Ming-Sheng Lee
Past Artist In Residence
2001

Interdisciplinary artist Ming-Sheng Lee says that his art explores the human tendency to develop rapidly. His artistic career began in the late 1970’s. In his endeavors, he tries to understand what art means to ordinary people. He creates installation, photographic, sculptural, and performance works shown over the last twenty years in Taiwan, Japan, Germany, France and Italy: and performed “Fire Ball or Circle,” as the first-ever artist to represent Taiwan at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Lee’s work is often considered controversial in Taiwan because of its direct references to the socio-political problems of the country, which was under martial law until the 1980’s. While in residence at 18th Street Arts Complex, Lee created and presented the installation: “My Art,” featuring bloodstained images from Lee’s various visual and performance artworks produced over the last two decades. Another of his acclaimed performance installation works, “Immanent Cry of Human from Depth of the Earth,” showed in Taiwan, Japan, and at 18th Street (2001). The piece featured a roomful of cylinders, each issuing a unique sound to create a sound collage invoking organic, primal emotions into the context of contemporary culture. Another work: “Money You/You Money,” features dozens of images from Lee’s 20-year artistic career, painted over with traces of the artist’s own blood, strewn on the floor of the space along with dollar bills, cardboard boxes, and remnants of a 12-course dinner, served up as a piquant performance art event.