Artists Space

MICHAEL ASHER

November 22, 2024 – February 8, 2025

Over a career spanning six decades, Michael Asher (1943–2012) played a pivotal role in developing conceptual art through site-specific interventions that made their surrounding context the active content of his work. Asher’s interrogations of these sites reveal the many ways art can critique and make visible the often unseen social, economic, and institutional structures that underpin the subjects it addresses.

Photograph of a white magazine stand with black trim. Along the top of the stand, four stacks of black-and-white journals rest on acrylic stands. A selection of art journals in a variety of shapes and colors sit along the stand
Michael Asher, Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montreal, Montreal, Canada, l'art conceptuel, une perspective, August 5–October 21, 1990. Art journals with advertisements for the exhibition placed by Michael Asher displayed in the museum’s bookstore. Photograph by Denis Farley. Michael Asher Archive, © Michael Asher Foundation. [Photograph of a white magazine stand with black trim. Along the top of the stand, four stacks of black-and-white journals rest on acrylic stands. A selection of art journals in a variety of shapes and colors sit along the stand's two rows.]

This focused survey presents twenty works via their material elements, documentation, and an accompanying exhibition guide. While many of Asher’s projects left no trace, “fragments” exist for some, including distributed objects (household items, games, clothing, maps, and postcards) that were designed to circulate publicly. His practice also employed a broad range of 20th-century media and utilized their conventions of production and distribution—including film, television, radio, magazines, publications, advertising, and graphic identities. Among his many engagements with institutions, Asher intervened in branding and signage, patronage, as well as educational and curatorial responsibilities.

Produced for a specific time and place, Asher’s work intrinsically questions both the possibility and value of retrospective display. This exhibition draws on documentation and other resources from the artist’s extensive archive, alongside loans from friends and peers. While much of Asher’s work cannot be reconstituted, his wide-reaching methods and models offer pathways for understanding art’s relationship with broader systems of meaning.

Newly conducted audio interviews with the curators and facilitators of Asher's projects are available here.

January 23, 2025

A film by Michael Asher
Screening
7:30pm

The text "MICHAEL ASHER" is handpainted in black onto a white gallery wall. To the right of the text are two identical plinths made of MDF. The plinths are low to the ground, and display checker board sets.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [The text "MICHAEL ASHER" is handpainted in black onto a white gallery wall. To the right of the text are two identical plinths made of MDF. The plinths are low to the ground, and display checker board sets.]
Two identical plinths made of MDF sit side by side in a gallery. Each plinth displays a red and black store-bought checkerboard, with a set of checkers layed out. The checkers on the left are made of steel and plated with a chrome and black-oxide finish. The checkers on the right are made of powder-coated aluminum.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [Two identical plinths made of MDF sit side by side in a gallery. Each plinth displays a red and black store-bought checkerboard, with a set of checkers layed out. The checkers on the left are made of steel and plated with a chrome and black-oxide finish. The checkers on the right are made of powder-coated aluminum.]
The hallway of a gallery, leading into a large gallery space. On the left wall is a large black-and-white photograph is affixed to the wall, depicting the process of casting the iron objects displayed on the opposite wall on a tall plinth made of MDF. In the room in the back ground are more plinths and archival objects and documentation.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [The hallway of a gallery, leading into a large gallery space. On the left wall is a large black-and-white photograph is affixed to the wall, depicting the process of casting the iron objects displayed on the opposite wall on a tall plinth made of MDF. In the room in the back ground are more plinths and archival objects and documentation.]
A variety of plinths made of MDF are arranged around a large gallery space. Along the left wall, a low, angled plinth displays a series of annotated utility maps. On the back wall a large photograph is affixed to the wall and depicts the snowy landscape of Neuenkirchen, Germany.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A variety of plinths made of MDF are arranged around a large gallery space. Along the left wall, a low, angled plinth displays a series of annotated utility maps. On the back wall a large photograph is affixed to the wall and depicts the snowy landscape of Neuenkirchen, Germany.]
A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made from MDF, atop of which are various archival objects. On the walls are large photographs affixed directly to the wall.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made from MDF, atop of which are various archival objects. On the walls are large photographs affixed directly to the wall.]
A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are displayed archival objects such as journals and postcards. On the right wall in the foreground is a large photograph affixed to the wall which depicts a wooden museum bench with a box housing red deaccession catalogs made available within The Museum of Modern Art‘s exhibition space.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are displayed archival objects such as journals and postcards. On the right wall in the foreground is a large photograph affixed to the wall which depicts a wooden museum bench with a box housing red deaccession catalogs made available within The Museum of Modern Art‘s exhibition space.]
A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are placed various archival objects. Down the middle of the room are two long, short plinths that display a series of art historical journals. On another tall plinth to the right is a postcard.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are placed various archival objects. Down the middle of the room are two long, short plinths that display a series of art historical journals. On another tall plinth to the right is a postcard.]
A postcard depicting a black-and-white photograph of the facade of a factory in Belgium sits on a plinth.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A postcard depicting a black-and-white photograph of the facade of a factory in Belgium sits on a plinth.]
A series of reproduced photographic stills are displayed in a row along a white gallery wall. The stills are taken from a television broadcast and depict graphics from commercials, and the inside of a television studio. In the foreground is a magazine, displayed open on a plinth made from MDF.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A series of reproduced photographic stills are displayed in a row along a white gallery wall. The stills are taken from a television broadcast and depict graphics from commercials, and the inside of a television studio. In the foreground is a magazine, displayed open on a plinth made from MDF.]
A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF atop of which are placed various archival documents and objects, such as exhibition pamphlets and art historical journals.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF atop of which are placed various archival documents and objects, such as exhibition pamphlets and art historical journals.]
A long piece of plexiglass hangs vertically from the cieling in a gallery. Eight postcards are mounted onto the plexiglass. All of the postcards depict different garbage trucks, shown from the exact same angle.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A long piece of plexiglass hangs vertically from the cieling in a gallery. Eight postcards are mounted onto the plexiglass. All of the postcards depict different garbage trucks, shown from the exact same angle.]
A white T-shirt hangs on a clothes hanger placed on a cylinder of plexi which is affixed to a white gallery wall. Down the middle of the shirt in vertical orientation is a six-digit phone number. In front of the wall and to the right of the shirt is a low plinth made of MDF, with a newspaper placed on top.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A white T-shirt hangs on a clothes hanger placed on a cylinder of plexi which is affixed to a white gallery wall. Down the middle of the shirt in vertical orientation is a six-digit phone number. In front of the wall and to the right of the shirt is a low plinth made of MDF, with a newspaper placed on top.]
A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are placed various archival objects. Along the far back wall is a large photograph affixed to the wall that depicts a driveway with a large white reconstructed wall.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A large gallery space houses a variety of plinths made of MDF, atop of which are placed various archival objects. Along the far back wall is a large photograph affixed to the wall that depicts a driveway with a large white reconstructed wall.]
A set of stairs lead into a gallery space with two series of photographs on each wall. On the back wall a series of fourteen photographs are shown in two rows. Along the right wall, eight photographs in two rows are visible from this angle. In both series, the photographs on the top row are cool-toned and darker, and the photographs on the bottom row are much brighter and warm-toned.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [A set of stairs lead into a gallery space with two series of photographs on each wall. On the back wall a series of fourteen photographs are shown in two rows. Along the right wall, eight photographs in two rows are visible from this angle. In both series, the photographs on the top row are cool-toned and darker, and the photographs on the bottom row are much brighter and warm-toned.]
Ten photographs are displayed on a white gallery wall. The photographs are arranged into two identical rows. The photographs along the top are darker and cool toned. The photographs along the bottom are much brighter and warm toned. To the left of the photographs is a white panel that shows the floor plan of a gallery.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [Ten photographs are displayed on a white gallery wall. The photographs are arranged into two identical rows. The photographs along the top are darker and cool toned. The photographs along the bottom are much brighter and warm toned. To the left of the photographs is a white panel that shows the floor plan of a gallery.]
Next to the entrance to a gallery space, along the inside wall, is a large photograph affixed to a wall that depicts a billboard on Glendale Boulevard in Los Angeles. In the foreground is a set of three open magazines displayed on a plinth made of MDF.
Michael Asher. Installation View, Artists Space, 2025. Photo: Carter Seddon. [Next to the entrance to a gallery space, along the inside wall, is a large photograph affixed to a wall that depicts a billboard on Glendale Boulevard in Los Angeles. In the foreground is a set of three open magazines displayed on a plinth made of MDF.]

Lead support is provided by the Arison Art Foundation, Richard Massey and the Danielson Foundation, Conor O'Neil, Eleanor Propp, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Major support is provided by James Cahn & Jeremiah Collatz and Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. Support is provided by Michael Lowe & Kimberly Klosterman and Nine Orchard.

This exhibition was made possible thanks to Kim Abeles, Sarah Applegate, Tommy Aschenbach, Julie Ault, Charlotte Barat, Stephanie Barron, Martin Beck, Mary L. Beebe, Cindy Bernard, Barbara Bloom, Marisa Bourgoin, Benjamin H.D. Buchloh, Brian Butler, Michael Callies, Anthony Carfello, Paul Chan, Christophe Cherix, Lynda Claassen, Shamus Clisset, Poppy Coles, Leslie Dick, Karen Dunbar, Sam Durant, Bettina v. Dziembowski, Ferruccio Farina, Andy Ferro, Martha Fleming-Ives, Yana Foqué, Andrew Freeman, Bettina Funcke, Peggy Gale, Jessica Gambling, Drew Gilmore, Ann Goldstein, Roxy Gonzalez, Romain Goumy, Will Greenberg, Mathieu Gregoire, Richard Griggs, Ayn Grinstein, Ellen Grinstein Perliter, Nancy Grinstein, Matilde Guidelli-Guidi, Julia Han, Fatima Hellberg, Tom Jimmerson, Flavin Judd, Julia Jung, Lawrence Kenny, Jennie King, Alex Kitnick, Justin Klasa, Jouke Kleerebezem, John Knight, Miwon Kwon, Van Lagestein, Karin Lanzoni, Louise Lawler, Thomas Lawson, Annette Leddy, Frederik Leen, Mara Lonner, André Lützen, Linda Lyke, Steffi Lynen, Tom Marioni, Paul McMahon, Kimberli Meyer, Sarah Michelson, Jean Milant, Jan Mot, Ian Murray, Rick Myers, Claire Olszewski, Stephan Pascher, Kirsi Peltomäki, Paulina Pobocha, Gala Porras-Kim, Jeff Preiss, Stephen Prina, Sarah Pugh, Philipp Rittermann, Anne Rorimer, Kate Rouhandeh, Allen Ruppersberg, Michelle Saylor, Christian Scheidemann, Karin Schneider, Carter Seddon, Michel Segard, Marc Selwyn, Lary 7, Piper Severance, Mo Shannon, Olivia Shao, Matthew Simms, Bennett Simpson, Michael Smith, Dirk Snauwaert, Yanina Spizzirri, Frances Stark, Marina Stark, Nic Tammens, Julie Tanaka, Vincent Terlizzi, Lilian Tone, Joel Wachs, Todd Warnock, Carmen Wedemeyer, Alice Weiner, Christopher Williams, Takako Yamaguchi, and Jane Zwerneman.