Born: 1961, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality: Thai-Argentine
Style: Relational Aesthetics, Socially Engaged Art
Influences: Everyday life, community, Thai culture
"I'm interested in creating situations where people can come together and share experiences."
Notable Artwork
Untitled (Free) (1992)
About Rirkrit Tiravanija
Born: 1961, Buenos Aires, Argentina Nationality: Thai-Argentine Style: Relational Aesthetics, Socially Engaged Art Influences: Everyday life, community, Thai culture Major Exhibitions: “Untitled (Free)” (1992), “Untitled (Tomorrow is Another Day)” (1997), “Untitled (1999)” (1999) Quote: “I’m interested in creating situations where people can come together and share experiences.”
Notable Artwork: Untitled (Free) (1992)
For this work, Tiravanija transformed a gallery space into a kitchen where he cooked and served free Thai curry to visitors. The artwork consisted of the social interaction and shared experience of eating together.
Significance
Untitled (Free) is a paradigmatic example of Relational Aesthetics. It dematerializes the art object, focusing instead on creating a situation for social interaction and exchange. The artwork is not the food itself, but the event of cooking, serving, and eating together.