The exhibition now held at Mori Art Museum, "Lee Mingwei and His Relations: The Art of Participation - Seeing, Conversing, Gift-Giving, Writing, Dining and Getting Connected to the World," presents 15 major works and projects by Lee Mingwei, who has worked on numerous art projects that involve the participation of an audience in some form or another, alongside works and quotations by various other artists, religious leaders and thinkers that will help in understanding their historical and cultural context, making the viewing experience more multidimensional and intellectually fulfilling.
In this blog series, we will spotlight some of his art projects by sections, and also introduce works and quotations by other artists et al.
Section 1: Thinking Relations, Connections and In-between Space
In the first section, we will focus our attention on "relations," "connections," and "in-between space," including our relations with the people around us and our environment, the relationship between the vast movement of the universe and our own bodies, and the continuous march of history.
For the first of the series, we will look at 2 projects, The Mending Project and Nu Wa Project.
The Mending Project
The Mending Project
2009
Installation view: Lombard-Freid Projects, New York, 2009
Collection: Rudy Tseng
Photo: Anita Kan
The artist or a host will mend the clothing brought by visitors and converse with them while mending. The mended articles will remain tied to the cones of thread mounted to a wall, lending the space a dynamism arising from the colorful connections.
Nu Wa Project
Nu Wa Project
2005
Bamboo, silk, cotton thread, acrylic
350×112cm
Photo: Lee Studio
The artist created a kite inspired by the motif of Nuwa, a goddess from an ancient Chinese creation myth that supposedly repaired the sky from which the world was torn away. The "owners" of this work are to release her into the heavens, yet again, by attaching their memories and dreams to the kite, setting it into the sky before cutting the thread attached
to the kite.
■Related links
・Introducing Artworks and Sections from "Lee Mingwei and His Relations"
(1)Thinking Relations, Connections and In-between Space
(2)Walking, Eating, and Sleeping - Rethinking Everyday Action
(3)Thinking Connections of History, Culture, Society through Personal Memories
(4)Contextualize Lee's Body of Works: Hakuin / Imakita Kōsen / D.T. Suzuki
(5)Contextualize Lee's Body of Works: Hisamatsu Shin'ichi / Yves Klein / John Cage
(6)Contextualize Lee's Body of Works: Lee Ufan / Allan Kaprow / Rirkrit Tiravanija
(7)Contextualize Lee's Body of Works: Ozawa Tsuyoshi / Tanaka Koki
・"Lee Mingwei and His Relations: The Art of Participation: Seeing, Conversing, Gift-giving, Writing, Dining and Getting Connected to the World"
Saturday, September 20, 2014 - Sunday, January 4, 2015
・"MAM Project 022: Jacob Kirkegaard"
Saturday, September 20, 2014 - Sunday, January 4, 2015
