Mitchell Anderson uses found objects and images to explore contemporary and historical contradictions, as well as the humor and tragedies of existence. Through a wide-ranging multimedia practice, he presents contemplative objects of collective hope and failure, questioning the narrative possibilities and codes of the visual and the physical.
His work engages with current social issues, representations of class privilege and power, and the paradoxes that shape our time. Spanning classical painting, encaustics, neon works, and objets trouvés, Anderson responds to the “grey areas” of society, aiming to reveal and categorize them.
He also turns his attention to the art market itself, for example by placing found objects in a cardboard box labeled “Free to take.” This gesture raises questions of appropriation, ownership, and the status of art—particularly within a gallery context, where value and acquisition are central.
Since 2014, Anderson has run the Zurich-based art space Plymouth Rock, offering a platform for emerging artists. He also writes for various art magazines and institutions, including Frieze, Flash Art International, Kunsthalle Zürich, and Kunsthalle Bern. His solo exhibitions include shows at Galerie Maria Bernheim Zürich/UK (2015/2018/2020/2021), Kunsthalle Fribourg, and Fondazione Converso Milan. Group exhibitions include Galerie Eva Presenhuber (2022), Prix Mobilière Geneva (2022), Swiss Art Awards Basel (2021/2025), Kunsthalle Bern (2021), and Kunsthalle Zürich (2020).
Mitchell Anderson lives and works in Zurich.