Lee Bul and the survey at M+ in Hong Kong
Published on 08/22/2026 at 13:09 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lee Bul has become one of the most influential figures in Korean contemporary art through a practice that fuses cyborg bodies, speculative architecture and immersive installations. Her large-scale survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now at M+ in Hong Kong gathers more than 200 works spanning from the late 1990s to 2024, as the museum and partner institutions outline in their exhibition materials.
The survey in Hong Kong
The special exhibition Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now at M+ in Hong Kong presents over 200 works drawn from the artist’s studio alongside institutional and private collections across Asia and beyond, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and M+ documentation. The show is co-organized by M+ and the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul and occupies the West Gallery on Level 2 of the museum, emphasizing the scale of the project and its placement within Asia’s major visual culture institution.
Covering works from roughly 1998 to 2024, the exhibition is structured around three broad strands often highlighted by commentators: the iconic Cyborg sculptures, the sprawling Mon grand récit installations and an artist’s-studio section of sketches and maquettes that foregrounds process. Reports on the Hong Kong presentation note that the M+ version adds nearly 50 early works from the late 1990s and early 2000s in addition to recent pieces from 2024, giving the survey a broader arc than its earlier iteration in Seoul.
From Seoul to Hong Kong and beyond
Before arriving in Hong Kong, Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now ran at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul from September 4, 2025, through January 4, 2026, positioning the exhibition first in the artist’s home context. The co-organizers frame the project as a touring survey that will travel on to institutions including M HKA in Antwerp and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, extending its life across several major museums.
Korean art platforms emphasize that the M+ presentation during 2026 expands the global narrative of Korean contemporary art by foregrounding Lee Bul’s role across sculpture, installation and drawing. Coverage in regional media underscores that the show was timed to coincide with Hong Kong’s peak art season, overlapping with events such as Art Basel Hong Kong and thus situating Lee Bul’s work within a dense international art circuit.
All news and background on Lee Bul
For further coverage of Lee Bul’s exhibitions, auction results and institutional projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers continuously updated reports and background pieces.
The work core in series
Across three decades, Lee Bul has developed several key work groups that recur in the M+ survey. The early Cyborg sculptures and related body fragments probe the technology-saturated figure, often in gleaming, biomorphic forms that reference both science fiction and classical statuary. They align with the artist’s broader interest in how bodies absorb and resist modernization, a theme that art historians frequently underscore when situating her within post-1980s Korean avant-garde practices.
The large-scale installation group Mon grand récit stages fragile utopian architectures as suspended cityscapes or sprawling floor-based structures, often incorporating reflective materials, cables and light. In parallel, works such as the mirrored labyrinths and hanging chandelier forms extend this interest in futurist fantasies and their collapse, inviting viewers into environments that can feel both seductive and precarious.
Where the artist stands now
As of late August 2026, the touring survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now frames Lee Bul’s position as a core reference point for contemporary sculpture and installation from East Asia, with further museum stages planned beyond M+ according to co-organizer announcements.
Key facts on Lee Bul
- Artist: Lee Bul
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (conceptual)
- Born: 1964, Yeongju, South Korea
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in Seoul
- Active since: Late 1980s, with increased international visibility in the 1990s
- Key work groups: Cyborg, Mon grand récit, Heaven and Earth, Vinculum
- Current/last exhibition: Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now, M+ West Kowloon, Hong Kong (touring survey co-organized with Leeum Museum of Art)
- Major collections: Tate (London), MoMA (New York), Leeum Museum of Art (Seoul), M+ (Hong Kong), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea)
- Awards: Hugo Boss Prize shortlist (1998), Artes Mundi Prize shortlist (2004), Asian Art Award recognitions noted in institutional biographies
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Lee Bul
Where can I see Lee Bul’s work on display?
Beyond the touring survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now, her works are held in institutions such as Tate in London, MoMA in New York, M+ in Hong Kong and Korean museums including the Leeum Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.
What are the key themes in Lee Bul’s practice?
Lee Bul repeatedly addresses the intersection of the human body with technology, architecture and power, using cyborg forms, speculative cityscapes and mirrored environments to probe utopian and dystopian narratives marked by rapid modernization in East Asia.
How significant is the exhibition Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now?
The touring survey ranks among the most comprehensive presentations of her work to date, bringing together more than 200 works from multiple decades and institutions and traveling from Seoul to Hong Kong and onward to museums in Europe and North America.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
