Marcus Coates

de Janna Graham, Lucia Pietroiusti

Artist Marcus Coates has worked with outpatients at St John's Hospice, London, since 2009, as part of the Serpentine Gallery's project Skills Exchange: Urban Transformation and the Politics of Care. Wondering about the skills an artist could offer people in the final stages of their lives, Coates began his project asking the question, 'What can I do for you?' Answers to this question generated a series of proposals, one of which - made by Alex H. - asked the artist to undertake a journey to the Amazon Rainforest. This artist's book is divided into two sections, documenting both the original proposal made by Alex and the conversations that took place between him and Marcus upon his return. Coates' practice questions the role of the artist in relation to a range of social issue. In The Trip, he develops this central concern through exchanges between himself and individuals nearing the end of their lives. This project explores the subject of death with profound sensitivity and intimacy, casting light on a topic widely avoided in everyday discussion.