Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now

Lee Bul (South Korean, born 1964) is one of the most prominent contemporary artists to emerge from Asia in recent decades. Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now is a comprehensive survey of her career to date, featuring major works from the artist’s studio and collections across Asia and beyond.

The exhibition at M+ unfolds in three comprehensive sections that span the artist’s career. It opens with an immersive open landscape, featuring iconic architectural installations from Lee’s Mon grand récit series (2005–ongoing). These complex works encourage visitors to reflect on the grand narratives of the modernist project and the aesthetics of failed utopias. This section also includes a selection of two-dimensional works from the Untitled (Willing To Be Vulnerable—Velvet) and Perdu series (2016–ongoing). The second chapter presents examples of Lee’s groundbreaking Cyborg and Anagram series from the late 1990s and early 2000s, which first brought her international acclaim. Combining wide-ranging references from critical theory, art history, and science fiction, these striking works explore entwined ideas of figuration, gender, and beauty in an increasingly technological world. The final section, evoking an artist’s studio, features a constellation of drawings, sketches, and maquettes, revealing how Lee conceptualises and realises her artworks.

The travelling exhibition debuted at Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, in September 2025, before opening at M+ in March 2026. It will then tour to other venues in Europe and North America. A comprehensive monograph, co-published by M+, Leeum Museum of Art, and Thames & Hudson, will accompany the exhibition, featuring new texts by international writers and scholars.

Sponsor’s Message

As Lead Sponsor of Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now, HSBC continues with the vision to connect Hong Kong with the world, and the world to Hong Kong. The sponsorship represents the bank’s continued support for art and culture and the Hong Kong community—opening up contemporary visual culture, through the lens of Hong Kong, to the rest of the world.