Lee Ufan presents Relatum, a monumental site-specific installation at Palais des Papes, on view from July 3rd, 2026 to January 4th, 2027. Invited by the City of Avignon, the artist turns the UNESCO World Heritage monument into a quiet encounter between philosophy, material, and architecture. The exhibition also marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, coinciding with the 80th edition of the Festival d’Avignon.
Where sacred architecture meets matter and silence
Installed across the Gothic interiors of the Palais des Papes, Relatum explores the subtle relationships between natural and industrial materials, architecture, and the viewer. Stone, steel, aluminium, and nearly 60 tonnes of slate create restrained yet striking interventions that respond to the monument’s historic fabric.
Each element heightens the dialogue with its surroundings, revealing the quiet tension between permanence and change, absence and presence.
A philosophy of relationships expressed through a site-specific installation
Relatum reflects the central principle of Lee Ufan’s practice: meaning arises through relationships rather than isolated objects. Raw stone meets finely crafted metal, while light, space, and human presence complete the work.
Courtesy of MENNOUR
