Mire Lee's Decaying Machines and Melancholy Materials at Secession
Mire Lee showcases a monumental installation at Secession in Vienna, featuring a cement mixer that disperses a thick red liquid through PVC tubes, which spreads across the floor and walls. This mixture consists of iron oxide, brass powder, and sawdust. The ceiling is left bare to allow natural light in, while old advertising banners are adorned with brass leaf, alluding to Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze. Lee's artwork delves into themes of resistance, decay, and sadness. Curated by Haris Giannouras, the exhibition coincides with Lee's film series "Women I loved 내가 사랑한 여자들" at the Korean Cultural Center Austria. Fragments will contribute to a site-specific piece at Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, in 2026. Supported by the Samsung Foundation of Culture and others, Lee was born in Seoul in 1988 and currently resides between Amsterdam and Seoul.
Key facts
- Mire Lee's solo exhibition at Secession in Vienna features a large-scale installation with a cement mixer and PVC tubes.
- The installation includes a viscous substance made of iron oxide, brass powder, and sawdust that spreads and forms crusts.
- The exhibition space has been modified: ceiling stripped, glass plates removed, and old advertisement banners used as surfaces.
- The banners reference Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze and incorporate brass leaf and lead-bearing solder.
- The exhibition is curated by Haris Giannouras and programmed by the board of the Secession.
- A simultaneous presentation at the Korean Cultural Center Austria includes Lee's film works under the title 'Women I loved 내가 사랑한 여자들'.
- Fragments of the Secession exhibition will be part of a site-responsive work at Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, in 2026.
- The exhibition is supported by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, Korean Cultural Centre Austria, Arts Council Korea, and Mondriaan Fund.
Entities
Artists
- Mire Lee
- Gustav Klimt
Institutions
- Secession
- Korean Cultural Center Austria
- Oude Kerk
- Samsung Foundation of Culture
- Korean Cultural Centre Austria
- Arts Council Korea
- Mondriaan Fund
- Sprüth Magers
- Tina Kim Gallery
- Yang Won Sun Foundation
- Kursawe Foitzik Hohlweg Rechtsanwälte
- Callie's
- Palfinger AG
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands