For her first solo exhibition with Tina Kim Gallery, Mire Lee presents “Carriers,” on view from September 15 to October 22, 2022. “Carriers” marks the North American debut of Lee’s eponymous body of work, shown at Art Sonje Center, Seoul, in 2020, and the Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin, in 2021.
In the front gallery, a spectral video depicting Lee’s mother is projected onto a cast monolithic form. It is joined by a slippery curtain and other grayscale sculptural casts, molded from functional objects that “carry” in their day-to-day utility.
Deeper into the space, Lee’s quasi-biomorphic carriers hide suspended behind a filthy, maze-like wall of used concrete molds, spurting an unidentifiable fluid out of a circulatory pump system commonly used in both dialysis treatments and industrial manufacturing. A long tank catches the flesh-toned discharge, which pools before it is spit back out from the carriers’ unending, regurgatory struggle.
A telling reference for Lee is vore, a fetish involving the impossible urge to swallow the object of one’s desire in a total annihilation of boundary between self and other, necessitating an act of supreme violence. Rather than offer a clear aggressor or desiring party, “Carriers” instead turns to an uncompromising partiality, reminiscent of the familiar or bodily in its spurting cavities without committing to a single, identifiable form. It is presented concurrently with Lee’s inclusion in the Venice Biennale, the Busan Biennale, and the 58th Carnegie International, in addition to her two solo shows at the MMK Frankfurt and the Kunstmuseum Den Haag in 2022.
Mire Lee (b.1988) lives and works between Seoul and Amsterdam. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University College of Fine Arts in the department of sculpture (2012) and a graduate degree in media art (2013). Her recent solo exhibitions include: “As we lay dying” at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, the Hague (2022); “Look, I’m a fountain of filth raving mad with love” at ZOLLAMTMMK, MMK Frankfurt (2022); and “Carriers” at Art Sonje Center, Seoul (2020).
Founded in New York in 2001 by Tina Kim and located in Chelsea, Tina Kim Gallery is celebrated for its unique programming that emphasizes international contemporary artists, historical overviews, and independently curated shows. With the gallery’s strong focus on Asian contemporary artists, Tina Kim has become a leading figure in introducing the Korean Dansaekhwa art movement to the American audience. Furthermore, she has created a platform for emerging and renowned artists such as Lee Seung Jio, Kim Tschang-Yeul, Minouk Lim, and Suki Seokyeong Kang. The gallery works closely with internationally renowned curators for special exhibitions and produces scholarly art publications.
Mire Lee’s “Carriers” is on view at Tina Kim Gallery, New York, from September 15 to October 22, 2022.
For more information, visit tinakimgallery.com.
This post is presented by Tina Kim Gallery.
