Description
At the invitation of the City of Avignon, the Palais des Papes is preparing to host one of the greatest masters of international contemporary art: Lee Ufan.
This summer, the Gothic monument—listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site—will serve as the setting for a magnificent encounter between sacred architecture and a work of rare spiritual intensity.
This international event is part of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, a celebration in which the City of Avignon is actively participating, in harmony with the Avignon Festival, which has chosen Korean as the guest language for its 80th edition.
A global artist with Provençal roots
Born in Korea and having settled in Japan at the age of twenty, Lee Ufan now lives and works between Japan, France, and the United States. A leading figure on the international art scene, whose works are featured in the world’s most prestigious museum collections, he has a number of major events lined up for 2026. Following landmark exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, he just inaugurated two major projects in May: one at St. Mark’s Square in Venice and another at Dia Beacon (New York).
His ties to Provence are deep and enduring. Arles, like Naoshima in Japan and Busan in Korea, is home to one of only three museums in the world dedicated to his work—located at the Hôtel Vernon.
“Relatum”: The Power of Dialogue and the Sacred
The concept of “Relatum,” which lends its name to the installation, lies at the heart of Lee Ufan’s artistic approach. This term refers to the interconnection of elements—the poetic encounter between nature (stone, slate) and the man-made (steel, aluminum)—as well as the invisible tension created between the artwork and its environment.
A unique experience, composed of silence, philosophy, and harmony, conceived by the artist as “a moment that makes us feel the breath of infinity.”
