Relatum—Residence, 1988. Iron plate and stone, 220 x 200 x 1 cm.

Strange Encounters in Space and Time: A Conversation with Lee Ufan

Lee Ufan is acclaimed for an innovative body of work that emphasizes process, materials, and the experiential engagement of viewer and site. Born in Seoul, Korea, he has lived in Japan since 1956 and now divides his time between Kamakura and Paris. In the late 1960s and 1970s, he came to international prominence as the visionary theorist, spokesman, and most representative practitioner of the Japanese art movement Mono-ha (School of Things), applying the theories of structuralism and phenomenology to construct a new model of otherness. Encounters are crucial in his sculptures and installations; he addresses relationships among the elements in his works, as well as those joining his works to surrounding space and viewers. Beginning on June 24, “Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity,” his first North American museum retrospective, will take over the Guggenheim Museum in New York; extending from the rotunda floor, up the ramps, and into two annex galleries, the show will feature more than 90 sculptures, installations, paintings, and works on paper. …see the entire article in the print version of March’s Sculpture magazine.