Gilbert & George: Art for everyone! (Now for real)

A few years ago at this time of year: a gray evening in London and dinner at Graam Bangla on Brick Lane, which serves fantastic Bengali cuisine and makes no secret of the royal loyalty of its owners.

Between painted maps and pictures of Prince, now King Charles and the former Queen, there are excellent dishes such as Rohu Fish Fry or Shorisha Elish. Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore live around the corner and have been performing as the duo Gilbert & George since the beginning of their careers. For decades, they walked from their house to their local restaurant every evening and always ate the same dishes at their regular table.

The Covid pandemic briefly interrupted this tradition, but the duo continued to value this continuity afterwards. They also regularly comment on the changes in their district in their works and interviews, which has already brought them accusations. But no matter what you think of them, the duo consistently acts as equals when it comes to contempt for religion. Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore never had much to do with the Anglican Church; they only considered organized faith with crude vulgarisms and in large formats.

Katharina Cichosch, freelance art critic, lives in Frankfurt am Main

Changing large-format collages by the duo can be seen at 5a Heneage Street. A few streets away from the Künstlerhaus is The Gilbert & George Center, which is currently magically lit on autumn evenings and surrounded by old trees and does not seem like one of the usual new openings for contemporary art. The center is located in a brewery building converted by SIRS Architects and is entered through a wrought iron gate.

Throughout their work, Gilbert & George was accused of being either a pure artist's joke (according to the formal artistic criticism) or the product of right-wing conservatism (according to the political one). With their own center, which preserves their work and keeps it publicly accessible, the duo has retained maximum artistic autonomy so as not to have to adapt their presentations to the curatorial zeitgeist or institutional obligations. And in order to hand over sovereignty over the interpretation of the work to the world at the same moment.

In the sense of art for everyone, to which both feel committed. Entry is free. School classes come during the week. And you would like to be there when educational specialists give lectures about dick picks and fecal humor.

During my visit, the artist duo had currently shown pictures from the “Leaves” series, which combine their own likenesses with withering leaves and nature in a melancholic and appropriately stupid way. A merciless anticipation of one's own transience, which also gave rise to the founding of the foundation. In any case, the operation of the center should be secured for decades.

Finally, the duo's unshakable loyalty after the change at the royal leadership also shows continuity. In addition to various blasphemous pins, postcards and posters, the museum shop also contains Ink Washes, thematic editions made up of many unique items. In hundreds of variations, the ink letters proclaim the same thing: “God Save the King”.