Gilbert&George

Since 1968, Gilbert Proesch (* 1943 in the Italian Dolomites) and George Passmore (* 1942 in Totnes, England) have appeared under the name Gilbert & George as «living sculptures» in performances often lasting several hours and have created ironically defamiliarized photoseries in which they arrange themselves into kitschy everyday icons. By aestheticizing the commonplace—thematicizing activities such as singing, going for walks, drinking, etc.—they call into question the elitist demands of the art establishment. With the artificializing of their persons, at the same time Gilbert & George pursue a project that refers back to the dandyism at the turn of the twentieth century. At the beginning of their career they created so-called postal sculptures—self-portraits accompanied by text which they sent to various recipients. Since the 1970s they have been producing photo pieces — grid-like arrangements of photographs supplemented by monochrome areas of color. Over the years, these photo pieces have become increasingly political and critical of society.