Alan Michael
born 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland. London-based painter Alan Michael explores the intersection of fact and fiction, image production, and the ever-changing nature of cities. His works depict urban life as a space where numerous thoughts and ideas coexist, interact, and change. By using language and fragments of images in his paintings, he decontextualizes the original meaning and subtly shifts attention. His work challenges the linear evolution of visual culture and embraces the collision of various influences and cultural references. His works have been exhibited internationally at the Haus für Kunst, Lüneburg; the Tate Britain; the Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, the Neuer Essener Kunstverein, Essen; the Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem; The British Council / Aram Art Gallery; the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Centre, South Korea; The British Council / Limerick City Gallery of Art, the Ireland and Bonington Gallery; the Nottingham Trent University; the 1001 44th Rd Long Island City, New York; the CAC Vilnius, Lithuania; the Nottingham Contemporary; the Fiorucci Art Trust, Stromboli; the Cubitt, London; The Artist’s Institute, New York; the ReMap 4 in Athens; the Fremantle arts Centre, Australia; the CPAC, Bordeaux; the Dundee Contemporary Arts; The Drawing Room, London; the Tate Triennial and the Transmission Gallery, Glasgow.
Gallery exhibitions
Institutional exhibitions
Press
Vita
Lives and works in London Born 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 The Bubblegum Police, Jenny's (Hot Wheels London), London [Duo]
2023 Friendly Street, Jan Kaps, Cologne
2022 Matchmakers, Jenny’s, New York
2021 Playlife, Halle für Kunst, Lüneburg Wonder Workers, High Art, Paris
2019 Stars of the Source, Le Bourgeois, London
2018 Astrology and the City, Cell Projects, London People Puzzle, Jan Kaps, Cologne
2015 London Foam, LONDON, London Coup de Mall, Galeria Zero, Milan
2014 Syn, Tramway, Glasgow P.A., Vilma Gold, London
2013 Calvinistic Girls, HIGH ART, Paris The Manual xx, 0HI0, Glasgow
2011 Res Gestae, David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles
2010 Silhouette Formulas, HOTEL, London
2009 In a Rotterdam Cell, Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
2008 It’s A British Sound, Sammlung Schürmann Berlin Mood: Casual, Art Now - Tate Britain, London
2007 Decamp, David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles Space to Squabble, Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
2005 Stuart Shave / Modern Art, London
2003 Burlesque Schematic, HOTEL, London
2002 Damage (with works by William Copley), Transmission Gallery, Glasgow
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Somnambulism, As It Stands, Los Angeles
2023 Hoi Köln, Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne Slow Dance (3), Stadtgalerie Bern, Bern Misery: The English, Centre d’Editions, Melbourne Would you rather, Terminal, London
2022 Thirst Trap, Rice, Leipzig Drive Language Crazy, The Wig, Berlin Comme Otto Dix, Saigon, Athens Vype is now Vuse, Leech, London Picpus, Dépendance Gallery, Paris & St. Martin Bookshop, Brussels
2021 This City Is, Galerie Francesca Pia, Zürich
2020 Eight works from 2013, 2019, 2009, 1998, 2019, 2003, 2018, 1998, Wschód, Warsaw Sphinx of black Quartz - Judge my Vow, Palfrey Gallery, London well, well, well..., Sundy, London Soft View/ Privatissime, Neuer Essener Kunstverein (NEK), Essen The Vapours, curated by Kate Mackeson, Kunstraum Kesselhaus, Bamberg
2019 The person who is recording cannot intervene, curated by Ruth Pilston, Arcadia Missa, London
2018 Noise! Frans Hals, Otherwise, curated by Melanie Bühler, Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem The Long Zoom, Christian Andersen, Copenhagen (a.) Orality; or a general assembly on delay, Jan Kaps, Cologne
2017 Pharmacy For Idiots, Tanya Leighton & Rob Tufnell (Okey Dokey 2017), Cologne The Painting Show, The British Council / Aram Art Gallery, Goyang AramNuri Arts Centre, South Korea I’m Nobody, HIGH ART, Paris The Painting Show, The British Council / Limerick City Gallery of Art, Ireland. All Men By Nature Desire to Know, Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham
2016 Dio Horia, Mykynos, Greece Dead Ends, (curated by Kari Rittenbach) 1001 44th Rd Long Island City, New York Le Bourgeois, 3236RLS, London The Painting Show, The British Council / CAC Vilnius, Lithuania
2015 Integration (with Matthew Richardson), Galerie Gregor Staiger, Zurich Oeuvre Sans Valeur a Vendre Cher, Stems, Brussels Gallery Artists, Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
2014 Let's Destroy the Earth But Keep Humans, Galerie Gregor Staiger, Zurich Somewhat Abstract : Selections From the Arts Council Collection, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham
2013 Attachments and Assignations, Cubitt, London Note to Self, Artist's Institute, New York City All Masters at the Swing Door, ReMap, Athens Evil Under The Sun, Fiorucci Art Foundation, Stromboli, Italy
2012 Construct, Mary Mary, Glasgow Spelling the Image, Marc Jancou Contemporary, NYC
2011 Space Oddity, CCA Andratx, Mallorca
2010 BigMinis: Fetishes of Crisis, CAPC, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux Real Estate, Galleria Zero, Milan Woodman, Woodman, Spare That Tree, Galerie Micky Schubert, Berlin
2009 Depression, Marres Centre for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht Why Painting Now?, Blondeau Fine Art Services, Geneva White Wallet, Gaudel de Stampa, Paris
2008 Sphinxx, Stuart Shave / Modern Art, London Legend, Domain Chamarande, Paris Ritual In The Dark, HOTEL, London (with Stephen Sutcliffe)
2007 Gallery Swap: HOTEL at Guido W. Baudach, Guido W. Baudach Galerie, Berlin
2006 If it Didn’t Exist You’d Have to Invent It: A Partial Showroom History, The Showroom, London The Figs Play Fox Dead, David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles Tate Triennial 2006: New British Art, Tate Britain, London
2005 Jaybird, Galleria Zero, Milan
2004 Eye of The Needle, Roberts & Tilton Gallery, Los Angeles Year Zero, Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art, Sunderland Souvenir, HOTEL, London Haute Street, Galerie Diana Stigter, Amsterdam
2003 The Moment of Fiction, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee Put Out More Flags, Sutton Lane, London Dirk Bell, Kate Davis, Alan Michael, The Changing Room, Stirling
2002 Alan Michael, Vangelis Vlahos, Els Hanappe Underground, Athens Jean-Luc Blanc, Alan Michael, Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin
2001 Here And Now: Scottish Art 1990-2001, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee
2000 Panache, Els Hanappe Underground, Athens Die Gefahr Im Jazz, Deutsch Britische Freundschaft, Berlin Sweet Dreams, Exedra, Hilversum, Netherlands
1999 Shake The Disease, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee Horseriding, Painting and Lovemaking, Deutsch Britische Freundschaft, London