Lee Wen
Lee Wen’s performances and installations often expose and question the ideologies and value systems of individuals as well as social structures. His work attempts to combine Southeast Asian contexts with international currents in contemporary art. Lee emphasizes versatility in strategizing and establishing visual language, meaning and message through live performance work. He is also interested in developing new possibilities of performativity and interactivity in art. His early practice was associated with the Artists Village, an alternative art group in Singapore and later forged a more individuated artistic career. Lee has been represented at the Busan Biennale (2004), the 3rd Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane (1999), the Sexta Bienal de La Habana, (1997), the Kwang Ju Biennial (1995), the 4th Asian Art Show, Fukuoka (1994) Sea Art Festival, Busan Biennale (S.Korea, 2004), National Review of Live Art (Scotland, 2004 & 2005). Born in Singapore, Lee now lives and works extensively on a global circuit and based between Singapore and Tokyo. Lee’s enthusiasm as an artist goes beyond his solo work and continues to be active and involved with the new generation in spawning possibilities of collaborations, networks and dialogical discourses. In 2003 Lee initiated, “The Future of Imagination”, an international performance art event encompassing forum, documentation and presentation of performance art in Singapore. Since 1999 Lee has also worked with Black Market International an utopian performance art “group” comprising artists from various countries and cultural backgrounds. Lee was awarded the “Cultural Medallion”, Singapore’s cultural award for artistic excellence in 2005.
Artist Code: 053
Videography
2001, 57:00 minutes, colour, English