The artist re.to studied economics and graphic design at the University of Berne. Since 2003, he has been working exclusively with small orange-red glue dots (diameter: 8 mm) designating a sold piece of art in the art market. re.to has made these «artsellingdots» the material he works with.
 

Thousands of dots in public places

In his work, re.to sticks thousands of «artsellingdots» in public places, but also on walls in galleries and museums. These pieces of art are ephemeral and nonmarketable. The graduate economist playfully reflects the mechanisms of the art market and abstracts the glue dots from their original context by using large quantities of them without establishing a reference to actually sold works of art. It does not come as a surprise that his work is not for sale: An additional dot on his work would not be recognisable as an act of marketing.
 

Poetry and Warning

The red «artsellingdots» are bedazzling. They scintillate like fresh fallen snow, sparkle like snowflakes in the sunlight. They effuse a poetical hilariousness. The dots express high spirits and confer cheerfulness. But this purity and cheerfulness is also subject to fraction: The bright warning colour points to a significance beyond any dotted cheerfulness: Thousands of identical artificial flakes affect the contemplator in a thoroughly threatening manner and are suited to evoke associations to artificial, chemical snow or egalitarian cloning. re.to’s work offers the public a scene for easy fun at first sight; at a second glance however, the assembly of dots unveils an ambiguous denotation.

Within cultural activities, the function of the red glue dots was a very definite one up to now. The appearance of the artist re.to has changed this.
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Fanni Fetzer (translation Rodney Rabenseifner)

Work in Public Area (Selection)

2007**Granitblüten, Court of Unitobler, Bern
2006**Carousel 81, Monte TI*|*Kirschbaum 230 406, Rütti b. Zollikofen
2004**sale, Showcase Loeb store, Bern
 

Solo Exhibitions (Selection)

2006**Kunstschnee, Forum Vebikus, Schaffhausen
2005**Neuschnee 030 205, Museum of Art, Thun
2004**Windows 2004, House of Artists S11, Solothurn
2003**sold, Gallery Rigassi, Bern
 

Group Exhibitions (Selection)

2005**Dr Aare naa. Berner Gegenwartskunst, Kunsthalle Palazzo, Liestal, C
2004**120. Berner Weihnachtsausstellung, PROGR, Bern
 

C*Catalog*|*Reference: Swiss Institute for Art Research