Michael Lin is an artist living and working in Taipei and Brussels.
Lin turns away from painting as an object of contemplation toward one of painting as a bounded, physical space, one we can settle into and inhabit (Vivian Rehberg). Lin orchestrates monumental painting installations that re-conceptualize and reconfigure public spaces. Using patterns and designs appropriated from traditional Taiwanese textiles his works have been exhibited in major institutions and international Biennials around the world including The Auckland Triennial and the California Pacific Triennial 2013, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila 2016, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne 2017, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei 2019 and most recently in 2020 at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Toronto and Jumex Museum, Mexico City.
Transforming the institutional architecture of the public museum, his unconventional paintings invite visitors to reconsider their usual perception of those spaces, and to become an integral part of the work, giving meaning to its potential as an area for interaction, encounter, and re-creation.
Solo Exhibitions
- 2023
Onsenbouquet, Beppu Project, Beppu City, Japan
Macule,Southbank Center, Hayward Gallery, London, UK- 2022
Pentachrome, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
- 2020
Mariposa B1-09, Jumex Museum- Mexico City, Mexico
Archipelago, Museum of Contemporary Art,Toronto, Canada- 2019
- Center for Heritage Arts & Textile, Hong Kong
24/7, Taipei Fine Arts Museum-, Taipei, Taiwan - 2018
Opening: Beat Streuli, Taiwan Contemporary Cultural Lab, Taipei, Taiwan
One Plus One, Michael Lin Beat Streuli, Eslite gallery, Taipei- 2017
Federation, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- 2016
Locomotion, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila, Philippines
A Tale of Today, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China
New Paradise-, Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan- 2015
SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA, USA
High Museum, Atlanta, GA, USA- 2014
Frieze, London, UK
- 2013
Tang Contemporary, Beijing, China
Project 1, Hong Kong, China- 2012
Rock Bund Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, USA
Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China
Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan- 2011
MARCO, Vigo, Spain
Towada Art Center, Towada, Japan
Nogueras Blanchard, Barcelona, Spain- 2010
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
Centro Per l’Arte Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy- 2009
Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
Artium, Fukuoka, Japan- 2008
Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China
IT Park-Taipei, Taiwan- 2007
Nogueras Blanchard, Barcelona, Spain
O.K.Centrum, Linz, Austria- 2006
Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2005
Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Austria
The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Nogueras Blanchard, Barcelona, Spain- 2004
Eslite Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA, USA
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
PS1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY, USA- 2003
Palais de Tokyo, Site de Creation Contemporaine, Paris, France
Galerie Urs Meile, Luzern, Switzerland
Moroso Showroom, Milan, Italy- 2002
Palais de Tokyo, Site de Creation Contemporaine, Paris, France
Stroom, The Hague, Netherlands
Galerie Tanit, Munich, Germany
Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot, Paris, France- 1999
It Park Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
- 1998
Dimensions Endowment of Art, Taipei, Taiwan
Group Exhibitions
- 2023
A Journey, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China
I am the bridge between what is and what can be. What am I?, Elgiz Museum, Istanbul, Turkey- 2021
On the passage of a few people through a rather brief moment in time, Museum of National Taiwan University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan Now, Kite Building- Tokyo, Japan
Roppongi Art Night, Tokyo, Japan- 2019
Who Writes, OMR gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
- 2018
Brilliant City, David Zwirner, Hong Kong
- 2017
- Shenzhen Biennial of Urbanism and Architecture, Shenzhen
Shanghai Galaxy II, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China
Enjoy, Chiostro del Bramante, Rome, Italy
Fantasy Access Code, Palazzo Reale, Milan, Italy - 2015
Testimony Of Food, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2014
Post Pop, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
M-HOME, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
Shanghai Biennial: The Making Of A Museum, Aurora Museum, Shanghai, China
Topohilia, BANK, Shanghai, China
Encounters, Art Basel, Hong Kong, China
Silence, Balice Hertling gallery, Paris, France- 2013
Reading, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China
Cross Strait Relations, Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Gallery, New York, NY, USA
PAINT(erly), Bank, Shanghai, China
California Pacific Triennial, OCMA, Newport Beach, CA, USA
If You Where To Live Here, Auckland Triennial, New Zealand
Rolling, Seoul Art Museum, Seoul, Korea- 2012
Time Games, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Encounter: The Royal Academy in Asia, ICA, Lasalle-Singapore- 2011
Open House, Singapore Biennial, Singapore
The Couple Show, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China- 2010
The Burden Of Representation, Osage gallery, Hong Kong, China
Programmation Jeune Public 2010, Centre Pompidou-Metz, France
Memories Of The Future, Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
Popping Up, Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong, China- 2009
Mixed Bathing, Beppu Project, Beppu, Japan
The Tree, James Cohan Gallery, Shanghai, China
The Spectacle Of The Everyday, Lyon Biennial, Lyon, France
Live And Let Live Creators Of Tomorrow, Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale, Japan- 2008
Madrid Abierto (in collaboration with Alicia Framis) Spain
Mobile Art for Chanel, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York
Inaugural Exhibition Towada Art Center, Towada, Japan
Super Fengshui, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
Far West Trading Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
Artificial Nature, MOCA Shanghai, China
Home, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan- 2007
Through The Painting, Special Projects, 2 Moscow Biennale, Russia
Schaurausch, O.K.Centrum, Linz, Austria
Jardins Publics, Edinburgh International Festival, United Kingdom
Space For Your Future, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan- 2006
Notre Histoire, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
Surplus Value, Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing, China
New Space, Pinchuk Art Centre, Kiev, Ukraine
Once Upon A Time Contemporary Fairytale, ARCOS, Benevento, Italy
Asian Contemporary Art In Print, Asia Society, New York, USA- 2005
Joy, Casino, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Beyond, The Second Guangzhou Triennial, Guangzhou, China
Experience De La Duree, Lyon Biennial, Lyon, France
About Beauty, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
The Elegance Of Silence, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan- 2004
Polyphony, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan
Odyssey, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China
Floral Habitat, Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery, Suffolk, United Kingdom- 2003
Flower Power, Lille 2004, Palais des Beaux Art, Lille, France
The Fifth System, Shenzhen, China
Painting4, The Rose Art Museum-Waltham, MA, USA
Crossed, CCCB, Barcelona, Spain
Art Unlimited, Basel Art Fair, Switzerland
NMAC Foundation, Cadiz, Spain
Subversion And Poetry, Culturgest-Lisbon, Portugal
Bibliotherapy (with Remy Markowitsch), Kuntsmuseum, Luzern, Switzerland- 2002
Urgent Painting, Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France
Asianvibe, Espai d’Art Contemporani de Castello (EACC), Spain
Pause Gwangju Biennial, Gwangju Biennial Hall-Gwangju, Korea
How Big Is The World?, O.K.Centrum, Linz, Austria
Asian Art Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
International 2002, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, United Kingdom- 2001
The Gravity Of The Immaterial, ICA, Taipei, Taiwan/ Total Museum-Seoul, Korea
49th Biennial Of Venice, Taiwan Pavilion, Venice, Italy
7th Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey
Ars O1, Kiasma Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Casino 2001, SMAK, Gent, Belgium
Bibliotherapy (with Remy Markowitsch), Villa Merkel, Esslingen, Germany- 2000
The Sky Is The Limit,
Taipei Biennial, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan
Sister Space Project, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA, USA
Very Fun Park, Hong Kong Art Center-Hong Kong
Festival Of Vision Berlin In Hong Kong, Tamar Site, Hong Kong- 1999
Fukuoka Triennale, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
Bibliography
- Mark Rappolt- Distant Relations- Art Review Asia- Spring 2019
- Emmy Lee Wall- Interview with Michael Lin- Zero 1 Magazine- September 29, 2017
- Marlyne Sahakian- Michael Lin, Locomotion- Art Asia Pacific- May/June 2016
- Cristina Sanchez-Kozyreva- Critics’ Picks- Artforum.com- March 2016
- Aimee Lin- Michael Lin: A Tale of Today- Art Review- March 2016
- Wang Kaimei- Michael Lin: A Tale of Today- Randian-online.com
- Pauline Yao- The Best of 2013- Artforum- December 2013
- Jens Hoffmann- Reviews- 5th Auckland Triennial- Artforum- December 2013
- Christopher Knight- Review: A modern Silk Road passes through OCMA’s Pacific Rim Show- Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2013
- Pauline Yao- The Best of 2013- Artforum- December 2013
- Jens Hoffman- Reviews- 5th Auckland Triennial- Artforum- December 2013
- Christopher Knight- Review: A modern Silk Road passes through OCMA’s Pacific Rim Show- Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2013
- Frazier, David- ‘Painting’- Art Asia Pacific, May/June 2013, p. 177
- ‘Collaboration: Michael Lin’s Model Home’- Leap, June 2012, pp. 50-53
- David Ho Yeung Chan- ‘Michael Lin: Model Home/Model Museum’- Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, July/August 2012, pp.88-92
- Pauline Yao- ‘Ten Years’- Contemporary Art & investment- Issue 56, 2011, pp.53-70
- Arthur Ou (as told to)- ‘500 Words’- Artforum.com- 01.18.11
- Hou, Hanru- ‘Flower Power’- Damn- No. 25, 2010
- Iwakiri, Mio- Exhibition Reviews- www.art-it.jp December 2008
- Chung, Shinyoung- Reviews- Artforum- December 2008, pp.321-322
- Lin, Hongjohn- Exhibition Reveiws- www.art-it.jp October 2008
- Leo Xu- ‘Pattern’- Visual Production- Vol.3, 2007, pp.60-69
- Cornwell, Tim-‘In full bloom”-The Scotsman-Friday, August 10, 2007, pp. 12-13
- Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia-‘Motif operandi’-Sunday Morning Post, Sunday, July 9, 2006
- Hasegawa, Kanae-‘Couleur Locale’-Frame No 52, Sep/Oct, 2006, p.70
- Maout, Christophe-‘Lyon Grand Angle’-Le Monde 2 No 84, September 24, 2005, p.58
- Hou, Hanru-Interview- Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Spring 2005, pp.55-62
- Mahoney, Bronwyn-‘Lounging Apparatus Provided’-Art Asia Pacific No.41,Summer 2004, pp. 48-53
- Jeffrey Hughes-Reviews-Contemporary, no. 65, 2004, p.67
- Annette Tietenberg-“Wallflowers”-Form,197, July/August 2004, pp.36-43
- Lily van Ginneken-‘Made in Taiwan’-Bloom, Issue11, 2004, pp.20-23
- Lavrador, Judicael-‘Les Artistes s’etalent’-Beaux Arts Magazine,231,August 2003, pp.82-89
- Mahoney, Bronwyn-‘Patterns of Thought: The Installation of Michael Lin’-Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Spring 2003, pp.82-85
- Tan, Eugene-‘Review, Liverpool Biennial, Pleasant Street Board School’-Contemporary, no. 10, October 2002, p.94
- ML- ‘The art of deco’-Art Review, Vol.LIII, February 2002, pp.50-1
- Davenport, Rhana- ‘The Sky is the limit’ –Art Asia Pacific, no.30, 2001, pp.20-2
- Casavecchia, Barbara-‘Taipei Biennial’-Flash Art,Vol.33 , no.215, November-December 2000, p.103
- Lloyd, Ann Wilson- ‘Reorienting: Japan rediscovers Asia’ – Art in America, Vol.87, no. 10, October 1999, pp.104-11
- Bourne, Cecile- ‘Reviews:Taipei (Taiwan), Michael Lin, IT Park’ – Flash Art, Vol. 30, no.194, May-June 1997, p.124
- Mcintyre, Sophie & Wang, Chia Chi Jason- ‘Taipei in entropy” Flash Art, Vol. 29, no.187, March-April 1996, pp.57-60
Publication and other
- ‘Horizontal Art History : Perspectives from Taiwan’ 2023, pp. 345-386
- ‘Critical Museum : Exhibition Making as Art Historiography’ Jau-Lan Guo and Lee Ambrozy
- ‘Locomotion’ Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila 2019 (essay by Joselina Cruz, Ester Lu, Pauline J. Yao)
- ‘The quotidian and the divine’, Eslite gallery, Taipei 2018 (essay by Ching Yueh Roan)
- ‘Decentering Bodies’, Lee Ambrozy in ‘The Social Imperative, Architecture and the City in China’, Actar Publishers, 2017, pp. 262-263
- ‘New Paradise’ Eslite Gallery, Taipei 2016 (essay by Kit Hammons and Jau Lan Guo)
- ‘Michael Lin- Artists’ Artists’, Frieze Masters, October 2016
- ‘Place Libre’ a proposition by Michael Lin, Blackdog publishing, 2014 (essay by Mathieu Borysevicz)
- ‘Graphic Anatomy 2 Atelier Bow-wow’, TOTO, 2014
- ‘Model Home’ Rock Bund Art Museum, 2012 (essays by Lai Hsiangling, Alexandra Munroe, Hou Hanru, Yuko Hasegawa, Pauline J. Yao, and Li Xiangning)
- ‘Mingling’ Towada Art Center, 2011
- ‘Michael Lin’ Vancouver Art Gallery/Hatje Cantz, 2010 (essays by Nicolas Bourriad, Bruce Grenville, Hou Hanru, Vivian Rehberg, and Annette Tietenberg)
- ‘China Talks, Interviews with 32 Contemporary Artist by Jerome Sans’, 2009, pp. 28-33
- ‘Louis Vuitton Art, Fashion and Architecture’ Rizzoli, 2009, pp. 264-269
- ‘In Production Mode, Contemporary Art In China’ Pauline J. Yao, Timezone8, 2008, pp. 99
- ‘Patterns 2. Design, Art and Architecture’ Birkhauser, 2008, pp. 198-201
- ‘Island Life’ Eslite Gallery, Taipei, 2007 (essay by Eugene Tang and Jason Wong)
- ‘DesignArt’ Alex Coles, Tate Publishing, 2005
- ‘Patterns in Design, Art and Architecture’ Birkhauser, 2005, pp. 182-187
- ‘Michael Lin Kunsthalle Wien project space 20.04-29.05.05’ Kunsthalle, Vienna, 2005 (interview by Gerald Matt/essay by Sabine Folie)
- Domus no. 876, December 2004, pp. 44-45
- ‘Michael Lin’ Eslite Gallery, Taipei, 2004 (essay by Hong-John Lin)
- ‘Michael Lin’ Contemporary Art Museum, St Louis, 2004 (essay by Shannon Fitzgerald and Frances Stark)
- ‘Spaces Within, Installations by Michael Lin and Wu Mali’ Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 2004 (essay by Pauline J. Yao)
- ‘Vitamin P’ Phaidon Press, 2002
- ‘Michael Lin’ Palais de Tokyo, site de creation contemporaine, 2002 (interview by Jerome Sans/essay by Vivian Rehberg)
- ‘Bilbliothearapy’ (Remy Markowitsch in collaboration with Michael Lin) Villa Merkel-Galerien Der Stadt Esslingen Am Neckar, 2001 (essays by Alberto Manguel, Yvan Leclerc, — Cornelia Saxes, and Antje Weitzel)
- ‘Complimentary’ Dimension Endowment of Art, 1998 (essay and drawings by Frances Stark)
Exhibition catalogues
- ‘Mariposa B1-09’ – Jumex Museum/Zolo Press, 2022 (essay by Kit Hammons)
- ‘The Testimony of Food’ – Taipei Fine Arts Museum – Taipei, 2015
- ‘Post Pop: East meets West’ – Saatchi Gallery, London, 2015
- ‘California Pacific Triennial’ – OCMA – Newport Beach, CA, 2013- pp. 114-117
- ‘If you where to live here…’ – Auckland Triennial – New Zealand, 2013- pp. 60-63
- ‘Open House’ – Singapore Biennial – Singapore, 2011
- ‘Popping Up’- Hong Kong Arts Centre – Hong Kong, 2010
- ‘Le Spectacle du Quotidien’ – X Lyon Biennial – Lyon, 2009-pp.168-171
- Towada Art Center – Towada, 2008
- ‘Space for your Future’ – Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2007
- ‘Schaurausch’ – O.K.Centrum-Linz, 2007-pp.96-99
- ‘Once Upon a Time…Contemporary Fairytale’ – ARCOS – Benevento, 2006
- ‘Surplus Value’ – Tang Contemporary Art Center – Beijing, 2006
- ‘Notre Histoire’ Hasegawa, Yuko -Palais de Tokyo-Paris, 2006
- ‘Are you experienced?’ – Fuoriuso’06 Altered States, 2006, pp. 78-81
- ‘Experience de la duree’ – Lyon Biennial – Lyon, 2005-pp. 174-177
- ‘Joy’ – Casino Luxembourg – Luxembourg, 2005
- ‘Createurs du Nouveau Monde’ – The Biennial of Chinese Contemporary Art – Montpellier, 2005-pp.120-123
- ‘The Elegance of Silence’ – Mori Art Museum – Tokyo, 2005-pp. 122-125
- ‘Polyphony-Emerging Resonances’ – 21st Century Museum of Cotemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2004- pp. 46-47
- ‘Odyssey(s) 2004’ – Shanghai Gallery of Art – Shanghai, 2004-pp 30-39
- ‘Flowerpower’ – Lille 2004, 2004-pp.154-159
- ‘Crossed Lines, New Territories of Design’ – Centre for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, 2003-pp. 24-26
- Bourne, Cecile – ‘Montemedio Arte Contemporaneo’ – NMAC, 2003-pp. 34-39
- Hsu, Manray – ‘How big is the world?’ – O.K. Center for Contemporary Arts, 2002-pp. 80-87
- Thorpe, David – ‘International 2002’ – Liverpool Biennial, 2002-pp. 96-99
- Davenport, Rhana – ‘Asia Pacific Triennial’ – Queensland Art Gallery, 2002-pp. 70-73
- Hou, Hanru – ‘Asianvibe’ – Espai d’Art Contemporani de Castello, 2002
- Hsu, Manray – ‘Urgent Painting’ – Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 2002- pp. 86-89
- Hou, Hanru – ‘ARS 01’ – Kiasma Museum, 2001- pp. 142-143
- Mahoney, Bronwyn – ‘Egofugal’ – Istanbul Biennial, 2001-pp.128-129
- Kao, Chien-hui – ‘Living Cell’ – Venice Biennial, Taiwan Pavilion, 2001-pp.30-39
- ‘The Sky is the Limit’ – Taipei Biennial – Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 2000-pp. 78-81
- Shih, Jui Jen – ‘Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial’ – Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, 1999- page 94
- Bourne, Cecile – ‘Tu Parles/J’ecoute’ – Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 1998- pp. 66-69