fruits, vegetables; fruit and vegetable salad

Jan 15–Feb 17, 2020

A photo of various fruits and vegetables perched on wood plinths
A photo of various fruits and vegetables perched on wood plinths

Darren Bader, no title, not dated. Fruits, vegetables; fruit and vegetable salad, dimensions variable. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from Sascha S. Bauer and Eleanor Heyman Propp 2015.108. © Darren Bader. Image courtesy the artist and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York

For this exhibition, an untitled work by Darren Bader (b. 1978) stands alone in the gallery. Fresh fruits and vegetables—“nature’s impeccable sculpture,” according to Bader—are presented as formal objects on pedestals. Before over-ripening, the produce is removed from the pedestals by museum staff. It is then chopped, sliced, shaved, and diced into a salad, which is served to visitors. The artwork is then refreshed with a new selection of fruits and vegetables.  

Salad-making and eating will happen at the following times:
Mondays 3 pm–6 pm, Wednesdays 3 pm–6 pm, Fridays 7:30 pm–10 pm, Sundays 3 pm–6 pm

This exhibition is organized by Christie Mitchell, senior curatorial assistant.




Explore works from this exhibition
in the Whitney's collection

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In the News

"Whitney one-ups Art Basel banana with entire modern art fruit stand" —New York Post

"[T]he sharp-witted New York Conceptualist Darren Bader offers food for thought" —The New Yorker

"Darren Bader’s Divisive Fruit Salad at the Whitney Fits Into a Ripe Tradition" artnet News

"Sculpture, a lip-smacking salad and a chew over questions about what we think of as “art”– what’s not to love?" How To Spend It

"[A]s with all of Bader’s works, you can expect the salad to be served with a side of playfulness, provocation and a conceptual examination of the age-old question: “what does this really mean?”" —Observer

"How do you follow heroin lasagne? The artist who wants you to dice his veg" —The Guardian

"Eat this art - salad making goes live at NY's Whitney" —Reuters

"I Ate the Worst Salad of My Life in the Name of Art" —The Cut