.:. art / where do the children play 

Rirkrit Tiravanija
March 26 through July 26, 2026

one picture only .:. "On doing less" is one of Tiravanija's booklets on sale at the Hangar's store these days. The artist (Buenos Aires, 1961, from a Thai family) has probably taken full advantage of his own motto, as the artifacts that make up his exhibition – houses, pavilions, rooms – are all replicas of buildings displayed somewhere else before, originally inspired by architectural works that leading architects previously designed and now rebuilt by the Hangar's staff. What's new, apart from the Pirelli patronage, is that the artifacts are placed along a maze that visitors can get lost through despite the warning sign. If you do, follow the green arrows painted on the floor (pictured).
.:. It's a joke, of course, and a friendly one. Tiravanija encourages people to get close to each other, act together, and participate; Pirelli has thus contacted dozens of Milanese activities, club and bands – yes, one of the available artifacts is a perfectly equipped recording studio – for a constantly updated calendar of events, concerts, and meetings that visitors are invited to take part in.
.:. The title of the exhibition – “The House That Jack Built” – refers to an English century-old nursery rhyme and its repetitive structure. But here the rhyme does not recount the story of the house or its builder. Rather, it reveals how houses interact with people and things around them. By evoking the rhyme, Tiravanija highlights his relationship with the issue of authorship. He conceives buildings as platforms, whose value depends on their use and the people who live there rather than on their shape.

 Pirelli HangarBicocca
Via Chiese 2
Ponale
Bicocca district

  Thu-Sun 10:30am-8:30pm
   entrance free
    [+39] 02 66111573