48,421609, 2,719020 n°2, 2024

Seunghwan Lee  

Seunghwan Lee, born on January 7, 1989, is a Korean visual artist exploring the mutations of our connection with nature in our digital society. He lives and works between South Korea and France.

After graduating in visual arts from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Art et de Design in Nancy, he specialized in sculpture at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. He then obtained a master's degree in Visual Arts and Contemporary Creation at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, where he is actually completing a PhD under the supervision of Marion Laval-Jeantet. His thesis, entitled “Will reality, constantly virtualized by algorithms, collapse?", explores the implications of algorithmic quantification on our perception of living beings and ecosystems.

His work focuses on the transformation of natural landscapes by digital technologies. Using GPS data and generative artificial intelligence, he produces hybrid images that are halfway between reality and simulacrum. His iconic series, such as “Terrarium Synthétique – Protocole d'Autonomie" (Synthetic Terrarium – Autonomy Protocol) and “Forêt de Fontainebleau" (Fontainebleau Forest), illustrate this approach: he collects data in the field, feeds them into algorithms, and then reinterprets the results through paintings, drawings, or installations.

His creations unveil the hidden structures of virtual landscapes, highlighting the contradictions between nature's autonomy and its increasing control by technology. For example, in “Leaf²π," he quantifies leaves and branches to create calculated versions of them, emphasizing the contrast between the uncertainty of living things and the predictability of digital systems.

Seunghwan Lee has exhibited his work in institutions and galleries in South Korea, France, and Belgium. His solo exhibitions include “Borders of Uncertainty" at the CICA Museum (Gimpo, South Korea) and “Limited Uncertainty" at CYART Gallery (Seoul). He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions.
His projects have also been presented at events such as “GSAF" at ADM Gallery (Seoul), “Être et Paraître" at the Korean Cultural Center (Paris), and “3m²" at Galerie Beaubourg (Paris).

His approach, at the intersection of ecology, philosophy, and new technologies, makes him an emerging figure in contemporary art, inviting critical reflection on the future of ecosystems in our digital world.