The Dia Art Foundation will mount a solo presentation dedicated to Lee Ufan as an official collateral event to the 2026 Venice Biennale. Opening May 9, the exhibition will be curated by Dia director Jessica Morgan and staged at the San Marco Art Centre.
The exhibition in Venice, along with a display of Lee’s paintings and sculptures at the foundation’s upstate Dia Beacon, is pegged to the artist’s 90th birthday in June.
Lee, who is associated with both the Mono-ha and Dansaekhwa movements, is best-known for spare paintings and installations—a few colorful brushstrokes set against a mostly white canvas, for example, or a single rock paired with a sheet of metal.
Morgan worked closely with Lee to develop the exhibition, which will survey the artist’s seven-decade career and present historic and new paintings and installations, as well as a site-specific commission. The SMAC show will consist of around 20 works and be presented in eight of the venue’s galleries at the Procuratie in Piazza San Marco.
“Dia has sustained a deep relationship with Lee Ufan for many years, and this presentation in Venice reflects that long-term commitment to bringing his work to our publics,” Morgan told ARTnews in an email. “Lee’s practice has long moved between Korea, Japan, and Europe, and staging this exhibition at SMAC Venice as an official Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale, alongside a major concurrent presentation at Dia Beacon, allows us to consider the full arc of Lee’s practice across time, geographies, and contexts. Together, these projects underscore both the enduring rigor of his approach and the continued relevance of his work today.”
In a statement, SMAC Venice founders Anna Bursaux, David Gramazio, and David Hrankovic said, “The exhibition exemplifies SMAC Venice’s mission to provide a platform for meaningful institutional collaboration and for presenting artists of lasting international significance.”
