What happens when an artist takes an everyday object but shows it in a very different context? Well, what happens is that we register and notice it in a new way. The objects and their environment become highlighted, become a little more dignified; perhaps they tell us something new or we may even have ourselves a good laugh. What we’re going to talk about now is an art term called readymade.

The artist duo Elmgreen and Dragset are known to make sculptures that modify everyday objects. But using every-day items and presenting them as art is not something new. Other artists who have worked with readymades are Marcel Duchamp and Ai Weiwei.

Lesson on Elmgreen & Dragset.