LEE Yongbaek: PLASTIC

Arario Gallery Cheonan will show Lee Yongbaek’s exhibition from September 2nd to October 26th. After studying in Germany in 1990, Lee has adventurously treated the complicated fields such as interaction, sound art and robotics technology for about 20 years. Lee dose not limit mediums for work and frequently crosses every fields of art. He was also quick to understand contemporary art in early period, and it has been expressed into work. In addition, Lee’s a matter of interest on work for a long time were ‘reappearance and symbolism,’ ‘actuality and simulacre,’ and ‘decentering Identity.’ They have a tread of connection with main issues appearing in contemporary media art.

This exhibition PLASTIC introduces new painting Plastic Eye, derived from agony on the aspect of truth – what is the truth we think who live in a very fictional space and Lure series. Plastic Eye embodies an enormous size (2 meters in diameter) of eyeball. This work was originated from a humorous anecdote that a man fell in love with beautiful eyes of a woman, but in fact, those were color contact lens. Lure embodies a plastic model bait, which is even more realistic than a real bait, and it talks about problems about a real and a fiction. Plastic Eye and Lure are paintings that Lee attempted in 20 years. His works embrace most of art forms including painting, sculpture as well as media art, and his unforeseeable characteristic and diversity reflect a new figure of artist in postmodern times.

This is Lee Yongbaek’s solo exhibition in 3 years in Korea after Alternative Space Loop Exhibition (2005). This exhibition introduces various and experimental works shown throughout the international exhibition so far. Plastic shows 35 pieces of works in total including new sculpture Pieta shown his artistic essence and infinite ability of use of medium and painting series Plastic Eye as well as various multi-media installations continuously introduced in many art museums and galleries in the world after late 1980s. Lee will participate in Busan Biennale, Nanjing Triennale, Japan ICC Media Art Center, Showcase Singapore, King’s Lynn Art Center of Britain and Blade Factory of Liverpool in this year.