Mire Lee: Open Wound (Hyundai Commission)

Mire Lee is known for her visceral sculptures which use kinetic, mechanised elements to invoke the tension between soft forms and rigid systems. Her new site-specific work, the Hyundai Commission for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, is the first major presentation of Lee’s work in the UK.

Born in South Korea in 1988, Lee lives and works between Amsterdam and Seoul. Using industrial materials such as steel rods, cement, silicone, oil and clay, her work explores the animated nature of these materials as they pour, drip and bulge. Lee’s sculptures have a raw, organic appearance with elements suggestive of living organisms which are combined with machine parts. Motors or pumps channel oozing liquids through them with an unsettling effect. Lee is interested in the power of sculpture to affect both the viewer and the immediate surroundings and is unafraid to push artistic boundaries in spectacular ways. Her atmospheric sculptures and installations engage the senses and create spaces to reflect on themes of emotion and human desire.

While focusing on the subversive, multi-sensory forms of this new commission, this beautifully illustrated book also serves as an introduction to one of today’s most intriguing and original contemporary artists.