Lee Bul's First Hauser & Wirth Show Explores Technology and Human Vulnerability
Lee Bul, aged 62, has launched her inaugural exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, titled "The Anatomy of Every Setting Sun," which debuted earlier this month in New York. This showcase highlights her latest creations that delve into the connection between humanity and technology. The highlight of the exhibition is "Willing To Be Vulnerable—Metalized Balloon" (2015–16/2020), a striking 17-meter-long sculpture inspired by the Hindenburg Zeppelin. Nearby, visitors can find "Untitled (Willing To Be Vulnerable—Velvet #29)" (2026) along with new pieces from the "Perdu" series. Additionally, four stainless steel sculptures are linked to her upcoming Met facade commission in 2024. Lee's artistic journey began with the "Abortion" performance in Seoul in 1989, gaining prominence in 1997 at MoMA with "Majestic Splendor." This exhibition arrives amid discussions advocating for a slowdown in the AI sector.
Key facts
- Lee Bul's first exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, "The Anatomy of Every Setting Sun," opened earlier this month in New York.
- The centerpiece is "Willing To Be Vulnerable—Metalized Balloon," a 17-meter-long inflated PET-film sculpture modeled after the Hindenburg Zeppelin, which combusted in Germany in 1937.
- A version of the sculpture first appeared at the 2016 Biennale of Sydney.
- Lee's 1989 "Abortion" performance in Seoul involved her hanging naked in chains and rope, recounting her abortion during South Korea's ban; abortions were fully decriminalized in South Korea in 2021.
- In 1997, her installation "Majestic Splendor" at MoMA featured 49 bejeweled decomposing fish in plastic bags and was removed due to putrid smell.
- Lee created her "Cyborg" series in the 1990s after scientists cloned Dolly the sheep.
- Four stainless steel sculptures in the show are an addendum to her 2024 Met facade commission and combine Cubism, Futurism, and Greco-Roman Classic elements.
- The exhibition opens as Anthropic and OpenAI CEOs called for an industry slowdown after a whistleblower warned AI could "kill us all by the end of the decade."
Entities
Artists
- Lee Bul
- Chie Matsui
- Jiyoon Lee
- Thomas Barratt
- Jeon Byung-cheol
Institutions
- Hauser & Wirth
- MoMA
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Biennale of Sydney
- Anthropic
- OpenAI
- CULTURED
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Germany
- Sydney
- Australia