A multidisciplinary work by

Sooyeong Lee

Video documentation, printed booklet
Online and at Caravansérail Artist-Run Center
Directions on Google Maps
Anytime during the center’s opening hours

Opening party: 
Sunday, May 8, 2022
2pm - 5pm

Water has always witnessed the movement of people and animals as they migrate and settle, reflecting the changing seasons. Similarly, our bodies hold memories we carry across our lives––the histories of our thoughts and emotions that ebb and flow. Sooyeong Lee’s Following Tides honours our bodies’ grief and triumph as we adapt to life’s changes. She offers compassion for the body that has survived the journey of  simply being. Inspired by the tides of the St. Lawrence River, the migratory birds of Rimouski, QC, and the stories of community members, Lee explores how bringing mindfulness to the body affirms its capacity to grow and change. In an effort to practice care in these times of uncertainty, Lee examines a series of simple movements to engage with our body that remembers times of turbulence. A video documentation of her walking and her illustrated handbook for movements of care offer kindness for our  daily life in order for us to restore and thrive each and every day.

The research for this project (in collaboration with Chase Lo) collected narratives from the Asian diaspora in both Toronto and Rimouski. Following Tides reflects the conversations about shared strength between the artists and participants experienced through the journey of settling, adjusting and growing. By walking along Lake Ontario, in the direction that flows towards Rimouski, Lee exemplifies the collective resilience she discovered in this research. Through demonstrating the illustrated instructions of embracing, holding, breathing, and swaying, Lee encourages us to bring our attention towards being present with the body. Her movements contemplate hope for community, mirroring the way the shared body of water connects both cities. The water reflects our stories that stretch across the map. And just like the tides, we learn to breathe in and out, even in these times of uncertainty.

Biographie

Sooyeong Lee is a Korean-Canadian interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario, whose work revolves around practice of care and mindfulness. Lee explores our collective vulnerability and resilience through photography, performance and installation. She examines everyday perishable objects to investigate these qualities in their forms of changing, adapting, and aging—impermanence. Previously trained in Illustration at Sheridan College, Lee graduated from OCAD University with a BFA in Sculpture and Installation. Lee's work has been shown at Harbourfront Centre (Toronto) and was presented at Flotilla (Charlottetown) by Eyelevel (Halifax).
sooyeonglee.com