Seongeun Lee (b.1994, South Korea) captures the experiences of those marginalized in the modern urban landscape. Through installation and video, she constructs and unfolds narratives that reflect the movements and struggles of these individuals. Lee perceives the contemporary city as a manifestation of a masculine utopian ideal, an ever-changing urban expanse that, while echoing living entities, is primarily steered by capitalist motives. This dynamic results in urban facades resembling finely crafted products, yet often casting a shadow of dystopia over its residents. Her art delves into the homogenization of urban spaces, transforming them into indistinguishable templates. Lee’s work challenges viewers to contemplate the contrast between the idealized visions of urban development and the stark realities faced by those who reside within these spaces.
In her exploration of modern cities, Lee is interested in the dichotomy of urban landscapes through the lens of set design. Instead of repurposing old wood, she opts to create new materials with an aged appearance. Her installation serves as a metaphorical representation of urban life, by mixing craft with traditional construction techniques to dismantle the superficial facades of set pieces, unveiling the realities concealed behind them.
EDUCATION
2021 - 2023
Royal College of Art, London, UK(Distinction)
M.A. in Sculpture
29 Feb 2014 - 21 Feb 2020
University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea
B.F.A in Environmental Sculpture, Magna Cum Laude
SOLO EXHIBITION
18 April - 5 May 2024 (Collective Solo)
Stove by a Whale - Staffordshire st Gallery, London, UK (Production budget sponsored by the Eaton fund)
15 Mar - 13 Apr 2024
Naumachia - Caption Seoul, Seoul, Korea (Funded by Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Seoul Metropolitan City)
21 May - 6 June 2021
Survival Diary - Rainbow Cube Gallery, Seoul, Korea
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
23 - 25 May 2024
Occult Surge - Moosey Gallery, London, UK
23 - 31 Jul 2023
Attention! - Sojourner Gallery, New York, USA
13 - 16 Jul 2023
RCA 2023 Degree Show - Truman Brewery, London, UK
17- 19 Mar 2023
Hung, Drawn & Quartered - Standpoint Gallery(Residency), London, UK
9 - 22 Oct 2022
Stack - 67 York Street, London, UK
6 - 14 Aug 2022
Pure Class - RCA Working Class Collective Summer Show 2022, St. John on Bethnal Green, London, UK
28 - 29 May 2022
WILD STONE - Van Gogh House, London, UK
20 - 26 May 2022
Home | Away: Narratives of Dislocation and Estrangement - MP Birla Millennium Art Gallery, London, UK
23 Apr - 12 Jun 2022
196th RSA Annual Exhibition - Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
3 - 6 March 2022
In Search of Overwhelming Banality: the Status Quo in Public Spaces - One Minute Space, Athens, Greece
26 - 27 Feb 2022
We Won’t Stop Showing - SET Woolwich, London, UK
28 Jan - 4 Feb 2022
WIP Show (online show) - Royal College of Art, London, UK
8 Dec 2019 - 3 Jan 2020
How shall we meet here - Gallery Woolim, Seoul, Korea
16 - 29 Oct 2019
Open Studio - Gallery 9P, Seoul, Korea
LECTURE
14 Mar 2023
Artist Talk and Workshop on body - University for Creative Arts, Farnham, UK
22 Feb 2023
Artist Talk - South Thames University, London, UK
19 Jun 2022
One Minute Tour - Walkative Society, London, UK
11 Feb 2022
Deviant Sens8ion - University of Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts, London, UK
AWARD / SCHOLARSHIP/ RESIDENCY
2024
Eaton Artists Grants - Eaton Fund
2023
Long listed - Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2023(UK)
2023
Shortlisted - Bloomberg New Contemporaries (UK)
2023
Residency - Standpoint Gallery, London, UK
2023
The Gilbert Bayes Award - The Gilbert Bayes Trust, UK)
5 Apr 2016
Seoul Mayor’s Scholarship
4 Aug 2014
Seoul Mayor’s Scholarship
MEDIA REPORT
Spring 2024
Art Papers [Features] - "How To Make an Old World New? Notes on the Whales in the Room" by Stephanie Bailey
이성은(b.1994)은 인공적 공간이 지닌 권력과 타자화된 신체 사이의 긴장을 조사한다. 현대도시를 남성적 유토피아를 모델로 해 건설된 공간으로 보고 이 장소가 어떻게 역설적으로 현대인에게 디스토피아적 현실로 작용하는 지에 주목한다. 영상, 퍼포먼스, 설치를 활용해 중산층 유토피아에 대한 믿음이 사라진 뒤의 사회를 살아가는 현대도시인의 미시적 서사를 시각언어로 풀어내고 있다.
작가는 작업을 사회의 투쟁에 대한 알레고리로 보고 자본주의 사회 시스템에 저항하는 신체의 움직임을 포착한다. 작업전반에서 육체는 가혹한 현실에서 벗어나고자 하지만 목적지 없는 고리에 갇히며 결국 실패한다. 이렇게 무의미한 행위의 반복이 지닌 새로운 정치적 가능성을 모색한다
최근에는 영상과 설치의 공간적 배경을 직접 구축함으로서 작가의 탈출주의와 유목주의적 시각을 은유적으로 전달하는데에 관심을 가지고 작업세계를 확장해 나가는 중이다.
학력
2021 - 2023
영국 왕립 예술 대학교, 미술대학원, 조소과, 런던, 영국(우수 논문)
2014 2. 29 - 2020 2. 21
서울시립대학교, 예술체육대학, 환경조각학과 학사 최우등 졸업, 서울
개인전
2024. 4. 18 - 5. 5(Collective Solo)
Stove by a Whale - Staffordshire st Gallery, 런던, 영국 (제작비 지원: the Eaton fund)
2024. 3, 15 - 4. 4
Naumachia - 캡션서울, 서울 (후원. 서울문화재단, 서울특별시)
2021. 5. 21 - 6. 6
Survival Diary - 레인보우 큐브 갤러리, 서울
단체전
2024. 5. 23 - 25
Occult Surge - Moosey Gallery, 런던, 영국
2023. 7. 23 - 31
Attention! - Sojourner Gallery, 뉴욕, 미국
2023. 7.13 - 16
RCA 2023 Degree Show - Truman Brewery, 런던, 영국
2023. 3. 17 - 19
Hung, Drawn & Quartered - Standpoint Gallery(Residency), 런던, 영국
2022. 10. 9 - 22
Stack - 67 York Street, 런던, 영국
2022. 8. 6 - 14
Pure Class - RCA Working Class Collective Summer Show 2022, St. John on Bethnal Green, 런던, 영국
2022. 5. 28 - 29
WILD STONE - Van Gogh House, 런던, 영국
2022 5. 20 - 26
Home | Away: Narratives of Dislocation and Estrangement - MP Birla Millennium Art Gallery, 런던, 영국
2022. 4. 23 - 6. 12
196th RSA Annual Exhibition - Royal Scottish Academy, 에딘버러, 스코틀랜드, 영국
2022. 3. 3 - 6
In Search of Overwhelming Banality: the Status Quo in Public Spaces - One Minute Space, 아테네, 그리스
2022. 2. 26 - 27
We Won’t Stop Showing - SET, 런던, 영국
2022. 1. 28 - 2. 4
WIP Show (online show) - Royal College of Art, 런던, 영국
2019 12. 8 - 2020. 1. 3
How shall we meet here - 갤러리 울림, 서울
2019. 10. 16 - 29
Open Studio - Gallery 9P, 서울
강의
2023. 3. 14
Artist Talk and Workshop on body - University for Creative Arts, Farnham, 영국
2023. 2. 22
Artist Talk - South Thames University, 런던, 영국
2022. 6. 19
One Minute Tour - Walkative Society, 런던, 영국
2022. 2. 11
Deviant Sens8ion - University of Arts London, Camberwell College of Arts, 런던, 영국
수상/레지던시
2024
Eaton Artists Grants - Eaton Fund
2023
Long listed - Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2023(UK)
2023
Shortlisted - Bloomberg New Contemporaries (UK)
2023. 2.13 - 3.13
Standpoint Gallery(레지던시), 런던, 영국
2023
The Gilbert Bayes Award (The Gilbert Bayes Trust, UK)
2016. 4. 5
서울시장 장학금
2014. 8. 4
서울시장 장학금
미디어 리포트
Spring 2024
Art Papers [Features] - "How To Make an Old World New? Notes on the Whales in the Room" by Stephanie Bailey