Lee Bul and the exhibition arc at M+ Hong Kong
Published on 08/24/2026 at 11:25 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lee Bul stands among the most closely watched Korean artists in international institutional programming. Her survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now at M+ in Hong Kong spans more than 200 works and traces practice from the late 1990s into the 2020s, as M+ and e-flux describe.
The M+ survey in Hong Kong
The exhibition Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now is presented at the West Gallery, Level 2 of M+ in Hong Kong, co-organized with Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. The institutional materials emphasize a focus on works produced after 1998, marking a shift toward architectural, speculative structures.
Descriptions from M+ and art4d note more than 200 works in the Hong Kong presentation, drawn from Lee Bul's studio as well as private and institutional collections across Asia and beyond. The survey includes large-scale installations, drawing, sculpture and immersive environments.
Exhibition & show trajectory
The M+ survey follows the earlier presentation of Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now at Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, which ran from September 4, 2025 to January 4, 2026. Leeum's announcement frames the exhibition as a major survey that gathers approximately 150 works from the late 1990s onward.
Gallery BBM highlights that the survey is conceived as a touring project, with planned stops at M HKA in Antwerp and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa through late 2027. This positions Lee Bul within a small cohort of Asian artists receiving multi-venue institutional surveys across Asia, Europe and North America.
All news and background on Lee Bul
For more coverage of Lee Bul's exhibitions, surveys and institutional projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional reports and context on her work.
How the artist builds worlds
Lee Bul's practice developed from early performance and body-related works into complex sculptural environments and suspended installations evoking futures between utopia and ruin. The survey at M+ focuses on post-1998 pieces, including metallic architecture fragments, hanging labyrinths and luminous urban imaginaries.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop Lee Bul's work currently sits within an active touring survey that connects Seoul, Hong Kong and forthcoming venues in Antwerp and Ottawa, underscoring sustained institutional interest in her post-1998 practice.
Key facts on Lee Bul
- Artist: Lee Bul
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (conceptual, architectural)
- Born: 1964, Yeongju, South Korea
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice centered in Seoul, with extensive institutional presence in Hong Kong and other international venues.
- Active since: Late 1980s, with wider international recognition building from the 1990s onward.
- Key work groups: Majestic Splendor, Monsters, After Bruno Taut, Aubade
- Current/last exhibition: Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now, Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, September 4, 2025 – January 4, 2026.
- Major collections: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea), Leeum Museum of Art (Seoul), M+ (Hong Kong) and other institutional holdings referenced in survey materials.
- Awards: Multiple Korean and international recognitions, including selection for major biennials and surveys; detailed prize lists are often embedded within institutional catalogues.
- Next date: Survey project continuing to M HKA Antwerp and National Gallery of Canada Ottawa through late 2027, as Gallery BBM reports.
Frequently asked questions about Lee Bul
Where has Lee Bul's survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now been shown so far?
The survey opened at Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul from September 4, 2025 to January 4, 2026 and then moved to M+ in Hong Kong as part of a touring project.
How many works are included in the Hong Kong presentation at M+?
Institutional descriptions for M+ state that more than 200 works are shown, drawn from Lee Bul's studio and private and institutional collections in Asia and beyond.
Which institutions are involved in the touring survey of Lee Bul's work?
The survey Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now is co-organized by Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul and M+ in Hong Kong, with planned venues at M HKA in Antwerp and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
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.
