Open to the Public from November 4
After a Membership Preview
Starting on October 28, the Hoam Art Museum will open and permanently exhibit the new space 'Silentium (Muksiyam)' by world-renowned contemporary artist Lee Ufan within the traditional garden 'Heewon.' Three previously unreleased installation works will also be newly presented in the 'Old Stone Garden' area surrounding the museum's lake.
Lee Ufan is known for his significant role in the theoretical formation of 'Mono-ha' in the late 1960s, playing a pivotal part in the transitional period of Japanese contemporary art. Since the late 1960s, he has also maintained exchanges with the Korean art scene, making a meaningful impact on the development of experimental art and Dansaekhwa in the 1970s. His artistic practice has drawn attention in the European art world for its philosophical and formative exploration beyond Western-centric perspectives.
The Samsung Foundation of Culture has collected and held Lee Ufan's works for a long time, but since the 2003 retrospectives at Hoam Gallery and Rodin Gallery, there have been few opportunities to comprehensively explore the artist's world. This project, set against the beautiful natural backdrop of Hoam Art Museum, was proposed by the artist himself, and is significant in that it allows audiences in the Seoul metropolitan area to experience the work of an internationally active artist on a regular basis.
The artist stated, "What matters most in my work is the resonance that is felt immediately, the vitality or energy that can be sensed with one's senses or heart at first sight," adding, "Visitors will be able to feel, while immersed in silence, that the entire world moves through relationships, encounters, mutual resonance, and breath."
In 'Silentium,' color is a core element reflecting the phenomena and transformations of nature in the artist's world. While Lee Ufan has mainly worked in monochromatic tones, he actively employed color in this new piece. The colors in the 'dots' and 'circles' within the work gradually shift from the lightest to the deepest hues, expressing the changes and cycles of life.
At the entrance to 'Silentium,' a single installation made of a heavy stone and a thick steel plate serves as a guide, leading visitors into a space of silence and contemplation. Upon entering, three new works greet the audience. The 'Floor Painting' in the room to the left of the entrance expresses life through the form and color transitions of a 'circle' created by a 'dot' expanding to the extreme universe and infinity, evoking the sensation of something rising from the earth. The 'Wall Painting' in the central room marks both the starting and returning point of Lee Ufan's artistic world; the restrained brushstrokes make the dot appear as if it is floating in the air, and the interplay of painted and unpainted areas within subtle color shifts creates greater harmony. The 'Shadow Painting,' located in the innermost right room, presents both the shadow cast by a stone and the shadow painted by the artist, revealing the intersection of nature and human imagination and prompting reflection on the relationship between reality, illusion, and desire.
On the gently sloping walking path of the 'Old Stone Garden,' which offers a panoramic view of the Hoam Art Museum and its expansive lake across from 'Heewon,' visitors can appreciate three large-scale new works where civilization (iron) and nature (stone) converge.
'Relatum-The Encounter,' installed at the entrance, features a five-meter-diameter stainless steel ring structure, which is being unveiled first; two stones facing each other on either side of the ring will be added later to complete the work. Visitors can experience the expansion of space through the resonance created by the convergence and collision of the surrounding nature, stones, and the wind passing through the ring. By the lakeside stands 'Relatum-The Sky Road,' composed of a 20-meter-long super-mirror stainless steel plate and stones arranged in a straight line. Visitors, seeing the sky and their own reflections on the mirror-like surface, will experience the sensation of walking above the clouds. On the upper path, 'Relatum-Bursting' is installed, featuring curved stainless steel and two natural stones in a dynamic balance. This work realizes, in thick materials, a form the artist originally conceived in the 1970s using thin, trembling steel plates. Even without actual movement, the tension creates the impression of a part bursting away.
The artist describes his artistic philosophy as "letting go and emptying oneself opens up a greater infinity." His work fundamentally involves emptying, discarding, and paring down, appearing as a process of reducing, restraining, and compressing expression as much as possible. Lee Ufan aspires to move beyond the notion that only what is painted constitutes a painting, instead seeking to open up an infinite world through the relationship between what is made and what is not made.
Hong Rahee, Honorary Director of Leeum Museum of Art, who has long deeply understood and supported Lee Ufan's artistic world, shared, "I have always wanted to widely share Lee Ufan's works, but there have been few opportunities to present them on a permanent basis. I am deeply grateful that the artist himself proposed 'Silentium' and the outdoor sculptures, making it possible for many people to encounter his works at any time."
The 'Old Stone Garden' preserves the natural topography of the sloping hill overlooking the lake, offering visitors the experience of discovering new scenery and artworks at every moment as they walk along the winding path. The open lake view, the rhythm of the terrain, Lee Ufan's works, and the surrounding landscape will resonate with each other, providing a special sense of inspiration and deepening the viewing experience.
After a one-week Leeum membership preview starting on October 28, the exhibition will open to the public from November 4.
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