Lee Ufan: ‘I try to bring together those things which are made and unmade’

Lee Ufan, the South Korean artist and founding member of the Mono-ha movement, is being honored with a major solo exhibition at SMAC San Marco Art Centre as an official Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale, marking his 90th year. Simultaneously, a new display of his painting and sculpture opens at Dia Beacon in New York State, and his first show in Portugal opens at Casa e Parque de Serralves in July. In an interview with The Art Newspaper, Ufan discusses his artistic journey, his rejection of the artist's hand, and the influence of seeing a Barnett Newman exhibition at MoMA in 1971, which led him to develop his signature From Point and From Line paintings that use repeated marks to express the passage of time.

Collateral Events Not to Miss at 61st Venice Biennale

The article highlights several collateral events not to miss at the 61st Venice Biennale, including "The Spirits of Maritime Crossing 2026" at Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù, featuring 20 artists from Southeast Asia, Ireland, and Serbia, anchored by Marina Abramović's performance piece "Sea Punishing" (2006). Other notable exhibitions include a seven-decade survey of Korean artist Lee Ufan at San Marco Art Centre, "TURANDOT: To the Daughters of the East" at ACP Palazzo Franchetti featuring 11 female artists from Central Asia, Li Yi-Fan's "Screen Melancholy" at Palazzo delle Prigioni, and Nalini Malani's "Of Woman Born" at Magazzini del Sale.

With more than 3,000 participating institutions, the European Night of Museums returns this Saturday, May 23

Avec plus de 3 000 institutions participantes, la Nuit européenne des musées revient ce samedi 23 mai

The 22nd edition of the European Night of Museums returns on Saturday, May 23, with over 3,000 institutions across France and Europe opening their doors free of charge from late afternoon. Many museums are offering special activities such as concerts, performances, games, guided tours, and walks. The youth program "La classe, l'œuvre!" will again involve primary, middle, and high school students acting as mediators for artworks they studied throughout the year. Highlights include exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou-Metz dedicated to François Morellet and Louise Nevelson, a concert at Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle's Cyclop in Milly-la-Forêt, a dance performance by Korean artist Eun-Me Ahn at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, and exhibitions at museums in Tours, Vernon, Rouen, and Sète, as well as a Brazilian ball at the Château des ducs de Bretagne in Nantes.

Venice’s top museum brings in 80-year-old performance artist as St. Mark’s Square hosts Lee Ufan exhibition

Gallerie dell'Accademia, one of Venice’s most historic museums, is hosting "Energy in Transition," a major retrospective marking performance artist Marina Abramović’s 80th birthday. The exhibition features iconic works such as "The Lovers: The Great Wall Walk" (1988) and "Balkan Baroque" (1997), for which she became the first woman to win the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. Visitors can interact with installations involving crystals, meditation platforms, and energy brushes, transforming Abramović’s once-violent performances into a healing journey. Separately, St. Mark’s Square is hosting an exhibition by Korean artist Lee Ufan, featuring his sculpture "The Kiss."

Korean Cultural Center New York Presents the Major Exhibition "Lee Kang So: A Field of Becoming"

The Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) presents the major exhibition "Lee Kang So: A Field of Becoming," on view from May 13 to June 20, 2026. The show features the work of pioneering Korean contemporary artist Lee Kang So (b. 1943), who since the 1970s has worked across photography, painting, sculpture, installation, and performance, resisting fixed forms to explore how art emerges through process, material, and context. The exhibition includes key works from his 1970s performances and installations, as well as later sculptures and paintings that foreground gravity, chance, and bodily gesture. Lee, who was active in New York in the 1980s and participated in MoMA PS1's Studio Artist Program, returns to the city with this exhibition at KCCNY's expanded venue.

At 90, the Korean artist Lee Ufan Finds Energy in His Art

The Korean artist Lee Ufan, now 90 years old, remains actively engaged in his artistic practice, working daily and preparing for three upcoming exhibitions. Among these is a display of his pivotal paintings at the Venice Biennale, underscoring his enduring creative output and continued relevance in the contemporary art world.

How the Arts Club of Chicago Stays Contemporary in its Second Century

The Arts Club of Chicago, founded in 1916, continues to balance its historic legacy with contemporary relevance under executive director and chief curator Janine Mileaf. The club, which gave Pablo Picasso his first solo institutional exhibition in the U.S. in 1923 and hosted figures like Gertrude Stein and John Cage, now operates as both a public space and a private membership club. Mileaf’s programming emphasizes Dada and surrealist roots while showcasing experimental, site-specific works, including a recent installation by Korean artist Haegue Yang. The club maintains a close relationship with Chicago’s arts community, aiming to expose audiences to challenging and surprising art.

Exhibition | Kang Cheol Gyu, 'KANG Cheolgyu: Discarded Host' at Arario Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Arario Gallery Seoul presents 'Discarded Host', a solo exhibition by South Korean artist Kang Cheolgyu (b. 1990), running from May 1 to June 20, 2026. The show features new paintings that transform personal emotions and psychological sensations into visual narratives, exploring themes of anxiety, tension, identity, and transformation through fictional environments and indirect self-confrontation.

Einatmen – Ausatmen

Lee Ufan, the renowned Korean artist known for his meditative single brushstroke paintings, is the subject of a feature article in Monopol. The piece visits his home in Kamakura, Japan, where he lives and works in a simple wooden cube house, reflecting the minimalist philosophy that defines his art. The article explores how Lee finds the entire universe in a single brushstroke, and how the art world is increasingly captivated by his serene, contemplative works.

Lee Jong-gu turns 'Pensive' in self-reflective solo exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery

Veteran Korean artist Lee Jong-gu, a key figure in the 1980s minjung art movement, has opened a solo exhibition titled "Pensive" at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul. The show features 38 paintings that mark a shift from his decades-long focus on social realism toward a more contemplative approach, centering on the bangasayusang (contemplative bodhisattva figures) from the National Museum of Korea. Lee blends these sacred images with nude bodies, flames, and crowd scenes, drawing on the Buddhist concept of non-duality to explore themes of life, death, and the sacred versus the profane. The exhibition runs through June 20.

ACC Gallery presents "Echoes over the Hudson"

ACC Gallery in Tenafly, New Jersey, presents "Echoes over the Hudson" from May 5-23, 2026, an exhibition featuring contemporary Korean artists based in the New York Tri-State region. The show includes works in painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and new media by artists such as Eunchong Kim, Jinsook Lee, Agnes Woo, and Hyo Jin Jeon, exploring themes of migration, urban experience, memory, and cultural hybridity.

From Paris To Gyeongseong’ Illuminating The Flow Of Modern Art​

The article 'From Paris To Gyeongseong’ Illuminating The Flow Of Modern Art' explores the historical and cultural exchange of modern art between Paris and Gyeongseong (the former name of Seoul during the Japanese colonial period). It traces how Western modernist movements, particularly from Paris, influenced Korean artists in the early 20th century, highlighting the cross-cultural dialogue that shaped the development of modern art in Korea. The piece examines specific artworks, exhibitions, and the role of key figures who facilitated this artistic flow.

Hanwha Culture Foundation hosts Lim Young-Joo solo show in New York

The Hanwha Culture Foundation is hosting a solo exhibition by artist Lim Young-Joo, titled 'The Late故', from May 15 to July 25 at Space Zero One in New York. The show features video and installation works that reinterpret themes of faith, anxiety, life, and death, including a centerpiece piece that reconfigures her previous major works and research from her residency. Lim Young-Joo won the 2025 Frieze Artist Award and was selected for the Korea Artist Prize by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.

Korea’s art market grows, but working conditions for entry-level workers do not

A 20-something intern at a small Seoul gallery, identified as Park, accepted a job paying 1.35 million won ($910) per month after taxes—below South Korea's minimum wage—because she believed early experience was essential for career advancement in the art world. The article, based on interviews with the Korea JoongAng Daily, reveals that many entry-level workers face low pay and precarious conditions, exacerbated by a severe oversupply of arts graduates (48,000 annually) versus only about 3,523 job postings per year on the industry site Art More, leading to reliance on personal connections and informal hiring.

MAMリサーチ012：ディアスポラ・メモリー － 境界を越えて生きるコリアン・アーティスト @ 森美術館

森美術館（Mori Art Museum）は2026年4月29日から9月23日まで、企画展「MAMリサーチ012：ディアスポラ・メモリー － 境界を越えて生きるコリアン・アーティスト」を開催する。本展はアソシエイト・キュレーターの趙純恵が企画し、金惠信（南城美術館館長、沖縄県立芸術大学客員教授）と上田雄三（Gallery Q）が協力。出展作家はクァク・インシク（郭仁植）、ソン・ヒョンスク（宋賢淑）、アレクサンダー・ウーガイの3名で、ディアスポラ（離散）の視点から韓国系アーティストの記憶と境界を越えた表現を探る。

Incheon's Crocat House hosts group exhibition featuring 6 Korean, global artists

Crocat House, a new cultural and arts complex in Incheon, South Korea, is hosting a group exhibition titled "Felt Seams — What the Tide Erases, the Body Holds," featuring six Korean and international artists. The show, curated by Korean artist Sung A Jang, explores themes of identity, memory, and the spaces between body and world, with works ranging from figurative sculptures to paintings. The exhibition opened on May 16, 2026, and includes artists such as John Shrader, who presented new sculptural pieces alongside earlier works.

The Korean Artist Park Daesung Is In the Spotlight at 81

The Korean artist Park Daesung, now nearly 81 years old, is experiencing a surge of international attention. His works have recently been featured in exhibitions across major cities including Chicago, London, Washington, and Los Angeles, and are now set to be shown at TEFAF New York.

Doosan Yonkang Foundation Joins as Sponsor of Korean Pavilion at Venice International Art Exhibition

The Doosan Yonkang Foundation has joined as a sponsor of the Korean Pavilion at the 61st Venice International Art Exhibition, held at Giardini Park in Italy until November 22. The pavilion, themed "Haebang Space," explores political and social changes in Korean society since liberation in 1945. Artistic Director Choi Bitna oversees the exhibition, featuring artists Noh Hyeri and Choi Goeun, along with fellows Han Kang, Kim Hoojoo, Lee Rang, Hwang Yeji, and Christian Nyampeta. This marks the foundation's first sponsorship of the Korean Pavilion as part of its visual arts support program.

Park Soo-keun's Early Recognition and Record-Breaking Art Sales

A newly discovered 1931 newspaper article reveals that the renowned Korean artist Park Soo-keun (1914–1965) received early public recognition as a teenager in the Chosun Ilbo, which described him as the "only painter in Yanggu." The article traces his artistic journey from his first selection at the Chosun Art Exhibition in 1932 with his watercolor *Spring Arrives* to his later success in the 1950s and 1960s, including winning awards at the National Art Exhibition and being appointed a judge. It also notes that his painting *The Laundry Place* recently sold for 4.7 billion won, setting a record at a domestic art auction.

Leeum's installation art exhibition explores women-led history of genre

The Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul will open the exhibition "Inside Other Spaces" on May 5, featuring 11 installation artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The show reconstructs full-scale environments from 1956 to 1976, including Korean artist Jung Kang-ja's "Incorporeal Exhibition" (1970), which was forcibly dismantled by the Korean government and is being rebuilt for the first time. The exhibition previously appeared at Munich's Haus der Kunst, Rome's Maxxi, and Hong Kong's M+, with each venue expanding its scope.