A missile to Mona Lisa’s smile
NEW DELHI: At the South Korean booth, Mona Lisa is bombarded with missile. A creation of media artist Lee Lee-nam, known for his interesting explorations of digital art. He picks up classic Eastern and Western masterpieces and juxtaposes animation onto these. So far, he has picked up artworks from Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, such as Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Georges Seurat. Here, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the case in point.
His recreation, a conversation between tradition and modernity, is dominated by movement which plays a crucial role in his practice. The former sculptor is best known as a media artist. He also practices classical Oriental paintings in vivid colours, highlighting the depths of Chinese ink. As Lee couldn’t visit the fair, The Morning Standard spoke to his curator Jiwon Kwak from Simyo Gallery, Seoul. “For Lee, figures like Mona Lisa represents past. The missile showcases the violence that disturbs our social fabric. The artist attempts to give a message of peace as the missile then turns into a flower.”