Alfredo Jaar, The Marx Lounge (2010)

You won’t find a more accommodating piece of art than The Marx Lounge. The sofas are as comfortable as they look. The walls are a warm shade of red. The light is perfect for reading.

Then there are books. Some 1,500 paperbacks are stacked on a central table, which means the room is designed to fit the population of a medium sized village. Sofa space will be at a premium.

By reading full time, it is just possible you could get through all the different titles in about five years, but the work is on display for around 10 weeks. Clearly this lounge is more extensive in both space and time than it might at first appear.

The topics covered, from a broadly Marxist perspective, include economics, philosophy, history, psychoanalysis and above all politics. Alfredo Jaar has spoken of this as a “tsunami of thinking”, which has been taking place over the last 20 or 30 years.

But everything about the place is an invitation to relax and let the theory sweep away everything in its path. This expansive lounge feels safe and well built, a good vantage point, or a place to soak it in.

The Marx Lounge is part of Liverpool Biennial 2010: Touched, the International Exhibition. It can be found at 52 Renshaw Street until 28 Novermber 2010.

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