re.riddle is pleased to present, Unsettled, a solo exhibition of new work by Summer Mei Ling Lee on going through April 30, 2021. 

Multi-media artist Summer Mei Ling Lee contemplates moments of unsettledness vis-à-vis the idea of the “adjacent possible.”* This theory proposes that every individual interaction within an ecosystem has the potential to exponentially increase the diversity of possibilities that follow. Attributes of this matrix of activity may range from notions of chance and expansion, to creation and variation. To this end, the state of being unsettled creates openness to the unexpected.

Through painting, sculpture, short narrative and a series of performances pulled from her Chinese ancestral tradition of bone oracles and bird symbolism, Lee examines this idea of the unsettled moment. The artist documents her experiences of rescuing birds in eloquent short narratives without giving into the temptation of providing any definitive conclusions. The lack of closure situates the reader in a space of uncertainty whilst concurrently positioning them as “writer” thus, imbuing them with agency to navigate through various outcomes. Furthermore, the artwork entails an aspect of simultaneity where variables may coexist without the conventional pressure to land into a single or conclusive narrative.

Resisting reconciliation, Lee asks if acting inside the space of uncertainty is the necessary condition for a meaningful aesthetic moment. In this vein, what is adjacent possible helps us embrace this historical moment as unknown but liberating.

Unsettled is the second in the ongoing series, re.flect an exhibition and program series that spotlights one of the gallery’s artists each month. The rotating monthly series will offer in-depth access into the respective processes and practices of our global community of artists. In addition, the artists have partnered with re.riddle to release limited edition, unique works at special prices. These exclusive pieces will only be available during the month of the related exhibition.

Summer Mei Ling Lee, Into the Nearness of Distance XVII, 2020, Cyanotype, Three layers of Cyanotype and gauze, wood, 26.5” x 33” x 4.5”