Traces of Living
1986
Wood, MDF, found objects, glass, AC lacquer.
Installation: 92 cm. x 520 cm. x 61 cm. overall.
Chairs: 92 cm. x 45 cm. x 45 cm. each
Tables 78 cm. x 61 cm. x 122 cm. each
… with the transparent and opaque membrane of glass and white wood dividing inside and outside Langlands & Bell create an incentive for one to traverse the architectural space defined by the bond between furniture and walls…establishing a union between agreeable and disagreeable space…..the individual who would, metaphorically, sit down at this table would eat or breath parts of cities, bite into ruins and corpses…..sitting down on a depository / archive space they would themselves be swallowed up and devoured as vestiges, ruins…..
Germano Celant, Langlands & Bell – The Transparency of Architecture, Serpentine Gallery / Kunsthalle Bielefeld / Grey Art Gallery, 1996.
Exhibitions: Traces of Living, Interim Art, London, 1986. That Which Appears is Good, That Which is Good Appears Galerie Tanja Grünert, Cologne, Germany. 1988. [cat]. Langlands & Bell Works 1986-1996, Serpentine Gallery, London, UK. Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Germany [cat]. 1996. Creative Quarters – The Art World in London 1700 – 2000 Museum of London, UK [cat]. Degrees of Truth, Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, UK [cat]. 2020. Ideas of Utopia, Charleston, East Sussex, UK. 2020. [cat].
Catalogues: Langlands & Bell, Works 1986-1989, pub: Interim Art, London; Luis Campana Galerie, Frankfurt. 1989. Langlands & Bell, Works 1986-1992 (The White Catalogue) pub: Interim Art, London; Luis Campana Galerie, Frankfurt; Valentina Moncada, Rome. 1992 . Langlands & Bell Works 1986-1996, pub: Serpentine Gallery, London; Kunsthalle Bielefeld; Grey Art Gallery, New York, 1996. Degrees of Truth, pub. Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, UK. 2020.
Collection: Chair with Combs, 1986. Private collection, London. Entire installation, Langlands & Bell Archive. (Chair with Combs, 1986 replaced with Chair with Toothbrushes 2020) 2020.
Installation views: Traces of Living, Interim Art, London, 1986.
Photos: Edward Woodman
