Interstage (Hospital hallway) by the Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset is a life-size replica of a hospital corridor, integrated into the exhibition architecture. Inside, two hospital beds are placed along the walls. In one of them, a young patient lies facing the wall. The glaring ceiling light and the swing doors at the end of the corridor convey the impression of an inhospitable passageway, where the patient appears to have been left alone.
Interstage (Hospital hallway) was conceived in 2005 as part of the exhibition The Welfare Show, which expanded questions of care to a societal level. The exhibition travelled to Sweden, Canada, England, and Austria, addressing at each location the condition of the welfare state under the pressures of a globalized world economy.
Through their realistic recreations of seemingly everyday situations in art spaces, Elmgreen & Dragset confront viewers with social injustices, evoke empathy for those affected, and leave their viewers with a sense of unease.