This summer the former Submarine Wharf in Rotterdam is a great place to visit – the Scandinavian art duo Elmgreen & Dragset (Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset) presents a very interesting exhibition and an unforgettable experience, The One & The Many. The exhibition has transformed the 5000 square meters of former Submarine Wharf into an incredible space.

The duo has created a sad, gritty neighborhood, complete with a full-scale residential block and apartments the viewers can peek into to discover the lives of fictional inhabitants living very different lifestyles. The apartment block is surrounded by a square with trees, a ferris wheel, a public toilet, a broken down limo, and actors hired to perform various roles of locals, creating an additional visual element as well as an element of interaction with the visitors.

Elmgreen & Dragset talk about the exhibition in the video projected in the “welcoming” section of the exhibition. They describe how they started wondering why all exhibition spaces look the same and started looking into other kinds of environments. The One & The Many is a show created to make you think about one individual versus the big masses and encourage starting new narratives. The exhibition also comments on what happened to public space. Elmgreen & Dragset mention being inspired by filmmakers, particularly Ingmar Bergmann and Fassbinder.

The visitors can discover the staged realities and continue the discussion with a glass of wine and a warm sandwich at the makeshift cafe, or relax and read The Wharf Tribune. I loved the entire concept.

The warehouse has been turned into an exhibition space thanks to a partnership between Museum Boijmans van Beuningen and the Port of Rotterdam.

The One & The Many will be open until 25th September, 2011.

Onderzeebootloods
RDM-straat 1
3089 JS Rotterdam