In Elmgreen & Dragset’s installation Second Marriage, two identical washbasins equipped with mirrors are mounted side by side. Initially, this arrangement seems typical; yet, on closer inspection, this familiarity gives way to irritation. The sinks are connected by an intertwined drain pipe, so that the wastewater from one basin flows into the other, creating an endless cycle of proximity and dependence.
The work is part of a series that began in 2004 with Marriage. In the version exhibited here, Second Marriage from 2008, soap dispensers have been added. This small change transforms the scene from an intimate, domestic space into an anonymous, public toilet where more people come and go. The work thus opens up a new level of interpretation and refers to the impermanence of relationships.
Through the use of humor and irritation, Elmgreen & Dragset undermine traditional notions of partnership and the social expectations associated with it. In Second Marriage, wedlock does not appear to be an ideal of peaceful coexistence, but instead an endless cycle of connection and isolation marked by tension.