Lee Kun-Yong
Born 1942 | Sariwon
Lives and works Seoul
Lee Kun-Yong’s practice, which explores the endless performative possibilities of the human body, is widely regarded as a pioneering contribution to the South Korean avant-garde. For the 14th Gwangju Biennale, Lee transforms his Bodyscape 76-3 series that began in 1976 into a participatory work where audience members can make marks on the walls of the gallery following Lee’s instructions. Holding a crayon or a coloured pencil, the participant is asked to stand next to the wall and place their hand on the surface. After moving the hand slightly upwards away from their own body, they are asked to let the hand fall freely to make a curve on the wall. They are then asked to repeat the same gesture using the other hand from the same starting point. Over the course of the exhibition, marks of different colours, shapes, and sizes will fill up the wall as viewers leave their own Bodyscape drawings in the exhibition.