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“Black Sun” at the New Museum was the first American solo museum exhibition featuring the work of Mire Lee (b. 1988, Seoul, South Korea). The show’s title, “Black Sun,” is derived from the philosopher Julia Kristeva’s 1987 volume on depression and melancholia. The installation depicted emotional voids and psychological tensions, showcasing an architectural environment, kinetic sculpture, and fabric works.
Lee’s animatronic sculptures explore notions of sexuality and desire. She uses low-tech motors, pumping systems, steel rods, and PVC hoses filled with grease, glycerin, silicone, slip, and oil that operate as living organisms and biological machines. A common element in Lee’s works is her use of silicone hoses and tubes, which exhibit repetitive movements involving transporting and extracting a milky, glutinous liquid. Drawing inspiration from architecture, horror, pornography, and cybernetics, Lee experiments with machinery and its evocation of the human body to describe the properties that exist at the intersection of technology and the corporeal.
Over the past year, Lee has had institutional solo exhibitions at MMK Frankfurt and Kunstmuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands and has also participated in major international collections, including the 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the 58th Carnegie International, and the Busan Biennial 2022.
Her selected solo exhibitions include: “The Milk of Dreams,” 59th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale (Venice, Italy, 2022); “Carriers” at Tina Kim Gallery (New York, USA, 2022); “Look, I’m a Fountain of Filth Raving Mad with Love” at ZOLLAMTMMK (Frankfurt, Germany, 2022); “As We Lay Dying” at Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Netherlands (2022); “HR Giger & Mire Lee” at Schinkel Pavillon (Berlin, Germany, 2021); “Carriers” at Art Sonje Center (Seoul, South Korea, 2020); “Words Were Never Enough” at Lily Roberts (Paris, France, 2020), and more.
