Dirty Dessert resembles a gangster movie narrative and aesthetics and consists of four large cinematic film stills. The scenes appear familiar to gangster movies, with props such as cigars, gold watches, suspenders, cars, briefcases, a beautiful lover in a luxury hotel suite and guns. But one element doesn’t fit in: the vast green jelly in the leading role as the gangster boss. How can a green jelly be a gangster boss, and how can a green jelly control a drug deal and have a beautiful lover?
The work is a collaboration between Mikkel Tjellesen and Søren Dahlgaard and was produced in Copenhagen in 1997.
The work was exhibited at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, and the Chisenhale Gallery, London, in 1998 and at the Tate Modern in 1999. On the occasion of the Chisenhale Gallery show, the work was featured in The Times newspaper’s international edition.
Each photograph measures 120 x 275 cm.
Edition of 5.
Thank you to Galle & Jessen candy factory for sponsoring 500 kg green pineapple-flavoured wine gum.