Were there any moments when creating this show where times became overwhelming? This may be because of hard memories or feelings you weren't ready to confront? A show that centers on the connected energy of a mother and son must have had some high emotions felt along the way.
A couple of days before the opening, we finally found a moment to relax and go out for dinner. She had landed a couple of weeks prior to the opening, but the first week, I barely got to see her because I was bunkered at the studio, and the second week was non-stop work at the gallery with installation and photoshoots. After a big meal and a drink or two, we were finally able to share how it had been for each of us as we prepare for this show; her in Daejeon, and me in Brooklyn, some thousands of miles away from each other. She shared why she initially was skeptical and nervous but how this experience has been revitalizing her. I found myself crying on my bike ride home. I think that was the release for me because we had done it. The rest of the ride was pretty neutral other than her giving life advice at every available corner being pretty difficult.
How long have you wanted to have a show with your Mother?
I'd say a little more than a year before Marta, and I began talking about my first show there, I didn't really imagine showing my work in this context. Even for the show at Marta, I had requested to include a painting by her.
What's some advice your Mother has given you when creating?
She gives me a lot of advice on composition or color when I share my work with her... which I don't find all that useful because, by the time I share something with her, the work is more or less concluded! But more than any words, I find having seen her approach to work and how seriously she faces them the most helpful. She taught me that the struggle to get it right is always worth it. MyoungAe as a mother, encourages me to not stay at the studio late, go home, sleep well, and never skip breakfast, but MyoungAe as an artist, knows that I have to face my challenge and see it through.
This being MyoungAe Lee's U.S debut, what did the conversation look like between you two before opening night?
Although she felt good about the work and the install, she was very nervous and very curious about how people would perceive the work. There was also a lot of anxiety related to the language barrier because she was expected to meet a lot of English-speaking people. So we tried to focus our thoughts more on work and the undeniable synergy they have for each other. Then, of course, there were a lot of nostalgic conversations that started with 'remember when...?' We knew that the opening night will definitely be one of those moments where we will revisit over and over in the coming years.