Taiwan artist Lee Mingwei (李明維), whose artistic practice is primary concerned with the rituals of giving and receiving, will hold a solo retrospective at the Berlin-based Gropius Bau from March 27 through June 7 to present installations and performances from the last three decades. Central to the exhibition is an exploration of art's potential to be a transformative gift.
The exhibition title, "Lee Mingwei: Gifts and Rituals," describes how immaterial gifts such as song, conversation, or contemplation are given and received in his works. For many of Lee’s projects are based on personal encounters, and when the visitor becomes the host, fascinating moments such as gifting time to strangers become part of the exhibition experience.
Envisioned and implemented by Dr. Stephanie Rosenthal, director of Gropius Bau, and curatorial fellow Clare Molloy as the largest European retrospective on Lee's works, "Gifts and Rituals" will encompass 14 memorable classics and one new project. Familiar fans will be delighted to see the return of "The Mending Project," "Sonic Blossom," "The Letter-Writing Project," and "Guernica in Sand," among many other interactive experiences designed by Lee since the 1990s.
In preparation for this exhibition, the artist put out open calls last autumn looking for Berlin-based hosts to activate several of his projects. Participants will be invited to exhibit their unique collections in "The Living Room" and host conversations whilst repairing damaged items of clothing brought to the museum by visitors through "The Mending Project."
These processes create a common space where viewers are given the opportunity to enter into an exchange, upon which the rituals of caring and healing can finally begin to unfold. This springtime, come by Berlin's Gropius Bau, one of Europe's most important exhibition venues for addressing a broad variety of artistic modes of thinking and their social implications, to experience meaningful and tangible connections between strangers.
Lee, 56, is renowned for his participatory mixed-media installations that explore how acts of generosity can nurture interaction and reciprocity among individuals. More information on the internationally acclaimed artist can be found here.
‘Lee Mingwei: Gifts and Rituals’
Date: March 27 – June 7, 2020
Venue: Gropius Bau
Address: Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin, Germany
Site: www.berlinerfestspiele.de
Opening Ceremony: March 26, 2020