Selected Essays
MICHAEL WOLF  
(German / American, 1954 - )



BORN
1954 Munich, Germany


EDUCATION
1971—1972 North Toronto Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Canada
1972—1973 University of California, Berkeley
1973—1976 Studied photography and visual communications at the University of Essen,            Germany, with Otto Steinert; Degree in Visual Communication


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 The Transparent City, Stephen Daiter Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008 The Transparent City, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
Hong Kong Back Door, Lumenvisum Gallery, Hong Kong
Heritage, exhibition of images on MTR light boxes throughout Hong Kong, Goethe-                 Institut Hong Kong
2007/08                 Michael Wolf, Pieces of China Tampere Art Museum, Finland
2007 Copy Art and 100 x 100, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2006/07                 Architecture of Density & Hong Kong Back Door, Deutsches Architektur Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
2006 Architecture of Density & 100 x 100, Korean Photo Biennial, Daegu, South Korea
Architecture of Density, Janet Oh Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Architecture of Density & 100 x 100, Korean Photo Biennial, Daegu, South Korea
The Real Toy Story, Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg, Germany
Michael Wolf, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Michael Wolf: Architecture of Density, Hasted Hunt Gallery, New York, NY
Architecture of Density, 1918 Artspace, Shanghai, China
Sitting in China, Kap Am Suedkai, Cologne, Germany
2005      Architecture of Density, Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, CA  
                               Hong Kong Front Door/Back Door, Old Diesel Factory, Pingyao, China
      Hong Kong Front Door/Back Door, Gallery Colette, Paris, France
2004 The Real Toy Story, John Batten Gallery, Hong Kong
2003    Sitting in China, Kestner Museum, Hanover, Germany
Portraits of Chinese People, John Batten Gallery, Hong Kong



GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008 Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai, China (September)
China Design Now, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, U.K.
Eastern Standard, Western Artists, MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA
Goethe Institute, Hong Kong
2007 Goethe Institute, Hong Kong
   Facades, Krannert Art Museum, Urbana-Champaign, IL
   Contemporary Art from the Permanent Collection, San Jose Museum of Art, CA
   New Urban Vistas, Arthur Roger Gallery. New Orleans, LA
Living Space. Two photographers is dialogue Gallery of the Deutsche Werkstaetten    
   Hellerau. Dresden, Germany
2006/07                   Intersections: Atlanta Collects Photography, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
2006      Made in China, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
   Material World, Artspace 1918. Shanghai, China

2005      Discovery and Ownership: Insights into Austrian Private Collections, Museum                      Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Vienna, Austria
     The Photographed Animal: Useful, Cute and Collected, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
                The Big Picture: Contemporary Large-Scale Photography, Sonoma State University,                   Rohnert Park, CA
2004      Truth! - Photography's Promise of Reality, Ruhrland Museum, Essen, Germany
2000      Peking, Shanghai, Shenzhen: Cities of the 21st Century, Bauhaus Museum, Dessau, Germany


AWARDS
2005 World Press Photo Award: Received highest honors in Stories category, Contemporary
                                Issues, for his series depicting life in Chinese factories, shot for the German magazine Stern.  
2005      American Photography Award for his series Architecture of Density. Dwell magazine, which
                                featured a story about the series in 2004, nominated Wolf for the award.


MONOGRAPHS
2008 The Transparent City. Chicago: Aperture
2007 Pieces of China: A Retrospective of Michael Wolf’s China Projects. Tampere,                 Finland: Vapriikkii.
2005    Hong Kong: Front Door/Back Door. London: Thames & Hudson.
2002    Sitting in China. London: Steidl.
2001      China im Wandel (China in Transition).  Munich: Frederking & Thaler.  
1982      Michael Wolf, Marc Izikowitz and Wolfgang Staiger. Maloche, Leben im Revier.                 Frankfurt: Eichborn.


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008    THE magazine, Feb./March, cover.
   Artner, Alan G. “A new medium emerges at resurgent Artropolis,” Chicago                 Tribune, April 26.
   National Geographic, May.
2007    LaGasa, Suzanne. “Density on the Inside,” Dwell, May 11.
   Baker, Kenneth. “Searching for meaning within a forest of asterisks,” San Francisco                 Chronicle, May 12.
   Art + Auction Investment Annual (6 images reproduced).
2006    Holcombe, Hunter. Michael Wolf. SOMA, April.
   Rexer, Lyle. The New Global Topographers. Art on Paper, March.
2005    Baker, Kenneth. “Fascinating, frightening glimpses of urban density,” San Francisco                 Chronicle, January 22.
   Buckner, Clark. “Architecture of Density,” San Francisco Bay Guardian, February 1.
   Bradsher, Keith. “Own Original Chinese Copies of Real Western Art!” New York                 Times, July 15.
2004    “The Back Door: Michael Wolf.” Ojodepez, Spain. February.
   Wagner, Andrew. “The City Revealed,” Dwell Magazine, March.



SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
The Cleveland Museum of Art, OH
Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Microsoft Art Collection, Redmond, WA
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL
Pilara Family Foundation, San Francisco, CA
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA