"The Living Room Project" Lee Mingwei. Image courtesy Govett-Brewster Gallery Taiwanese-born, New York-based artist, Lee Mingwei is all for inter-personal exchange inspired by ordinary human events and activities; and in his first New Zealand exhibition at New Plymouth’s Govett-Brewster Gallery – “Uncommon Senses” – he presents two projects that include the participation of Taranaki locals. “The Living Room Project” (pictured) becomes the setting for one of my favourite kind of people – COLLECTORS! Assorted Taranaki collectors will ‘take the stage’ in The Living Room, each showing off their collectables for a two-week period. The collectors also become hosts/guides for a day, sharing their passion for collecting and showing off their respective gatherings of chosen objects to the wider public. Great concept; I love it! Included in the project will be collections of: Masks and carvings from Micronesia, West Africa and Canada; Tea cosies; Meccano; Taranaki transferware; Indian saris, shawls, scarves and brassware from the Arabic states; LPs and Posters; and Maori Potatoes. Lee’s exhibition kicks off on December 6th and runs through to March 16, 2009. If you’re a collector keen to see any one of the above collections, go to http://www.govettbrewster.com/ to check the dates for individual collections. The architecturally-minded meanwhile, might enjoy Lee’s second show, “Nomad Exquisite,” which showcases his abiding interest in architectural space, inspired by the work of Japanese architect, Tadao Ando and Ch’an Buddhist aesthetics.
