Elin Wikström - RETAiliATOR

30 June ­ 8 August 2004. Wednesday ­ Sunday 13.00 ­ 18.00 hrs.
Inauguration 6 July 19.00 ­ 21.00hrs
Gallery Talk 20 July 18.30hrs

The Showroom is pleased to announce that Elin Wikström will present a new project at the gallery between 30 June and 8 August this year.

Elin Wikström creates Œactivated situations¹ in her practice. These involve projects sited within the public domain, that question the habits, behaviour and opinions of individuals and society in general. Her projects cause a disruption in the everyday flow of events that force us to reassess our understanding of accepted codes of behaviour, value systems and social conditioning.

For The Showroom, Wikström will present RETAiliATOR, a project that examines how our individual freedoms alter on a daily basis as we move between public and commercial spaces. On entering the retail environment, we are no longer seen as political subjects; what counts is the money we spend and where. Stores compete for our custom by providing a Œpositive¹ shopping experience; attractive stores, motivated staff etc.. Wikström will perform a series of actions sited in central London that will test this system by investigating the ability of major high street chains to react when something out of the ordinary occurs and the customer retaliates against the restrictions of the imposed structure.

Wilkström has recently made projects for DCA, Dundee, and Moderna Museet, Stockholm. Her project for The Showroom will be her first solo show in London. Elin Wikström lives in Gothenburg and is currently guest professor to the College of Fine Art, Umeå University, Sweden.

For further information please contact Kirsty Ogg or Bridget Crone at The Showroom on 020 8983 4115.

The Showroom is financially assisted by Arts Council England, London Office. Project supported by the Academy of Fine Art, Umeå University, Sweden. Inauguration sponsored by Hoegaarden.

Mary Jane Aladren, Tim Allen, Adelaide Bannerman, Claire Barclay, Jordan Baseman, Iwona Blazwick, Pavel Büchler, Sarah Carrington, Paul Collett, Laura Emsley, ezppl, Peter Fillingham, Rose Finn-Kelcey, FlatPack001, Rebecca Fortnum, Eric Franck, Frieze, David Gilmour, Simon Grant, Jackie Haliday, Ceri Hand, Margot Heller, Margot & Fergus Henderson, Paul Hobson, Martin Holman, Claire Hooper, Martin Hopkinson, Matthew Hunt, Sue Jones, Franz Koenig, Kate MacGarry, Lynn MacRitchie, Anna Milsom, Moose Foundation for the Arts, Dave Muller, Paul Nicholson, Kristine Nielsen, Campbell & Mairi Ogg, Harry Onslow, Michael O¹Pray, Maureen Paley, Sarah Pulvertaft, Alison Raftery, Craig Richardson, Signwave, John Slyce, Simon Starling, Straylight, Eva Tait, David Thorp, Transmission Gallery, Catherine Ugwu, Isabel Vasseur, Marc Vaulbert de Chantilly, Grant Watson and White Window are all actively supporting the work of the gallery by joining The Showroom's Friends Scheme.

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