Lee Ufan: Open Dimension

The grass, the pavement and the museum’s structures are as integral as the rock and metal. Several of the pieces fit into notches in the building. One claims the central fountain, which Lee has turned into a sort of mirror by dying the water black. Other reflective surfaces include the polished steel inside a coiled sculpture that can be entered by museumgoers.

Since 1968, the artist has titled most of his sculptures “Relatum,” distinguishing the individual works with subtitles. His designs contrast natural materials with man-made objects, filled space with empty voids. But Lee wants viewers to see relationships: connection, not opposition.

“The work is about using the space,” Lee said, while leading a tour of “Open Dimension” a few days before it opened last month. “It’s not about the individual parts. I want people to look at the entirety of the installation.”

According to the artist, he spent two years pondering and sketching the installation. “There really isn’t a [part] which comes first,” he explained, using a mix of English and Korean, translated by an interpreter. “It’s relational.”

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