Biography
Born 1945 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Lives and works in California, USA, Argentina and Zurich, Switzerland.
Grants and Awards
2010
Swiss Music Award, Outstanding Achievement Award (together with Boris Blank)
1997
YELLO, Art prize of the City of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
1994
YELLO Jam Special, Winner of 37th New York Film & TV Festival (Prod. DoRo)
I love you & Goldrush, Collection of Kunsthaus Zürich
1990
The Race, World Music Award, Monte Carlo
1988
Startest X-Tra, 28th Golden Rose of Montreux, best independent TV production of the year
(Prod. Stein Film GmbH / Mani Hildebrand)
The Race, Diamond Award for best special effects, Brussels, Belgium
1986
Vicious Games, Nomination Music Clip Award, MIDEM 1986, Cannes, France
Desire, Music Clip Award, MIDEM 1986, Cannes, France
1985
Pinball Cha Cha, Music Video, The Industry and its Fringes, Collection Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
1984
Big in Japan, Best music video of the year, Skychannel
1983
I love you, Video Oscar, Mr. Fantasy, RAI Televisione, Milan, Italy
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2015
Dieter Meier: Acrobatics 1977 – 2015, Grieder Contemporary, Zurich, Switzerland
2013
Dieter Meier. In Conversation, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland
2012
Dieter Meier, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany
Dieter Meier. Works 1968–2011 and the Yello Years, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany
2011
Dieter Meier. Works 1968–2011 and the Yello Years, Deichtorhallen / Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg, Germany
2010
Dieter Meier. En Passant 1969-2010, Grieder Contemporary Projects, Berlin, Germany
2009
Dieter Meier. Faces & Phrases, Jamileh Weber Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
2008
Dieter Meier. Le Rien en Or, Manifestaions 30-42, Inner City Zurich, Switzerland / Hamburg, Germany
2007
Dieter Meier. El Monte Dorado, Museum Tinguely, Basel, Switzerland
2006
Dieter Meier. As time goes by, Kirsten Roschlaub Gallery, Hamburg, Germany
2005
Dieter Meier. Save 86%, Galerie Baviera, Zurich, Switzerland
Dieter Meier. As time goes by, Galerie Baviera, Zurich, Switzerland
2001
Dieter Meier, Galerie Wohnkultur 66, Hamburg, Germany
1999
Dieter Meier. In the Picture, Galerie Baviera, Zurich, Switzerland
1982
Dieter Meier. Der falsche Magier, Galerie Baviera, Zurich, Switzerland
1977
Dieter Meier. Werke 1974-1976, Kunsthaus Zurich, Switzerland
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023
Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys: The Circus Motif in Contemporary Art, Kunstmuseum Thun, Thun, Switzerland
2020
5 Artists 5 Walls, Grieder Contemporary, Zurich, Switzerland
The Morning Line’s Yello, ZKM | Center for Art & Media, Karlsruhe, Germany
2018
Streetwise, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany
2016
Manifesta 11: The European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Zurich, Switzerland
2015
Selbstjustiz Durch Fehleinkäufe – Neuerwerbungen der Sammlung Falckenberg 2011-2014, Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg, Germany
2014
Schwein gehabt. Von der Sparbüchse zum Leben auf Kredit, Vögele Kulturzentrum, Pfäffikon, Switzerland
Le Mouvement – Performing the City: The City Performed, Kunsthaus CentrePasquArt, Biel, Switzerland
2013
Kunst fürs Kunsthaus – Editionen des Aargauischen Kunstvereins 1991-2013, Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aargau, Switzerland
Performa 13, Performa, New York
A Sunday in the Mountains, SI Swiss Institute, New York City, New York
Grösser Als Zürich – Kunst In Aussersihl, Helmhaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
2012
Festival Images, Ex-EPA, Vevey, Switzerland
Grösser Als Zürich – Kunst In Aussersihl, Helmhaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
2011
Rollenbilder. Rollenspiele, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, Austria
HALLELUHWAH! – Hommage à CAN, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
2002
Public Affairs, Kunsthaus Zurich, Switzerland
1998
Freie Sicht aufs Mittelalter, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
1985
The Slow Shark, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland
Music Videos: The Industry and Its Fringes, Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
1980
22 Artistas Suiços, Galerie Nacional de Arte Moderna, Lisboa, Portugal
Ruinen, Kupferstichkabinett Berlin, Germany
7. Schweizer Plastikausstellung, Biel, Switzerland
1977
Artistes Zurichois, Musée Rath, Geneva, Switzerland
1972
documenta 5, Kassel, Germany
1971
The Swiss Avantgarde, New York Cultural Center, USA
1970
Visualisierte Denkprozesse, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Switzerland
Experimental Films and Performances
Short films and video tapes shown on several festivals since 1969 including:
2012
An Evening with Dieter Meier, Art Basel 43, Stadtkino, Basel, Switzerland
1979
Cinema sperimentale europeo, Geneva, Switzerland
1974
Experimenta 5 (Competition), Knokke, Belgium
1972
Program of the Olympic Games, Munich, Germany
1971
Tokio Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan
1970
Short Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany
1969 – 1971
Conceptual pieces in the streets of New York, USA and Zurich, Switzerland
1969
23rd Festival d’Avignon, France
Aktionsraum 1, Munich, Germany
Quinzaine des réalisateurs, Cannes, France
Art Film Festival I.C.A., London, UK
Selected Films
2009
Lightmaker, new version, Filmfestival Zürich, Switzerland
2001
Lightmaker (with Zbigniew Zamachowski, Rod Steiger, Cornelia Grolimund, Dieter Meier, Johnny Melville; Switzerland/Poland.
Script and Direction. (Premiere at the Biennale Berlin 2001)
1981
Jetzt und Alles (Take it all), with Richy Müller and Jean-Pierre Kalfon; Germany 1981.
Script and Direction. (Film festivals Taormina 1982, Manila 1982)
Selected Music Videography
2003
YELLO, Planet Dada
1999
YELLO, Squeeze Please (Co-Director Jason Glenister)
1997
YELLO, To the Sea (Co-Director Paul Morgans)
1996
YELLO, Celsius / On Track / Pan Blue / Resistor
1995
YELLO, Suite 904 – Tremendous Pain
1994
YELLO, How How Do it TRIO, Da, da, da
1993
YELLO, Drive Driven
1992
YELLO, Jungle Bill
1991
YELLO, Who’s gone – Rubberbandman
1990
GIANNA NANNINI, Scandalo
1989
YELLO, Blazing Saddles – Of course I’m lying
1988
YELLO, Tied Up – The Race
1987
YELLO, The Rhythm Divine – Call it love – Oh Yeah
SOME SONG, Am I right
1986
YELLO, Goldrush
1985
YELLO, Desire – Vicious Games TRIO, Ready for you
1984
YELLO, Bostich
1983
YELLO, Lost Again – I Love You
1982
YELLO, Pinball Cha Cha
1981
YELLO The Evening’s young
Selected Discography (YELLO)
2010
YELLO by YELLO – The Singles Collection (with video-DVD) The Anthology (with video-DVD)
2009
Touch YELLO
2005
YELLO Remaster Series I-VI
2003
The Eye
1999
Motion Picture Eccentrix
1997
Pocket Universe
1995
Hands on YELLO
1994
Zebra
1992
Essential YELLO
1991
Baby
1988
Flag
1987
One Second
1986
The new mix in one go
1980 – 1985
YELLO
1985
Stella
1983
You gotta say yes to another excess
1981
Claro que si
1980
Solid Pleasure
Selected Bibliography
2013
Schuppli, Madeleine (Ed.): Dieter Meier. In Conversation,, exh. cat., Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau, Verlag für moderne Kunst, Nuremberg, Germany
Dieter Meier: Conceptual Artist, Yello Music, Pioneer of MTV Videos. Selected Works 1969–2013. Essays by Harald Falckenberg and Glenn O’Brien, exh. cat., The Watermill Center, New York, Wanner Brothers Publishing, Zurich, Switzerland
2011
Dieter Meier. Werke 1968 – 2011 und YELLO Years, exh. cat., Verlag Walther König, Cologne, Germany
Dieter Meier. Out of Chaos. Ein Autobiografisches Bilderbuch, Edel Germany, Hamburg, Germany
2010
En Passant, Newspaper No 1 & 2, Stefan Zweifel, Marie Lusa, Grieder Contemporary, Berlin, Germany
2007
La conquête de l’inutile. Werke 1969-2007, Tinguely Museum Basel, Benteli Verlag, Zurich, Switzerland
2006
Hermes Baby, Essays, Ammann-Verlag, Zurich, Switzerland
1994
Blick in die Welt, NZZ Folio columns (Türler Medienpreis)
1983
Ursula Fürst & Dieter Meier: “Windjo”, Limmat-Verlag, Zurich, Switzerland
1979
Dieter Meier, Peter Baviera, Drei Daten, Galerie Baviera, Zurich, Switzerland
1977
Dieter Meier. Werke 1974-1976, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
1976
Dieter Meier. Werke 1969-1974, Edition H.R. Lutz, Zurich, Switzerland
1970
Amman, Jean-Christoph: Visualisierte Denkprozesse, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
Public Collections
Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK
Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland
