Twins to appear in a performance work by Damien Hirst this summer
The National Gallery of Canada (NGC) is doubling up with Damien Hirst in its search for identical twins who are willing to take part in a recreation of the artist’s 1992 performance Ingo, Torsten. Successful candidates will perform in conjunction with the NGC’s summer exhibition Pop Life: Art in a Material World, organized by Tate Modern and on view from June 11 to September 19, 2010.
In 1992, at the Cologne Unfair art fair, British artist Damien Hirst commissioned a set of identical twins named Ingo and Torsten to spend time sitting in front of his trademark spot paintings. Dressed in identical clothing, the twins could read, knit or even play chess, so long as their actions were alike. Titled after the twins, the performance was about surface appearances, individuality, and making a scene.
Now, in 2010, the NGC plans to re-stage this iconic performance and invites identical twins to take part in this recreation and to become works of art in their own right.
Applicant requirements
Twins must be aged 18 or over and identical in stature, height and appearance. During the performance, successful applicants must wear identical clothes and footwear, and have matching hairstyles and hair colour. Shifts for each performance will be four hours in length. Ideally, the twins will be able to commit to two to four shifts during the span of the exhibition.
How to apply
Twins are invited to apply by sending their name, contact information and two photographs of themselves – one full body shot and one headshot to [email protected] or by regular mail to: Twins Project, Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 9N4. All applications must be received by May 7, 2010. Successful applicants will be notified by email.
Compensation
All participants will be compensated for their time and will also be presented with a photographic memento of their performance, signed by Damien Hirst. Please note that participants must pay for their own travel expenses to participate.
Pop Life: Art in a Material World explores the complex relationship between contemporary art, marketing and the mass media. Beginning in the 80s with the late work of American Pop artist Andy Warhol, the exhibition proposes a re-reading of his legacy and explores how some of today’s high-profile media-savvy artists have followed his lead, embracing commerce and celebrity as the foundations of their work. The NGC is the sole North American venue for this unprecedented exhibition.
About the National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art in the world. In addition, it has pre-eminent collections of Indigenous, Western and European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, American and Asian Art as well as drawings and photography. Created in 1880, it is among the oldest of Canada’s national, cultural institutions. As part of its mandate to make Canadian art accessible across the country, the NGC has one of the largest touring exhibition programs in the world.
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