Lee Mingwei
Installation view of Lee Mingwei Spirit House 2022, commissioned for the Sydney Modern Project with funds provided by The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation in honour of Daisy Chen 陳范儷瀞, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation 2022 © Lee Mingwei
Spirit House 2022
Working with architects SANAA to incorporate his artwork into the external rammed-earth wall of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new building, Taiwanese–American artist Lee Mingwei has created an intimate and contemplative space for visitors to take a personal journey or even have a spiritual encounter. Nurturing, generosity and reflection are deeply embedded in this experiential installation.
Spirit House was inspired by Lee’s experience of asking a Buddhist sculpture in the Art Gallery’s collection for guidance when he first visited in 1999, and returning later to give thanks. Visitors are invited to enter the Spirit House and spend time reflecting on their past, present and hopes for the future.
Within the space, a specially commissioned bronze Buddha, created near Taipei by master sculptor Huang Hsin Chung, sits in meditation. Each day a wrapped stone is placed in his hands. If a stone is present, the visitor may take it with them. When it has served its purpose on their journey, they are invited to return the stone, share their story and allow it to accompany someone else. Stories of these experiences can be shared in a book located in the Art Gallery library. If there is no stone, visitors may wish to request the spirit of the Buddha to guide and protect them.
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K–6 discussion questions
How does being in Spirit House encourage visitors to feel calm and contemplative? Think about how light, sound, surroundings and smell contribute to this experience. Is there a place in your own life that makes you feel this way?
Spirit House was inspired by Lee’s experience of asking a Buddhist sculpture in the Art Gallery’s collection for guidance. What question would you ask the Buddha inside Spirit House to help you with? Can an artwork help people to solve problems?
In Spirit House, a stone is taken by a visitor to accompany them on a journey. Imagine where people may have taken the Spirit House stones. What journey would you take one on?
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K–6 activities
Find a place in which you feel calm. Sit quietly, observe and listen for the first couple of minutes. Think about what can be seen and heard in this place. Are you alone? Create an artwork of this place, inspired by your feelings and imagination.
Imagine you are the first person to visit Spirit House and collect a stone. Would you put it in your pocket or hold it in your hand? How do you feel as you move through the Art Gallery and back outside? Where do you put the stone when you’re sitting on the bus or train? Is there a place you will keep it at home? Record your imagined journey and how you felt throughout.
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7–12 discussion questions
What does the artist ask visitors to do when viewing Spirit House? Can the work exist without audience participation? What role does trust play in this artwork? What is the artwork?
Discuss the idea of transformation and healing through art. How does Spirit House address these concepts? How is it informed by Buddhist practices?
What is relational aesthetics and how does Spirit House relate to or challenge its definition?
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7–12 activities
As a class group, collaborate to create an interactive artwork in which information or an experience is exchanged between you and your audience. Consider the space you create and what you are asking the participants to do. What kind of reaction do audiences have to this work?
Spirit House was inspired by Lee’s personal experience with an artwork on a previous trip to the Art Gallery. Think about your own memory of seeing a particular artwork. Where were you and who were you with? How did it make you feel at the time? Create an artwork that re-creates this memory.