Gallery SP is pleased to present Sungmi Lee's solo exhibition, 《Blue Hour》, from October 2 to November 9, 2024. This exhibition marks her first solo show in three years since 《Journey of Memory》 in 2021 and will feature approximately 22 new works (18 two-dimensional works and 4 sculptures). In this exhibiton, the artist will present site-specific installations such as <Cloud Nine>(2024) and drawings in smaller rooms. These works have been created in response to the gallery's distinctive structure, which is divided into several rooms and spans a main hall that connects the ground floor and basement.

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The title 《Blue Hour》 is derived from the French phrase “l'heure bleue,” which refers to the time of twilight when the earth cools and darkness fades as dawn begins to emerge. The exhibition title reflects the artist's long-standing contemplative approach and the transformation that occurs throughout her creative process, as well as the way her works embrace viewers' sense of time.

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For over a decade, the artist has explored themes of personal sorrow, the scars and pain that arise from absence. To fill and restore the void left by absent presences, Sungmi Lee incorporates remnants of shattered objects (such as glass shards from accident scenes), traces of extinguished energy (like the soot from incense), and thin, transparent materials (such as plexiglass and resin). Her practice, which involves collecting, handling, and reprocessing destroyed materials, visualizes the idea that destruction and disappearance are not ends but can signal new beginnings. The cyclical nature of matter and the fusion of past and present in her work evoke the notion of reincarnation.

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Through a diverse range of forms, the artist expresses her expanded perception and sensitivity, which extend from her inner self to the wider world. For instance, <Cloud Nine>(2024), a site-specific sculptural installation that descends from the high ceiling, adjusts its form to the spatial structure. This delicate resin installation allows viewers to walk through the pieces as though passing through a curtain. Another piece, <A Practice of Becoming a Rock> (2024), consists of scattered fragments which arrangement shifts depending on the surface’s width and undulations, highlighting the work's adaptability to its environment. Like the way light emerges in darkness and then recedes into it during the blue hour, this exhibition embodies a space where fragile memories of an individual are restored into tangible forms, allowing the artist’s senses to gradually unfold and engage with the viewer in real time.