Elmgreen & Dragset and the institutional exhibition Stillleben mit Gemüse
Published on 08/27/2026 at 12:22 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Elmgreen & Dragset use the Städel Museum in Frankfurt as an expansive stage for their exhibition Stillleben mit Gemüse. The institutional show brings sculptural interventions into dialogue with a collection spanning more than 700 years of European art, as a detailed museum and gallery overview confirms.
The exhibition Stillleben mit Gemüse
At the Städel Museum, Stillleben mit Gemüse unfolds across galleries where historical still lifes meet Elmgreen & Dragset’s installations that mimic domestic and institutional spaces. The duo place refrigerators, kitchen counters and staged interiors among canonical works, subtly shifting the focus from painted abundance to contemporary consumption habits.
The project is framed as an institutional exhibition that runs over several months, positioning their sculptural and installation practice within a museum context usually dominated by painting. By working directly with the architecture and curatorial layout, Elmgreen & Dragset treat the museum itself as material, a theme that echoes earlier projects in major European institutions.
Museum & collection perspective
Elmgreen & Dragset’s presence in public collections has grown steadily, with works held by institutions such as the Städel Museum and Hamburger Bahnhof, where their installations often probe how museums stage everyday life and social roles. In Frankfurt, the duo extend this inquiry to food, domestic economies and the coded rituals of the gallery visit.
The Städel presentation follows other institutional shows listed on the artists’ own site, including contributions to group exhibitions such as 55.6° North at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art and Stillness in the storm at Museum Voorlinden, underscoring their sustained engagement with museum spaces across Europe.
All news and background on Elmgreen & Dragset
Further reporting at AD HOC NEWS traces Elmgreen & Dragset’s institutional shows, public projects and awards in Europe and beyond.
How the duo work
Elmgreen & Dragset are known for installations that merge sculpture, architecture and performance to test how spaces produce social roles. From reimagined swimming pools to fictional museum interiors, their works often feature carefully staged everyday furnishings that become props in a wider institutional drama.
Current state of the work
Overall, Elmgreen & Dragset maintain an active institutional exhibition program with Stillleben mit Gemüse anchoring their current museum presence in Frankfurt, alongside further group shows in Bonn, Dresden and other European venues.
Elmgreen & Dragset at a glance
- Artist: Elmgreen & Dragset
- Medium / Genre: Installation and sculpture (conceptual)
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice spanning Berlin and other European centers, as indicated by their exhibition history.
- Active since: Late 1990s, with institutional projects developing across the 2000s.
- Key work groups: Prada Marfa, The Collectors, Powerless Structures, Stillleben mit Gemüse
- Current/last exhibition: Stillleben mit Gemüse, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, institutional exhibition spanning the museum’s collection.
- Major collections: Städel Museum (Frankfurt), Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin), other European museums listed on their studio and gallery overviews.
- Awards: Recognized with international commissions and biennial projects documented across major institutions and press.
- Next date: Currently no announced date in the 30-day window beyond ongoing institutional shows listed by the artists and galleries.
Frequently asked questions about Elmgreen & Dragset
Where can Elmgreen & Dragset’s exhibition Stillleben mit Gemüse be seen?
The exhibition Stillleben mit Gemüse is on view at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main, where Elmgreen & Dragset’s installations interact with the museum’s historical collection.
How does Stillleben mit Gemüse relate to Elmgreen & Dragset’s wider practice?
The show continues their use of institutional architecture as material, placing sculptural domestic elements among historical works to question how museums frame everyday life and social rituals.
In which other institutions are Elmgreen & Dragset currently present?
Recent listings highlight contributions to exhibitions at ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum Voorlinden, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn and Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, underscoring a broad European institutional presence.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
