Lee Ufan at Art Basel Unlimited 2025

11 June 2025

At Art Basel Unlimited 2025, Lee Ufan presents his Relatum (2005–2023) sculptures which embody his minimalist philosophy, focusing on relationships rather than objects. Each piece consists of industrial steel plates, symbolizing modernity and human intervention, with raw stones, which he sees as belonging to an ‘unknown world.’ thus creating a dialogue between contrasting materials. This reflects the dynamic in his Correspondence paintings, where brushstrokes interact with blank space. Rooted in the Mono-ha movement, Relatum challenges Western materialism by shifting art from being a static object to an experience of encounter. His installations engage space without dominating it, encouraging mindful presence. Viewers are invited to slow down to sense gravity, silence, and the relationship between nature, humanity, and time.

On Lisson Gallery's Art Basel 2025 booth, Lee Ufan presents Response (2025) defined by singular sweeps of acrylic, expanding on his concept of anchoring a work to its “encounter”, a moment in time and space when the brush marks the canvas.

Image: Lee Ufan, Relatum - Dialogue, 2005-2023, Steel and natural stone, Plates: 220 x 360 x 2 cm, Plates: 86 5/8 x 141 3/4 x 0 3/4 in, Stones: 100 x 100 cm, Stones: 39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in © Rijksmuseum, Courtesy Lisson Gallery