Set in Stones

Organized by Dia Art Foundation, two far-flung shows celebrate the seminal artist and philosopher Lee Ufan on the eve of his 90th birthday

- —SAM COCHRAN

In his best-known series of Relatum sculptures, the Korean-born artist and philosopher Lee Ufan arranges natural and man-made objects in poetic compositions, emphasizing each material’s innate properties while building energy between them. A sheet of rusted steel might curl toward a boulder, or a hunk of rock might sit upon a plate of broken glass. Whatever the juxtaposition, of course, context is key, as the environment enhances Lee’s sublime pas de deux. Today, art lovers are flocking to shows of his work in two particularly dynamic settings: Dia Beacon in New York’s Hudson Valley and San Marco Art Centre (SMAC) in Venice.