Tim Lee wins 2008 Sobey Art Award

I have just returned from the Sobey Art Award reception at the ROM, at which the 2008 winner was announced. The winner is Tim Lee. Have a looksee at the Sobey Art Award website overview of the five shortlisted artists: Lee, Daniel Barrow, Terence Koh, Raphaeelle de Groot, and Mario Doucette. I can't say I was overwhelmed by the shortlist, but Lee's work is certainly conceptually ambitious with an intriguing aesthetic spareness. Judge for yourself by visiting the Institute for Contemporary Culture up in the rafters of the ROM during Nuit Blanche when I understand it will be the ROM's offering for the night. There will be guides to point you to the winding path that takes you up an elevator, across a bridge linking new and old ROM structures, and on through ancient art galleries. (Good luck finding it at any other time -- especially given its out-of-the-way location, it has to be the most badly signposted exhibition space in any major art institution.)