Lee Bul Exposition in Mudam

I wasn’t aware of the works done by Korean artist Lee Bul, but after having seen her retrospective at Mudam (Museum of Contemporary art in Luxembourg) I couldn’t help be fascinated by her creations. Her art and its underlying concepts are tied to two important fronts: the idea that history influences us directly, but that human beings also shape history. This line of thought is a consequence of the fact that history repeats itself with great occurrences, and also in our daily lives. These concepts are clear in the Cyborgs created by the artist, statues that are realized with top-notch precision which reminds us of classical details, yet they have futuristic shapes. Not only this, there were also the tectonic plates that remind of the layers of the earth but also of our heritage: the public is invited to walk on them, and to feel the destabilizing effect they provide. The great floating islands, which were realized in various materials were inspired by the current situation in Korea, which is in constant transformation due to modernization. They seem floating cities reminiscent of the works of German architect Bruno Tart, but also of futuristic cities like Gotham City, or the Los Angeles we saw in Blade Runner. These futuristic aspects though are drenched with cultural elements from her home country, Korea, which have clearly influenced Lee’s work, underlining once again how history influences us directly via its effect on culture.