Lee Bul's First Solo Shows in France at Consortium and MAC Marseille
Lee Bul is set to showcase her inaugural solo exhibitions in France at Le Consortium in Dijon from April 20 to July 13, 2002, and at MAC Marseille from November 16, 2002, to February 9, 2003. Her displays include silicone monsters, cyborg sculptures, and installations that delve into themes of the monstrous and post-human. In a conversation with Seung-Duk Kim, Bul reflects on her classical sculpture education in Korea, her choice of materials such as fabric and sequins, and the dismissal of her earlier creations. She also touches upon her performances amid Korea's military regime, her family's political opposition, and critiques of totalitarianism. Her piece 'Majestic Splendor' confronts minimalist design, while her latest karaoke pods investigate genuine expression through clichéd storytelling, drawing inspiration from Bosch, Haraway, Paracelsus, and Fritz Lang.
Key facts
- Lee Bul's first solo exhibitions in France at Le Consortium, Dijon (April 20–July 13, 2002) and MAC Marseille (November 16, 2002–February 9, 2003)
- Bul was trained in traditional sculpture in Korea during the dominance of abstract minimalism and figurative realism
- She uses materials like fabric, foam, and sequins to create organic, fantastical forms
- Her early work was rejected in Korea as not artistic
- She performed activist, socially engaged performances in late 1980s Korea under military dictatorship
- Her parents were political dissidents under the military dictatorship
- 'Majestic Splendor' (early 1990s) featured decaying sequined fish arranged in a grid, critiquing minimalism and social class dynamics
- Her karaoke pods confront the self with mass-produced pop songs, exploring the paradox of authentic expression through clichés
Entities
Artists
- Lee Bul
- Seung-Duk Kim
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Fritz Lang
- Paracelsus
- Donna Haraway
Institutions
- Le Consortium
- MAC Marseille
- Kukje Gallery
- SCAI the Bathhouse
- Fabric Workshop and Museum
- San Francisco Art Institute
- BAWAG Foundation
- Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
- Kunsthalle Bern
- Biennale di Venezia
Locations
- Dijon
- France
- Marseille
- Yongwol
- South Korea
- Seoul
- Venice
- Italy
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Fukuoka
- Japan
- Tokyo
- Philadelphia
- United States
- San Francisco
- Vienna
- Austria
Sources
- artpress —