Michael Riedel: Circulation as Form

Michael Riedel (born 1972, lives in Frankfurt and New York) transforms the protocols of information circulation into art. In a 2010 lecture at Fondation d'entreprise Ricard in Paris titled "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," he used PowerPoint transitions to reveal abstract compositions from monochrome slides. His invitation cards and catalogs often feature texts transcribed via speech recognition software, printed on uniform posters. These posters were compiled into the edition "Gedruckte und nicht gedruckte Poster 2003-08" (Printed and Unprinted Posters, 2003-08), where each page is a fragment determined solely by bookbinding constraints. His recent paintings copy entire web pages about his work onto canvas, resulting in illegible text and colored circles that represent loading wheels. By evacuating production in favor of dissemination, Riedel makes visible how context and mediation shape the artwork. Recent exhibitions include 2007 Biennale de Lyon, 2008 David Zwirner New York, 2009 Tate Modern London, 2010 Fondation d'entreprise Ricard Paris, and 2011 David Zwirner Gallery New York (February 17 – March 19).