Leen Rieth is contributing to recent revisions of institutional critique that are focussed on unlearning institutional habits by rethinking how we perceive art institutions and how we work within them.

Unlearning strategies involve ongoing critical exercises, understanding institutional structures, and physical intervention. (1)  These strategies can be practiced within and around  existing systems through collective resistance and shared learning. (2) Leen aims to work with art institutions, Artist Run Initiatives, artists and arts workers to identify how working within these contexts and roles replicate aspects of institutional logics, and where and how we can individually and collectively practice unlearning.

Leen Rieth was born in Toowoomba, Qld and completed a BFA (Hons) at Queensland College of Art, Brisbane. Leen is a PhD candidate at UNSW Art and Design, an Academic Liason Librarian at University of Sydney and a janitor at Frontyard. They have exhibited throughout Australia including Firstdraft (NSW), Boxcopy and Institute of Modern Art (QLD), with Liquid Architecture (Vic), Canberra Contemporary Art Space (ACT), and Constance ARI (Tas). Leen has recently completed a residency at Cité Internationale des arts (Paris) aided by the Ross Steele Scholarship for a residency in Art & Design. Leen is the recipient of an Australian Government Research and Training Program Scholarship to support their PhD candidature.

(1) E. Pethick, A. Phillips, K. Stakemeier, Y. Van Der Heide, B. Choi & A. Krauss, “Unlearning Exercises: Art Organisations As Sites for Unlearning.” Netherlands: Valiz/Casco, 2019.

(2) F. Moten & S. Harney, “The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning and Black Study.” New York: Minor Compositions, 2013.