Kader Attia - new Seoul solo show Irreparable Repairs
Published on 08/26/2026 at 13:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Kader Attia presents his first solo exhibition in Seoul with Irreparable Repairs at Lehmann Maupin. The gallery describes the show as a new chapter in his exploration of repair, fragmentation and gathering across sculpture, installation and film, with an opening reception on August 28, 2026.
The Seoul exhibition Irreparable Repairs
The exhibition Irreparable Repairs at Lehmann Maupin's Seoul space introduces new works that extend Attia's long-running research into notions of repair and postcolonial trauma. The gallery states that the show opens with a reception on August 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM and runs through October 17, 2026. Lehmann Maupin exhibition text
According to the gallery, Attia uses sculpture, installation and collage to address fragmentation, shamanism and mysticism, linking them to mnemonic traces in individual and collective consciousness. The exhibition is described as his first solo presentation in Seoul, marking a further expansion of his presence in Asia. Photography-now exhibition listing
Kader Attia at biennials and major shows
Parallel to the Seoul show, Attia appears in the 61st Venice Biennale within the exhibition In Minor Keys with his project Whisper of Traces, on view from May 9 to November 22, 2026, as listed by La Biennale di Venezia. Biennale Arte 2026 page
Galleria Continua highlights his participation in Venice as his third appearance at the Biennale and notes that Whisper of Traces is presented in the framework of In Minor Keys at the Giardini and Arsenale sites. The gallery frames the work as engaging with spirituality, magic and digitalization in relation to colonial histories.
All news and background on Kader Attia
For more coverage of Kader Attia's exhibitions, biennial projects and institutional presentations, browse the latest reports and background pieces in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The work core and materials
Attia's practice often builds sculptural and installation environments from repaired objects, archival images and architectural fragments, staging them as evidence of historical wounds and attempts at healing. The new Seoul works continue this focus by juxtaposing broken forms with careful repair and metallic interventions.
Where the artist stands now
Kader Attia is currently present in major institutional contexts with Irreparable Repairs at Lehmann Maupin Seoul and Whisper of Traces at the 61st Venice Biennale, consolidating his position as a key voice on repair and postcolonial memory.
Kader Attia at a glance
- Artist: Kader Attia
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (conceptual)
- Born: 1970, Dugny, France
- Place(s) of practice: Studio in Paris and Berlin
- Active since: 1990s, with early exhibitions in France and Europe
- Key work groups: The Repair From Occident to Extra-Occidental Cultures, Untitled (Repaired Sculptures), Architectural Injuries, Reason’s Oxymorons
- Current/last exhibition: Irreparable Repairs, Lehmann Maupin Seoul, August 28 to October 17, 2026
- Major collections: Tate (London), Centre Pompidou (Paris), MoMA (New York), Nationalgalerie (Berlin)
- Awards: Marcel Duchamp Prize (2016), Prix de sculpture of the Académie des beaux-arts (2026)
- Next date: August 28, 2026, opening of Irreparable Repairs at Lehmann Maupin Seoul
Frequently asked questions about Kader Attia
Where is Kader Attia currently on view?
Kader Attia is currently on view with the solo exhibition Irreparable Repairs at Lehmann Maupin in Seoul and with the project Whisper of Traces in the exhibition In Minor Keys at the 61st Venice Biennale.
What is special about the exhibition Irreparable Repairs?
The exhibition Irreparable Repairs introduces new sculptural and installation works that explore fragmentation, shamanism and mysticism, framing repair as both a physical and psychological process within postcolonial histories.
Which major awards has Kader Attia received?
Attia received the Marcel Duchamp Prize in 2016 and, according to the Académie des beaux-arts, the institution’s Prix de sculpture in May 2026, underlining the sustained institutional recognition of his engagement with repair and decolonial discourse.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
