Biography of Elmgreen & Dragset
The Scandinavian artists Michael Elmgreen (born 1961 in Copenhagen, DK) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969 in Trondheim, NO) joined forces in the mid-1990s to become the now widely known duo Elmgreen & Dragset. They have a strong affinity with art, architecture, and design, and combine these different fields in their installations, one of their more famous ones being Prada Marfa, where they recreated a Prada store, merchandise included, in the middle of the Marfa desert landscape. Made from biodegradable materials, the store will eventually disappear by 'melting' into the earth.
Commentary on consumerism and materiality also lays at the basis of their presentation at the 53rd Venice Biennale, where they curated both the Danish and Nordic pavilions, made to look like the private homes of big art collectors. Similar to this, they have made a multiple, Found Identity (2009), consisting of a wallet filled with everyday objects one could expect to find, hinting at the identity of the imaginary owner. Found Identity being a more elaborate edition considering the contents, Elmgreen & Dragset are also known for multiples in a wide range of media, such as photography, music, video, and fashion.