Michael Asher Retrospective at Artists Space Highlights Labor Over Objects
A retrospective of Michael Asher's work is on display at Artists Space in New York, running until February 8, 2025. This exhibition spans Asher's 50-year career, emphasizing labor and administrative practices over traditional art pieces. It includes archival items such as postcards, posters, and plans, reflecting his varied roles as a graphic designer and social worker. Key projects encompass a 1986 partnership with a papermaking class at Occidental College and 1999 promotional materials for Cal Arts. In 2003, he utilized technical maps for an outdoor exhibit in Germany. His 1999 catalogue of deaccessioned works from MoMA featured a last-minute disclaimer. The survey examines Asher's connection to labor and institutional frameworks, impacting current conversations on institutional critique.
Key facts
- Michael Asher's retrospective is at Artists Space in New York through February 8, 2025.
- The exhibition features archival materials like postcards, posters, plans, publications, and prints.
- Asher's work spans from the late 1960s to early 2010s and is central to institutional critique.
- He took on roles such as graphic designer, art handler, landscaper, advertiser, and engineer.
- In 1986, Asher worked with a papermaking class at Occidental College in California for a catalogue.
- In 1999, he designed advertisements for Cal Arts, where he taught for nearly 30 years.
- A 2003 project in a rural German town involved technical maps of local infrastructure networks.
- Asher's 1999 catalogue of MoMA deaccessions was printed with a disclaimer and sidelined at the museum.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Asher
Institutions
- Artists Space
- Claire Copley Gallery
- Occidental College
- Cal Arts
- Art in America
- New Art Examiner
- Museum of Modern Art
- ArtReview
- MOCA
- CalArts
- Michael Asher Foundation
Locations
- New York
- United States
- California
- Germany
- Los Angeles