Art in Focus: Mending Project by Lee Mingwei

Dear Diary, I can't help but to share this wonderful work of art that is done by Lee Mingwei. The Mending Project is simply a project about humanity.


About The Mending Project:

The Mending Project, is an interactive conceptual installation that uses the gesture of mending to explore ideas of trust and intimacy between strangers…Trained in weaving by a monk in Taiwan and later as a student at the California College of Art, in this project Mingwei brings together his expertise in sewing with the concept of the gift and reciprocity in his artistic practice…Closing the gap between art and life with the ceremonial serenity of a Buddhist ritual, Mingwei invites the gallery audience to bring in articles of clothing that require mending. However, unlike a tailor whose goal is to hide the tear and restore the article to its original state, Mingwei’s gesture celebrates the rip by leaving a visible mark of brightly colored thread, chosen by the participant. In his effort to expand the potential limits and contexts of transformative experience, the conceptual core of the project becomes the conversation between the participant and the artist as he repairs the garment.



Currently the Mending project is being held in New York at Lombard-Freid.

Lee's other projects include- The Dining Project, The Letter Writing Project, The Tourist Project, The Sleeping Project. If you want to see more of his work, check out his website.