Tala, the life-size figure of a chambermaid created by Elmgreen & Dragset, stares straight ahead with her arms crossed behind her back. She wears a simple black and white uniform; her skin glows a golden hue.
The sculpture is one of several golden figures the artist duo created from casts of real maids. The living models for the sculptures are women with an immigrant background, and Tala bears the likeness of a Nepalese woman. This series can be understood as the artists’ commentary on poverty-driven labor migration in a globalized world.
The young woman’s gilded skin contrasts with her uniform and detached posture. Upon viewing the work, one might wonder if the gilding is a symbol of the high value these servants hold in their employer’s eyes, or if this is simply a cynical commentary on the contrast between an often underappreciated job and the exclusive spaces in which it is performed.
Elmgreen & Dragset implement a narrative approach here; the sculpture immediately evokes a broad range of associations, whose contradictions encourage reflection.