
Mathias Völzke
Sequins, a labyrinth of infinity mirrors, leather, mother of pearl and metal – Lee Bul, one of the most important South Korean artists of her generation uses a futuristic mix of materials. The daughter of dissidents, her work was influenced by the former military dictatorship early on, referencing politics and female rights in provocative performances and installations while exploring futurist and visionary architecture. Now her latest show, along with the newly appointed Gropius director Stephanie Rosenthal, is travelling from London’s Hayward Gallery to Berlin. In it there is a black bunker where headphones play back the surrounding noises to the visitor in a disorientating soundscape, creating a haunting, prison-like atmosphere. Elsewhere, an oversized bathtub filled with black ink alludes to a student tortured to death by policemen in 1987, the very year of South Korea’s first democratic elections. Not easy or instantly readable, the sculptural presence of Bul’s work conveys an imminent sense of disaster, fragility and strength.
Through Jan 13