Up and coming artist Yona Lee has opened her latest exhibition In Transit (Arrival) commissioned by Pakuranga-based Te Tuhi with a focus on the structure and pulse of civilisation.
The 30-year-old based In Transit (Arrival) on the structural concept of how pipes direct and restrict human movement using 50 to 60 everyday objects, ranging from coat hangers to umbrellas.
She hopes the abundance of regular objects will remind viewers to consider the objects that surround them, the infrastructures that mobilise and the systems that control.
The stunning exhibition is made of the same stainless steel tube used for barriers and handrails throughout the world, and Ms Lee said she was reminded of how steel relates so strongly to everyday life while completing her residency in Seoul last year.
“Pipe is a universal material that can bring different facets of space and time together.
“We spend so much time on roads travelling, especially in places we don’t know. [When I was in Seoul] it took me at least an hour to get to the supermarket, and I started to look at the aesthetics of the roads and the way pipes are used… it led me to think – we really do try as human beings to overcome that restriction of time and space.
“You’ve got the internet, and transport… we try to be freer.”
The talented artist graduated from Elim School of Fine Arts in 2010 and says In Transit is the largest, most ambitious and most expensive project she’s ever worked on.
The free large-scale exhibition is expected to wrap around different parts of the building so it can be seen from the outside and followed around the building by viewers.
“I wanted to respond to the different spaces Te Tuhi offer and create more attention… it’s orchestrated the pathways. In a way, [visitors] will be performing the work themselves.”
- In Transit (Arrival) remains open till November 19 at Te Tuhi.
