the free Thai food.

Watching the on-going construction was one element, but also how it finally evolved within the new DAVID ZWIRNER GALLERY space – was another. It looks like an Alpine ‘snack shop’ right smack in the middle of Chelsea, plus you get to see the new GEHRY building rising directly across the street !

The Gordon Matta-Clark piece, a reconstruction of his multi-dwelling, appropriate for broke artists or strung-out street kids – built within a container/dumpster is pretty good, too. It’s a lethal combination – the pairing of these 2 artists was inspired ! – the most magical show – that’s happened in a long long time. reminiscent of the early 80’s art scene glory days !

It’s definitely fun to contemplate the dumpster – while you sit and munch on free Thai food from the picnic-like open-air ‘take out’ joint that ‘Untitled 1992 (Free)’ has resurrected itself as. The original ‘Untitled (Free)’ was basically a food performance that took place at 303’s old space in Soho, a 2nd floor gallery space at the corner of Spring and Greene. At the time, it was a little bewildering for the general art public to walk into a gallery to be served food. But for the young artists of the early 90’s roaming Soho, it became a semi-hangout, with a chance to talk to the artist. It was also much smaller, only one or two tables, and it was pretty much Rirkrit himself making the food.
“For this exhibit, Tiravanija will make a ghost of the 89 Greene Street space in plywood. The kitchen – which will include the same stools, tables, cookers, pots, pans, and refridgerator . . ” (press release)

The Zwirner piece also incorporates another of Rirkrit’s aesthetics – the re-construction of specific interior spaces. The best known example being his show, in the late 90’s at Gavin Brown’s space on 15th St. in Chelsea, when he re-created the ‘shell’ of his East Village apartment, put in a fridge and invited people to hang out and graffiti on the raw wood walls 24/7. Erik Parker, one of the young artists who really got into the spirit of the piece, and did a whole wall, was discovered by then young 20-something dealer, Leo KOENIG, as a result.

At the core of Rirkrit’s aesthetic is the fact that the audience is invited to participate.
In the current piece the audience is asked to participate in a specific historical event – the re-creation of the 303 piece from 1992, . . and eat !
The new production benefits from the open-air aspect afforded by the former garage structure, that is one of the new ZWIRNER storefront galleries.

NEW YORKERS are loving it, and the momentum just keeps growing – its going to be a huge huge HUGE success. The 2 pieces, Rirkrit’s and Gordon Matta-Clark’s brought together, in this large indoor/outdoor/garage open space have just absolutely caught everybodies imagination.

GAVIN BROWN, Rirkrit’s dealer, is co-presenting this exhibit with DAVID ZWIRNER.
and he looked mighty pleased the last time we saw him . . this past Saturday for the DARA FRIEDMAN opening.

gavin Brown

GAVIN BROWN, at the opening of DARA FRIEDMAN, ‘Tigertail’, GAVIN BROWN’s enterprise,
West Village, April 14, 2007
Photo: Nancy Smith

Rirkrit food at ZWIRNER

. . cooking up the Thai food – RIRKRIT TIRAVANIJA, ‘Untitled 1992 (Free)’ , co-presented by GAVIN BROWN’s enterprise and DAVID ZWIRNER, at DAVID ZWIRNER GALLERY, Chelsea, NYC.
running from: MARCH 21 – MAY 5, 2007
Photo: Nancy Smith, March 31, 2007
(first featured on the artlovers homepage – week of April 10, 2007)

Gordon Matta-Clark card

the front of the card for: ‘Gordon Matta-Clark – Rirkrit Tiravanija’
“View during the filming of ‘Open House’, 98 Greene Street, New York, NY 1972”

‘Open House’, a short (and exuberant) film on the building of the MATTA-CLARK container /dumpster dwelling, is projected onto the wall as part of the installation.
It’s high spirits & rough cut images – mix well with the hot Thai food – served up in big steel cannisters on what is fast becoming a big street picnic in Chelsea.

more photos of both the Rirkrit Tiravanija installation, and the Gordon Matta-Clark dumpster & film projection, including some of the construction in an unfinished state: …JUST POSTED.

APRIL 2006 – THE SENSUALISTS – the original report on which the above photo of RIRKRIT first posted


David Zwirner Gallery

Gavin Brown’s enterprise