Ben Schumacher

The work of Ben Schumacher explores the circulation of information in the Internet age, addressing the relationship between technological development and culture. Employing a wide range of mediums and materials—ranging from 3D printers and digital files to energy drinks and IKEA shelving—often arranged in uncanny, dissonant juxtapositions, Schumacher's work probes the dizzying conditions of contemporary life and the experience of constant media bombardment. For his 2013 exhibition DS + R and the bar at the Orangerie at Bortolami Gallery, Schumacher, who initially studied architecture before pursuing art, collaborated with the noted architecture firm Diller Scofido + Renfro, creating a complex experiential installation of multiple interconnected elements, linked by electrical cords woven throughout the gallery, that commented on the flow of information in a globalized world. The installation included freestanding Plexiglas sculptures bearing texts from online discussions in Esperanto; a drawing of "Maxwell's Demon," from a famous thought experiment in thermodynamics by James Clerk Maxwell; and IKEA shelving units bearing reproductions of gourmet food products created with a 3D printer and overlaid with images of Diller Scofido + Renfro projects. At the center of the installation was a workspace in which an employee of the firm restored old architectural models throughout the run of the show. Referencing a type of greenhouse used to cultivate exotic plants, the title draws a connection between the orangerie's ability to make foreign plants immediately available year-round and the contemporary data storage center, which enables instantaneous access to information. 

Schumacher's work has been exhibited at museums and galleries worldwide.