Artist Lee Gwan-young, who has practiced meditation for years, will hold a solo exhibition at Gallery Sayu and conduct an artist talk program that includes meditation for visitors. Over the past 20-plus years, Lee Gwan-young has been making disappearing voices visible. The artist talk took place successfully on June 6 and June 9, and will also be held at 4 p.m. on the 20th. Rather than simply describing her works, the artist delivers a message about difference and coexistence—standing before two sculptural pieces made from her own voice and her wife’s voice, as well as a work made from the “love” voices of nine people—revealing the different forms and colors of love. Lee Gwan-young says, “When we acknowledge these differences, I’m happy, and the world becomes beautiful.”
Expressing Voice Waves Rendered Digitally as Sculpture
In spring 2006, while working a regular job, the artist was reading a work by Vilém Flusser, 〈the revolution〉 of the picture, when she accidentally came across a line: “Speech is easy to inscribe information with, but it has the drawback of disappearing quickly.” The artist began to wonder what it would be like to visualize voice waves expressed digitally, and started her research. After six months of study, she found that there was no artist worldwide visualizing voice waves, and that even when people say the same words, their voice wave patterns differ—meaning that it is possible to capture the identity of the person speaking.
First exhibition at Sangsangmadang in front of Hongik University in 2008... Sculpting the Voices of Historically Significant Figures
The first exhibition was held in May 2008 at Sangsangmadang in front of Hongik University. Based only on the proposal, the artist was invited to open a planning exhibition at Sangsangmadang together with two existing artists. From there, she sculpted and captured the voices of key figures who influenced us greatly—Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan, Buddhist monk Beopjeong, U.S. President Barack Obama, G-Dragon, John Lennon, Audrey Hepburn, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr., and others—using a variety of methods, including sculpture, lighting, jewelry, prints, and video. She made those unseen voices speak to our hearts.
There was a special reason the artist—who had studied business administration—became interested in the work. During her college years, she went through a series of events that made her contemplate the essence of life: the sudden death of her father, a doctor’s message that her life was limited to 90% with a 10-year timeline, and the death of a friend, among others. She said that after entering the Samsung Culture Foundation and encountering contemporary art, she began to think about unpacking such themes as life and death, fleeting moments and eternity through her work.
“Love” by Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan, “Hope” by President Obama, “Love” by Audrey Hepburn
This exhibition features “Love” (sculpture, jewelry), which Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan considered most precious, “Peace minus one,” which G-Dragon said he considered most precious after being interviewed directly by the artist, “Hope,” referenced in President Obama’s presidential inauguration address, and “Love,” taken from a French TV interview in which Audrey Hepburn—who devoted her later years to children in poverty in Africa—urged the children to show interest, along with “Peace,” which John Lennon belted out in his classic song Imagine. It also presents works that express the “love” forms and colors spoken by nine members of the public, as well as works that incorporate “love” wave patterns from the artist, including pieces on the Vatican/New York/war. In addition, through the latest works that contain her own narrative—〈Lover〉 and 〈I Love You〉—she addresses the issue of coexistence amid emotional and value differences that are inseparable between a rural-born artist and her wife, who was born in Seoul.
The artist says, “Beyond being a simple communication tool, speech has a spiritual power that conveys love and coexistence, as well as healing and hope, encouragement and comfort.” This exhibition is the result of the work the artist has carried out quietly for more than 20 years as she has been searching for eternity through voices.
“Love Meditation” Held to Feel Different Forms and Colors of Love
Specially for this exhibition, a meditation talk with the artist will be held. The meditation session invites participants to observe each work and feel the different forms and colors of love. After an exhibition tour with the artist’s explanations, participants will view sculptural works and meditate on their own. Those who want to participate can contact the organizers at the address below.
zoooom@daum.net