THEO present 『Extended Body』, a solo exhibition by Yejoo Lee from February 3 to February 23, 2024.
Read More'The body is our general medium for having world'
Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1945). Phenomenology of Perception__
This solo exhibition by Yejoo Lee (b. 1995) begins with a deep exploration of the centrality of the body and the boundaries of perception, and is deeply connected to Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological view of perception, in which the body goes beyond mere physical existence and is deeply connected to individual identity and experience. By translating these philosophical ideas into artistic language and presenting the artist's extended body, created through direct interaction with his own body and sculpture, the exhibition seeks to shed new light on the deep interconnectedness between body, matter and sculpture.
Merleau-Ponty argued that the body is more than a mere physical presence, but a key medium of experience and perception. Lee's abstract sculptures do not rely on pre-existing images, but are the result of her physical experiences and memories being embodied in sculpture through a process of daily transformation. As such, they are more than just a mixture of plaster and fixed forms, but rather a medium for the artist's memories, emotions, and spirit. As such, her body directly participates alongside the artist in the creative act. In this process, the body determines the artistic form and is seen as an extension of the artist's body.
In our daily lives, when we walk, talk, or touch something, we don't necessarily think about how our perceptions are the result of a process. However, with a little thought, it is easy to see that there are individual experiences beyond these perceptions, and our bodies are the medium that connects these experiences and perceptions. Lee's soft, tactile, and elongated bodies are not just shapes, but works that can be interpreted in a variety of ways based on the viewer's own memories and experiences. By showing how the body perceives the world, and how that perception affects the body's behaviour and perception, we are invited to re-examine our own physical existence.
