Sunday, March 7, 2010

Mingwei Builds Art Around Trust and Friends Who are Strangers


The Mending Project, 2009
Courtey of the artist and Lombard Freid Projects, New York
Photo: Anita Kan
Collection of R.Tzeng, Taipei. Taiwan.

New York artist Lee Mingwei confronts many stereotypes about modern life in the big city. Lee builds his art around gift giving and the kindness of strangers. Not your standard Type A operating procedure in the Big Apple. In the Mending Project Mingwei accepted and hand sewed damaged clothing given him by visitors to Lombard-Freid Projects. Each mended piece of clothing was tied into the gallery via string then returned to the owner at the completion.

Lee's website statement that he " has continually focused on themes of trust and self-awareness in projects that create a potential for active exchange."

What a fresh, open, and inclusive way to make art. Maybe Migwei is pointing us all toward a new postmodern way of interacting.

The Mending Project will reappear at the Liverpool Biennale in September of 2010.

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