Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Venice, with the support of Michael Werner Gallery is pleased to present Invisible Questions That Fill the Air, an exhibition of works by American artist James Lee Byars (b. 1932, d. 1997) and Korean artist Seung-taek Lee (b. 1932), curated by esteemed curator and art historian Allegra Pesenti. “The otherworldly fabric of Venice and more specifically the historical backdrop of the Palazzo Loredan become a unique stage for both artists,” Pesenti notes of the exhibition. “The combination of gold, stone, wood, and rope in their respective works reflects the traditional materials of Venice’s built environment. And poetry and philosophy, which are so central to the art of both Byars and Lee, find common ground in the ornate libraries of Palazzo Loredan in Campo Santo Stefano.”
Both artists were born in 1932 on opposite sides of the world. Byars in Detroit, an industrial city struggling during the Great Depression, and Lee in a small town in a Northern province of a then unified Korea under Japanese rule. They never met, but their works present surprising and unexpected parallels. Foremost, both artists elude easy categorization. While they are tangentially associated with Surrealism, Dada, Minimalism, Mono-ha, and Arte Povera, their work streams through different forms and concepts, and they resist being bound to a specific movement. Both artists share a deep curiosity for history and the arts of the past, alongside a reflective and critical approach to the present.
Despite the tactility of their works, there is a common interest in the immaterial. Lee describes the origins of his “non-sculpture” as “departing from a sculptural form, these works signaled a state of existence, visualizing the invisible air.” Likewise for Byars, the critic Dave Hickey notes that “the implication of his work is that seeing is never quite enough, that we should listen for instance to the invisible questions that presumably fill the air.”
Invisible Questions That Fill the Air includes over six decades of work and bolsters both Byars’ and Lee’s reputations as major contributors to the 20th and 21st century avant-garde. According to Pesenti, “There is an indomitable energy that has kept the work of these two artists alive against the vagaries of contemporary art trends and expectations. Despite the vast differences that place them apart, there is a closeness of thought: a correspondent affinity for the spiritual, for ritual, and for a purity of form. Through their own alchemical transformations, they make the invisible visible.”
James Lee Byars has been the subject of numerous museum exhibitions worldwide, including The Palace of Good Luck, Castello di Rivoli / Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin (1989); The Perfect Moment, IVAM Centre del Carme, Valencia (1994); The Palace of Perfect, Fundaçao de Serralves, Porto (1997); Life Love and Death, Schirn Kunsthalle and Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg (2004); The Perfect Silence, Whitney Museum of American Art (2005); 1/2 An Autobiography, MoMA PS1, New York and Museo Jumex, Mexico City (2013-2014); The Golden Tower, Campo San Vio, Venice (2017); The Perfect Kiss, Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp (2018); and The Perfect Moment, Red Brick Art Museum, Beijing (2021). Most recently, a major survey of Byars’ work was on view at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan from October 2023 to February 2024 and opens at Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid in May 2024.
A pioneer of the Korean Avant-Garde with a career spanning over a half century, Seung-taek Lee’s work is held in the collections of museums worldwide, including the Tate Modern, London; the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul; the M+ Museum, Hong Kong; the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi; the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; and the Seoul Museum of Art, among others. Lee’s work has been included in major recent group exhibitions at the Gwangju Biennale (2023); the MMCA, Seoul (2023); the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2022); the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (2019); and the National Gallery, Singapore (2019). In 2020, a major retrospective survey of Lee’s work was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Lee is included in Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s, on view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles until May 12, 2024 after having been on view at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.
About the curator. Allegra Pesenti obtained her PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has held prominent positions as Associate Director and Senior Curator of the UCLA Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles and as Chief Curator and Curator-at-Large for the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, where she was instrumental in the development of the Menil Drawing Institute. A specialist in drawings, she worked on the catalogue raisonné of drawings by Jasper Johns and has pursued research on the drawings of Pablo Picasso, Robert Ryman, Alina Szapocnikow, and Rachel Whiteread, among others. She currently works as an Independent Curator in Rome.
Invisible Questions That Fill the Air is put together with the cooperation of Gallery Hyundai, Seoul.
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1958
Ceramic
28 1/2 x 13 x 13 inches
72.5 x 33 x 33 cm
JB 0/A2
James Lee Byars
“Untitled (Japanese Face)”, ca. 1958
Ceramic
9 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
25 x 11.5 x 11.5 cm
JB 0/A3
James Lee Byars
“The Black Stone”, ca. 1958-1959
Lacquered stone
5 x 10 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches
12.5 x 26 x 24 cm
JB 0/B
James Lee Byars
“Untitled (Black Figure)”, ca. 1959
Painted wood
138 x 16 x 2 3/4 inches
350.5 x 40.5 x 7 cm
JB 1/Q
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1959
Ink on Japanese paper
24 3/4 x 24 3/4 inches
63 x 63 cm
JBZ 308
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1959-1960
Painted wood
11 x 11 x 7 1/2 inches
28 x 28 x 19 cm
JB 0/Q
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1959-1960
Painted wood, twine
Two parts
One: 41 x 5 x 3 1/2 inches
104 x 13 x 9 cm
One: 52 1/4 x 7 3/4 x 3/4 inches
133 x 19.5 x 2 cm
JB 0/S
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1960
Ink on Japanese paper
24 3/4 x 24 3/4 inches
63 x 63 cm
JB 0/O
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, ca. 1960
Ink on Japanese paper
9 x 68 3/4 inches
23 x 177 cm
JBZ 292
James Lee Byars
“The Wings for Writing”, ca. 1972
Dyed feathers, silk, thread
Two parts, each:
19 x 32 3/4 inches
48 x 83 cm
JB 7/F
James Lee Byars
“The Lucky Stone”, 1980
Bernese sandstone
Diameter:
10 3/4 inches
27 cm
JB 23/1
James Lee Byars
“The Sphere Book”, 1980
Bernese sandstone
Two parts, overall diameter:
6 3/4 inches
17 cm
JB 24/9
James Lee Byars
“The Moonbook”, 1980
Bernese sandstone
Two parts, each:
1 1/2 x 16 1/4 x 11 1/2 inches
4 x 41 x 29 cm
JB 27/5
James Lee Byars
“The Book for Love”, 1980
Red leather book, 1000 silk paper pages
19 1/4 x 15 x 1 1/2 inches
49 x 38 x 4 cm
JB 28
James Lee Byars
“The Poetic Conceit”, 1983
Silk curtain, framed photographic print, porcelain plate
Dimensions variable
JB 49
James Lee Byars
“Page Cushion”, 1984
Granite
Diameter:
8 inches
20 cm
JB 54/C
James Lee Byars
“The Reading Stand”, 1985
17th century Venetian lectern, wood, leather
57 x 20 x 20 inches
145 x 51 x 51 cm
JB 55/A
James Lee Byars
“The Philosophical Nail”, 1986
Gilded iron
10 3/4 x 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches
27 x 3 x 3 cm
JB 64/5
James Lee Byars
“The Figure of Death”, 1986
Gilded brass
Ten parts, overall:
11 3/4 x 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches
30 x 3 x 3 cm
JB 65
James Lee Byars
“IS”, 1988
Gilded brass
Diameter:
4 1/4 inches
11 cm
JB 102
James Lee Byars
“Untitled”, 1988
India ink on gold paper
20 1/4 x 20 1/4 inches
51 x 51 cm
JBZ 113
James Lee Byars
“The Chair of Transformation”, 1989
17th century Venetian chair
40 1/4 x 35 x 34 1/4 inches
102 x 89 x 87 cm
JB 120
James Lee Byars
“The Spherical Book”, 1989
Thassos marble
Two parts, overall diameter:
8 1/4 inches
21 cm
JB 109/2
James Lee Byars
“The Sphere with Stairs”, 1989
Blue African granite
Diameter:
9 3/4 inches
25 cm
JB 93/E
James Lee Byars
“The Golden Divan”, 1990
Antique chaise, gold silk
36 1/4 x 75 1/4 x 29 1/4 inches
92 x 191 x 74 cm
JB 124/C
James Lee Byars
“The Star Book”, 1990
Thassos marble
5 1/2 x 10 3/4 x 10 3/4 inches
14 x 27 x 27 cm
JB 134/8
James Lee Byars
“World Flag”, 1991
Gold lamé
161 x 85 x 6 inches
409 x 216 x 15 cm
JB 143
James Lee Byars
“Spongeman”, ca. 1991-1992
Sponges
Six parts, overall:
31 1/2 x 19 3/4 x 19 3/4 inches
80 x 50 x 50 cm
JB 151
James Lee Byars
“Self-Portrait”, 1992
Stone, 24 carat gold sphere
5 3/4 x 12 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches
14.5 x 32.5 x 24.5 cm
JB 152/A
James Lee Byars
“The Jade Shoes”, 1993-1994
Jade
Two parts, each:
2 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
6 x 44.5 x 19 cm
JB 203/1
James Lee Byars
“The New Moon”, 1993
Gold pencil on Japanese paper
Seven parts, each:
19 x 9 1/2 inches
48 x 24 cm
JBZ 195
James Lee Byars
“Slit Moon”, 1994
Thassos marble
1 1/2 x 7 x 15 3/4 inches
4 x 18 x 40 cm
JB 190
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled (Sprout)”, 1963/2022
Painted earthenware
Seven parts
One: 59 1/2 x 30 3/4 x 30 3/4 inches (151 x 78 x 78 cm)
One: 61 x 27 x 27 inches (155 x 69 x 69 cm)
One: 54 3/4 x 25 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (139 x 65 x 65 cm)
One: 45 1/4 x 25 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (115 x 65 x 65 cm)
One: 44 1/2 x 25 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (113 x 65 x 65 cm)
One: 43 1/4 x 25 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches (110 x 65 x 65 cm)
One: 39 1/2 x 21 1/4 x 21 1/4 inches (100 x 54 x 54 cm)
LEE 29
Seung-taek Lee
“Torso”, ca. 1960-1969
Gold leaf, wire on bronze
37 3/4 x 19 1/4 x 12 1/2 inches
96 x 49 x 32 cm
LEE 32
Seung-taek Lee
“Torso”, 1962
Gold paint, wire, paper, plastic on bronze
23 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 5 inches
59.5 x 26 x 12.5 cm
LEE 31
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 1965/2020
Briquette, earthenware
20 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches
53 x 30 x 17 cm
LEE 4
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 1971
Ink on canvas
24 1/2 x 38 1/2 inches
62.5 x 97.5 cm
LEE 11
Seung-taek Lee
“Drawing”, 1971
Pencil, gouache on paper
21 1/2 x 31 inches
54.5 x 78.5 cm
LEE 36
Seung-taek Lee
“Hip”, 1962
Gold paint, wire on bronze
23 x 15 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches
58 x 40 x 22 cm
LEE 30
Seung-taek Lee
“Tied White Porcelain”, 1972/2015
Porcelain, rope
14 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches
37 x 35 cm
LEE 41
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 1972-1973
Rope on colored canvas
45 x 31 3/4 inches
114 x 80.5 cm
LEE 10
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled (Non-Painting)”, 1979
Paper (from antique book), rope, wooden frame
18 x 22 1/2 x 2 inches
46 x 57 x 5 cm
LEE 2
Seung-taek Lee
“Two Hills (Non-sculpture)”, 1980
Granite
11 x 21 1/4 x 24 1/2 inches
28 x 54 x 62 cm
LEE 19
Seung-taek Lee
“Wind (Paper Tree)”, ca. 1980-1989
Mulberry Hanji paper, tree branches
Five parts, dimensions variable
LEE 12
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, ca. 1980-1989
Glass, newspaper, wood
39 1/4 x 60 1/4 x 23 3/4 inches
100 x 153 x 68 cm
LEE 40
Seung-taek Lee
“Paper Installation” 1981
Paper pulp, rope
Dimensions variable
LEE 24
Seung-taek Lee
“Dance”, 1983
Hair on canvas
39 1/4 x 31 1/2 inches
100 x 80.5 cm
LEE 14
Seung-taek Lee
“Tied Stone”, 1985
Stone, wire
9 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches
24.5 x 22 x 21 cm
LEE 39
Seung-taek Lee
“Tied Stone”, 1989
Stone, wire
8 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches
21 x 27 x 16.5 cm
LEE 38
Seung-taek Lee
“Earth Performance”, 1989
Oil on photo montage
42 1/2 x 34 1/4 inches
108 x 87 cm
LEE 13
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled (Tied Stone)”, 1991
Stone, wooden frame, rope, steel wire
27 1/2 x 24 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches
70 x 61.5 x 9 cm
LEE 42
Seung-taek Lee
“Tied Stone”, 1996
Stone, wire
10 3/4 x 8 1/4 x 7 inches
27.5 x 21 x 18 cm
LEE 37
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2017
Rope on canvas
55 x 72 3/4 x 3 3/4 inches
140 x 185 x 9.5 cm
LEE 16
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2017
Rope on canvas
118 x 52 inches
300 x 132 cm
LEE 21
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2017
Rope on canvas
118 x 52 inches
300 x 132 cm
LEE 22
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2017
Rope on canvas
118 x 52 inches
300 x 132 cm
LEE 23
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2018
Hair on canvas
21 3/4 x 27 3/4 inches
55.5 x 70 cm
LEE 15
Seung-taek Lee
“Untitled”, 2020
Styrofoam, paper, rope
Three parts
One: 84 1/4 x 13 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches (214 x 35 x 30 cm)
One: 77 1/2 x 13 x 12 1/2 inches (197 x 33 x 32 cm)
One: 75 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches (192 x 32 x 32 cm)
LEE 34
