Born in Buenos Aires (1961), based in New York and Berlin, Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija is a leading figure in a generation that has radically changed the way art is proposed and apprehended. His work epitomises a refreshing openness in art practice, blurring the distinctions between process and finished work, between art work and its various contexts and, above all, between art and its audience.
Fascinated with people’s reactions to art, Tiravanija opens up the gallery to a different kind of activity, changing visitor behavior in the space. For Ikon, Tiravanija installed three major projects: a bar complete with a juke box and pool tables, an exhibition of drawings and an ongoing programme of practical demonstrations.