Rirkrit Tiravanija | ARTnews
Rirkrit Tiravanija and Nico Dockx, untitled 2011 (erased Rirkrit Tiravanija demonstration drawing), 2011. Photo Fredrik Nilsen/Courtesy the artist and 1301PE, Los Angeles.
By Alex Greenberger
Rirkrit Tiravanija’s lively MoMA PS1 show, a strong candidate for the year’s finest New York museum exhibition, is a challenging experience. This is not because the art included is tough—although it does offer plenty of food for thought (and, in a few cases, for digestion, too)—but because the work on hand calls on viewers to do more than merely see it.
On at least three occasions, visitors are asked to lie down to experience the works. On two, they are given the opportunity to play music—including their own, made via guitars and a drum set, in one installation resembling a recording studio, minus a soundproofed wall. And, for one centrally placed artwork, visitors are even given the opportunity to perform a game of ping-pong; paddles, balls, and a table await players.