May 2026
Lee Ufan Presents Two Major Exhibitions at Dia Beacon and SMAC Venice
Lee Ufan, a foundational figure of Dansaekhwa and the Mono-ha movements, presents two major concurrent solo exhibitions titled Lee Ufan at Dia Beacon, New York, and SMAC Venice (San Marco Art Centre). Organized and curated by Dia Art Foundation in celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday, this landmark project honors his extraordinary artistic contributions that span across disciplines and geographies. Notably, the presentation at SMAC Venice has been selected as an official Collateral Event of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, further underscoring its global significance.
The exhibition at Dia Beacon is curated by Matilde Guidelli-Guidi, Curator and Co-Department Head, with Min Sun Jeon, Assistant Curator. The presentation is centered around eight significant paintings realized between the 1970s and early 1990s, which were gifted last year by the artist to the foundation. The highlights of the exhibition are the From Line and From Point series, which visualize the passage of time through the repeated application of brushstrokes and dots that gradually dissipate. These are paired with the With Winds series, featuring dynamic brushstrokes that evoke the movement of air across expansive white space. Three Relatum sculptures resonate with his works on canvas, creating a conceptual dialogue between painting and sculpture that conveys the quiet energy generated by material, space, and time—sensibilities Lee has explored for decades.
Concurrently, SMAC Venice hosts a major presentation curated by Jessica Morgan, Dia’s Nathalie de Gunzburg Director. Staged across eight galleries at the Procuratie in Piazza San Marco, this exhibition marks the most significant survey of Lee’s work in Italy to date, holistically tracing his practice across over seven decades. Bringing together a selection of early works and recent paintings—including the vibrant Response series—alongside large-scale installations and new site-specific commissions such as Relatum — Infinity (2026), the exhibition unfolds in close dialogue with the architectural space to prompt reflection and a heightened awareness in the viewer.
On opening the exhibitions, Jessica Morgan stated as follows “I am delighted to present two ambitious projects across two continents in celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday. These exhibitions illuminate the philosophical and material through lines—gesture, interval, balance, and spatial tension—that have defined his practice.”
The exhibition at Dia Beacon is curated by Matilde Guidelli-Guidi, Curator and Co-Department Head, with Min Sun Jeon, Assistant Curator. The presentation is centered around eight significant paintings realized between the 1970s and early 1990s, which were gifted last year by the artist to the foundation. The highlights of the exhibition are the From Line and From Point series, which visualize the passage of time through the repeated application of brushstrokes and dots that gradually dissipate. These are paired with the With Winds series, featuring dynamic brushstrokes that evoke the movement of air across expansive white space. Three Relatum sculptures resonate with his works on canvas, creating a conceptual dialogue between painting and sculpture that conveys the quiet energy generated by material, space, and time—sensibilities Lee has explored for decades.
Concurrently, SMAC Venice hosts a major presentation curated by Jessica Morgan, Dia’s Nathalie de Gunzburg Director. Staged across eight galleries at the Procuratie in Piazza San Marco, this exhibition marks the most significant survey of Lee’s work in Italy to date, holistically tracing his practice across over seven decades. Bringing together a selection of early works and recent paintings—including the vibrant Response series—alongside large-scale installations and new site-specific commissions such as Relatum — Infinity (2026), the exhibition unfolds in close dialogue with the architectural space to prompt reflection and a heightened awareness in the viewer.
On opening the exhibitions, Jessica Morgan stated as follows “I am delighted to present two ambitious projects across two continents in celebration of the artist’s 90th birthday. These exhibitions illuminate the philosophical and material through lines—gesture, interval, balance, and spatial tension—that have defined his practice.”
