Rirkrit Tiravanija and Bruce Sterling
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Rirkrit Tiravanija and Bruce Sterling

If you’re in the right place at the right time, artist Rirkrit Tiravanija might cook you dinner—you and anyone else who wanders into one of his infamous installations in which he prepares Thai food as art. One of the most influential artists to emerge in the 1990s, Tiravanija builds on the idea put forth by Joseph Beuys of “social sculpture,” which seeks to diminish boundaries between art and life. The Land (1998–present), which he cofounded, is an environmental reclamation project near Chiang Mai, Thailand, that brings together art, architecture, and agriculture. Joining the artist in conversation is Bruce Sterling, science-fiction writer, Wired magazine blogger, environmentalist, and noted critic of technology and culture. His fiction includes Mirrorshades: A Cyberpunk Anthology (1986) and Heavy Weather (1994). Sterling’s ideas on ecologically sound design can be found at viridiandesign.org.