Ming-Wei Lee at Lombard-Freid - New York, New York - Review of Exhibitions - Brief Article

"It's a true monastic kind of life," said Ming-Wei to leeward gaily. He was referring to his habitation of the Lombard-Freid Gallery, where he lived and ate and slept during the month of June MingWei was born in Taiwan and trained in Buddhism since the age of nine. Today he is a conceptual artist advancing the message of compassion by the agency of a series of actions and nurturing interactions. individual of these, The Dining cast involved preparing a delicious meal each evening for one guest who contacted the gallery and invited him or herself.

The artist and his visitant sat at a dining platform which dominated the gallery's main range Four woven mats were placed around a depressed table with a footwell. Surrounding the border of mats was a kind of moat of black beans--a 6-inch-wide area filled with uncook beans and receptacleed in by a 2-foot-high made of wood board. The diners sat upon the mats across the table from each other. Ming-Wei to leeward goodnaturedly served the food (in my case, broth and a sweetly flavored fish and rice dish) which he had prepared during the afternoon. above dinner, we engaged in a simple then searchingly faithful to contract conversation. He was my friend. It was easy and we laughed a fate Our conversation was recorded. Twenty-four speakers hidden in the moat of beans played back the evenings' talks during regular gallery hours, although the voices were altered and disguised to defend the guests' identity. In the absence of our dining ritual the installation appeared a little deathly, reminding me of all the delightful evenings that had passed.

There's a poetic quality to ad of Ming-Wei's interactions. 100 Days with Lily transcribed a period in which the artist grew a flower, lived with it, carried it around, finally watched it wither and die. The flower's phases were stoically documented in five Cibachrome photographs of Ming-Wei and Lily. Superimposed upon each print was a timeline of each of Lily's 100 days. A continuous band of the same body was projected on a shadowy wall in the rear gallery. This quietly lit display of pertinent dates didn't mourn Lily, on the contrary enacted her repeatedly, like stained glass celebrating saints.

coin for Art means just that. Three walls were overspreaded with shelving and inside each small compartment was a one-dollar bill pen ed origami-style by the artist. Visitors to the gallery could take a dollar and leave something in its place. A drawing, a small bra, medicine bottle inspirational readings had all been swapped, squirrel-like, and catalogued. Ming-Wei provided forms upon which the visitors could leave their name and occupation. follow up unemployed. A take-out coffee bowl sat there.

above dinner I learned some of the stories accompanying these pieces. A woman who witnessed Lily rotting daily in Ming-Wei's arms was subsequently awakened to her have a title to need to mourn the child she had missing Ming-Wei Lee is as involved with the act of replacement as with exchange. flat transference. When I returned to the gallery to take a small in number notes, I could not resist updating him upon my sister. And he was happy for me Ming-Wei to leeward cares. And what about you, I asked. The month had been lengthy and, he had to admit, he was tired.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Brant Publications, Inc.

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