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Lee Mingwei exhibition in full bloom in San Francisco

  • Date:2017-06-23~2017-10-01
Lee Mingwei exhibition in full bloom in San Francisco

"The Moving Garden,” a contemporary installation of live flowers by Taiwanese-American artist Lee Mingwei (李明維), will be in full blossom at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum from June 23 through Oct. 1.

The installation is part of the museum's "Flower Power” exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, in which the "hippie” spirit of pacifism and anti-materialism will be highlighted through artworks featuring flowers.

"The Moving Garden” features a 30-foot-long granite table that will offer more than 100 freshly cut flowers everyday during the exhibition. It will invite museum-goers to take one of the flowers with them when they leave the museum, and present it to a stranger on the street.

Lee hopes to encourage interactions between strangers and evoke contemplation of trust and self-awareness. Through the process of picking a flower with the intent of giving it away as a gift, "The Moving Garden” connects people with art, and people with each other.

In addition to Lee's installation, the "Flower Power” exhibition will explore the significance and the power of flowers in Asian art and culture through porcelain, lacquer, textile, and installation featuring lotuses, tulips, plum buds, cherry blossoms, and chrysanthemums.

Born in 1964, Lee is an artist internationally known for his participatory installations that encourage social engagement and human interactions. His works have been showcased at museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Whitney Museum of American Art as well as biennales in Venice and Liverpool.

Lee will join an artist forum held by the museum on July 27 to discuss his work and share his inspirations and ideas with exhibitiongoers.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles, Lee's installation project will challenge the static relationship between museums and audiences, and bring new experiences into the life of the viewers.

The Asian Art Museum is one of the largest galleries collecting Asian artworks in the western world. It is home to more than 18,000 Asian art treasures from over 40 Asian countries, serving a world-leading role in presenting the unique aesthetics of Asian art and culture.




‘The Moving Garden'
  • Date: June 23 - Oct. 1, 2017
  • Venue: Asian Art Museum
  • Address: 200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
  • Website: www.asianart.org
  • Artist: Lee Mingwei