10 october 2024, Flor Linckens
The unreal reality of misha de ridder
Until 2 November, Galerie Caroline O'Breen in Amsterdam is presenting the exhibition 'glitch' by misha de ridder. This Dutch artist is known for his conceptual photo and video works that invite viewers to reflect on how we perceive reality — a reality we often consider known or familiar — and on our relationship with both our urban and natural environments. His focus lies on themes such as light, time, technology and ephemeral phenomena. de ridder’s images are captured in high-definition using a technical camera, which reveals colours and details that our eyes can barely detect in real life. This often results in images so abstract they resemble paintings rather than photographs. The artist’s work also demonstrates a profound understanding of both the physical and digital world.
In 'glitch', de ridder explores the concept of "unwanted information". This series is based on photographs of walls where graffiti has been (nearly) erased, with the tension between destruction and creation at its core. The act of removing graffiti gives rise to abstract patterns that gain information once again, a transformation that de ridder captures with exceptional attention to detail. The combination of photographic precision and abstraction lends his images an almost painterly quality.
Alongside a series of physical prints, de ridder also presents fifty animated GIFs, stored on the blockchain. These digital works, which are also based on photos of erased graffiti, change each time they are exchanged and slowly fade away until nothing remains. This dynamic aspect of the work serves both as a tribute to and a critique of the world of crypto art, its promises, and the ephemerality of the digital age. Additionally, the owner of the NFT has the option to "burn" the digital token, which grants them the right to receive a physical print of the work (100 x 125 cm).
Born in Alkmaar in 1971, misha de ridder studied at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU). He has exhibited his work at Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, FoMu Fotomuseum Antwerpen, Museum Voorlinden, the Triennale der Photographie Hamburg and the Museum of the City of New York, among others. His work is included in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Amsterdam City Archives, Foam Photography Museum Amsterdam, AkzoNobel, Museum Voorlinden, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UMC hospital in Amsterdam and Museum de Fundatie. de ridder has also published seven monographs, including Wilderness (2003) and Solstice (2012).
