Featured Events in Seoul in December, 2024 (January Updated)

Steidl, a living legend in art books The world's best museums and luxury brands, the go-to place for books by leading contemporary artists, Steidl began as a small printing house in 1968 and is now considered a legend in art books as a publishing company that elevates paper books to the level of art.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art preserves and manages more than 10,000 collections and displays works through various exhibitions. In addition, we strive not only to manage the collections but also to systematize auxiliary information related to the works. Information such as titles, specifications, and materials are located in the exhibition's proposition sheet and help to assist in understanding the works. In particular, the title is like a messenger between the artist, the work, and the audience. In fact, the name is also related to the birth of the museum. As art museums moved from private to public ownership, property rights became a necessary condition for managing and guiding works, and the technical standards and information systematization of collection works as public goods also became one of the important roles of art museums. The exhibition "The Art of Naming" aims to classify the titles in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art that visitors may find difficult, question their practicality, and clarify naming in the creative field. In works of art, titles directly affect the interpretation of the work more than other genres. In particular, the titles of modern art sometimes inspire philosophical thinking by becoming objects of suspicion rather than clearly expressing their meaning. The three types of titles for this exhibition (Untitled, Symbol, and Sentence) capture the characteristics of each era and medium, and examine the expansion of the function of titles in artistic phenomena. In addition, the participation program "Name Game" that allows visitors to change the title of the work will widely expand the experience of viewing the work. Through this exhibition, we hope to re-recognize the title of the work, which is considered to be auxiliary information of the work, and discover various relationships between the work and the title.

Public experience exhibition with Olympic sculpture as the theme

A permanent exhibition held at the Bank of Korea Gallery on the second floor of the Currency Museum. Masterpieces of modern and contemporary art history are carefully selected and displayed as permanent exhibitions. Compare the painting styles of the East and the West through a variety of works and walk the path of thinking and strolling.

People, living things will die. Death covers the faces of those who survived the eternal years. So I always feel strange about death. Death is the beginning of a journey to an unknown place. Facing death, the living are heartbroken, That journey cannot be taken together. You can only provide a companion for those who are leaving. The only friend on that road with no solution is. Just like the midwife accepted me and my parents guided me when I was born The moment this life ends and the underworld begins to breathe, the existence that accepts me and guides me, has prepared an exhibition introducing "puppets". The ancestors used the word "passing away" to describe it. This means that the place we go after death is ultimately where we came from. With various puppets on the journey of our souls returning home and the traditional worldview of Koreans now transformed into a beautiful cultural heritage display material I hope it will be a time to think about life and death

People, living things will die. Death covers the faces of those who survived the eternal years. So I always feel strange about death. Death is the beginning of a journey to an unknown place. Facing death, the living are heartbroken, That journey cannot be taken together. You can only provide a companion for those who are leaving. The only friend on that road with no solution is. Just like the midwife accepted me and my parents guided me when I was born The moment this life ends and the underworld begins to breathe, the existence that accepts me and guides me, has prepared an exhibition introducing "puppets". The ancestors used the word "passing away" to describe it. This means that the place we go after death is ultimately where we came from. With various puppets on the journey of our souls returning home and the traditional worldview of Koreans now transformed into a beautiful cultural heritage display material I hope it will be a time to think about life and death

The Korean Artist Award is a prize system and support program jointly organized by the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MMCA) and the SBS Foundation. Since its establishment in 2012, the award has selected four artists each year, provided support and exhibition opportunities for their new artistic creations, and continued to help them carry out international activities to showcase the potential of Korean contemporary art. Unlike previous exhibitions that mainly featured new works, starting in 2023, new works and artists' previous works will be organized together to broadly illuminate the artists' working worlds.

The Korean Artist Award is a prize system and support program jointly organized by the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MMCA) and the SBS Foundation. Since its establishment in 2012, the award has selected four artists each year, provided support and exhibition opportunities for their new artistic creations, and continued to help them carry out international activities to showcase the potential of Korean contemporary art. Unlike previous exhibitions that mainly featured new works, starting in 2023, new works and artists' previous works will be organized together to broadly illuminate the artists' working worlds.

As you walk around the Seoul Museum of Craft, you will come across a variety of craft works. Just as each form was created to suit its use, the colors were not created by chance. The colors of each work reflect the artist’s thoughts and feelings. Artists devote themselves to research to find the most unique colors and repeat experiments to apply the desired colors to their works. No color is simple and can never be easily expressed. This exhibition is a record of the process in which craftsmen create their own colors, and a story about the time and dedication they put into it. The archive materials, including research notes on colors, poems, materials, and tools, are like looking at a palette filled with the unique colors that the artists wanted to express through their works. The three craftsmen in different fields, Noh Kyung-jo in ceramics, Lee Byeong-chan in dyeing, and Kim Heon-cheol in glass, all obtain colors from nature. Baking colors from the earth, dyeing colors from plants, and making colors shine more colorfully with light transmitted through glass. Creating colors is another way that craftsmen relate to nature. The colors they create enrich our daily lives and stimulate our senses. And these colors will meet you and create another relationship. I hope you will rediscover the colorful colors you witnessed in this exhibition and treasure them in your hearts. ※ ​​The Craft Archives exhibition is only open on weekdays (Tuesday to Friday). Please take note when viewing.

The exhibition "Lee Kang So: When the Wind Blows the Water" re-examines a unique series of works created over six decades by Lee Kang So (b. 1943), a seminal figure in the development of Korean contemporary art. As a leading artist in the Korean art scene, Lee Kang So has been conducting conceptual experiments on image perception and recognition. The exhibition title "When the Wind Blows the Water" is inspired by the work "Qing Ye Yin" by the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianist Shao Yong (Shao Yong, 1011-1077). In his work, Shao Yong metaphorically describes a state of epiphany when encountering a new world. Shao Yong's title summarizes the oeuvre of Lee Kang So, who has long questioned the many different ways we see the world around us and continues to conduct conceptual experiments on perception in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, video and photography. Lee Kang So's artistic philosophy, as he himself described his work for the 1975 Paris Biennale, is described in this way. At the time he said: “I do not intend to depict images in a traditional way, away from the subject-object relationship, but rather to present an open structure that reveals the order and relationships in the universe that are usually invisible, making these invisible states naturally visible.” (“Participating in the 9th Paris Biennale”, Space, January 1976)

The exhibition "Lee Kang So: When the Wind Blows the Water" re-examines a unique series of works created over six decades by Lee Kang So (b. 1943), a seminal figure in the development of Korean contemporary art. As a leading artist in the Korean art scene, Lee Kang So has been conducting conceptual experiments on image perception and recognition. The exhibition title "When the Wind Blows the Water" is inspired by the work "Qing Ye Yin" by the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianist Shao Yong (Shao Yong, 1011-1077). In his work, Shao Yong metaphorically describes a state of epiphany when encountering a new world. Shao Yong's title summarizes the oeuvre of Lee Kang So, who has long questioned the many different ways we see the world around us and continues to conduct conceptual experiments on perception in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, video and photography. Lee Kang So's artistic philosophy, as he himself described his work for the 1975 Paris Biennale, is described in this way. At the time he said: “I do not intend to depict images in a traditional way, away from the subject-object relationship, but rather to present an open structure that reveals the order and relationships in the universe that are usually invisible, making these invisible states naturally visible.” (“Participating in the 9th Paris Biennale”, Space, January 1976)

The exhibition "Lee Kang So: When the Wind Blows the Water" re-examines a unique series of works created over six decades by Lee Kang So (b. 1943), a seminal figure in the development of Korean contemporary art. As a leading artist in the Korean art scene, Lee Kang So has been conducting conceptual experiments on image perception and recognition. The exhibition title "When the Wind Blows the Water" is inspired by the work "Qing Ye Yin" by the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianist Shao Yong (Shao Yong, 1011-1077). In his work, Shao Yong metaphorically describes a state of epiphany when encountering a new world. Shao Yong's title summarizes the oeuvre of Lee Kang So, who has long questioned the many different ways we see the world around us and continues to conduct conceptual experiments on perception in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, video and photography. Lee Kang So's artistic philosophy, as he himself described his work for the 1975 Paris Biennale, is described in this way. At the time he said: “I do not intend to depict images in a traditional way, away from the subject-object relationship, but rather to present an open structure that reveals the order and relationships in the universe that are usually invisible, making these invisible states naturally visible.” (“Participating in the 9th Paris Biennale”, Space, January 1976)

The exhibition "Lee Kang So: When the Wind Blows the Water" re-examines a unique series of works created over six decades by Lee Kang So (b. 1943), a seminal figure in the development of Korean contemporary art. As a leading artist in the Korean art scene, Lee Kang So has been conducting conceptual experiments on image perception and recognition. The exhibition title "When the Wind Blows the Water" is inspired by the work "Qing Ye Yin" by the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianist Shao Yong (Shao Yong, 1011-1077). In his work, Shao Yong metaphorically describes a state of epiphany when encountering a new world. Shao Yong's title summarizes the oeuvre of Lee Kang So, who has long questioned the many different ways we see the world around us and continues to conduct conceptual experiments on perception in a variety of media such as painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, video and photography. Lee Kang So's artistic philosophy, as he himself described his work for the 1975 Paris Biennale, is described in this way. At the time he said: “I do not intend to depict images in a traditional way, away from the subject-object relationship, but rather to present an open structure that reveals the order and relationships in the universe that are usually invisible, making these invisible states naturally visible.” (“Participating in the 9th Paris Biennale”, Space, January 1976)

Special Exhibition of Seoul Urban Life Museum: Marriage Stories of Seoul Families Once seen as an obligation, marriage is now viewed as a choice. To explore the reasons behind this shift, the Seoul Urban Life Museum conducted a comprehensive survey and studied the marriage culture of Seoul's citizens across different eras last year. The findings are now presented in this year's special exhibition. Soon after the liberation in 1945, the country faced the Korean War. Still, Korean society has rapidly grown with the Miracle on the Hangang River, and marriage customs have evolved alongside this growth. Seoul's marriage culture, shaped by traditional values and foreign influences, continues to change. We invite you to reflect on Korean society's journey over the past 80 years after independence through the lens of Seoul's marriage culture to foster deeper generational understanding and empathy.

Special Exhibition of Seoul Urban Life Museum: Marriage Stories of Seoul Families Once seen as an obligation, marriage is now viewed as a choice. To explore the reasons behind this shift, the Seoul Urban Life Museum conducted a comprehensive survey and studied the marriage culture of Seoul's citizens across different eras last year. The findings are now presented in this year's special exhibition. Soon after the liberation in 1945, the country faced the Korean War. Still, Korean society has rapidly grown with the Miracle on the Hangang River, and marriage customs have evolved alongside this growth. Seoul's marriage culture, shaped by traditional values and foreign influences, continues to change. We invite you to reflect on Korean society's journey over the past 80 years after independence through the lens of Seoul's marriage culture to foster deeper generational understanding and empathy.

Special Exhibition of Seoul Urban Life Museum: Marriage Stories of Seoul Families Once seen as an obligation, marriage is now viewed as a choice. To explore the reasons behind this shift, the Seoul Urban Life Museum conducted a comprehensive survey and studied the marriage culture of Seoul's citizens across different eras last year. The findings are now presented in this year's special exhibition. Soon after the liberation in 1945, the country faced the Korean War. Still, Korean society has rapidly grown with the Miracle on the Hangang River, and marriage customs have evolved alongside this growth. Seoul's marriage culture, shaped by traditional values and foreign influences, continues to change. We invite you to reflect on Korean society's journey over the past 80 years after independence through the lens of Seoul's marriage culture to foster deeper generational understanding and empathy.

Mak2 Mai Yingtong 2The first solo exhibition in Seoul, "Cows With Built-in Wi-Fi ”, this exhibition mainly consists of paintings, but also displays 3D printed sculptures and video installations

Project Hashtag is a project curated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art to discover creators leading the visual arts in Korea and to support mutual collaboration not only in art but also in various fields. Launched in 2019 with the support of Hyundai Motor Company, Project Hashtag celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2024 and builds it into a new level of competition project that experiments with the scalability of contemporary visual art. "Hashtag (#)", the name of the enterprise, is a special symbol that can be interpreted in many ways depending on the language, country, purpose, etc. It was first used by Chris Messina on Twitter (currently X) and is now widely used. Hashtag is a method of linking related topics in different posts by connecting # and keywords on SNS platforms, and in this way, links can be formed in countless cases. The guiding value of Project Hashtag is an attitude and practice that transcends traditional definitions and boundaries, just like a label, creating a structure that enables unpredictable connections and communication. Project Hashtag 2024 is a project that supports collaboration between creators, curators, and researchers in various fields, rather than focusing on traditional pure visual art, and involves a differentiated platform through which expanded artistic possibilities are explored. We also hope to actively embrace free sharing between different fields and further conduct marginal experiments on tensions and conflicts that arise within them. Project Hashtag 2024 opened for public submissions in March 2024. This year's applicants proposed not only convergence projects using the latest technologies such as generative AI, metaverse, and games, but also social experiments that address pressing contemporary issues. In particular, people's tendency to look at social issues such as new environments, interpersonal relationships, and changes in values ​​brought about by the introduction of AI technology into daily life from different perspectives, and to seek community solidarity through interaction with others was very evident. In the Project Hashtag 2024 showcase, "Wish Office (Kim Raeo, Choi Joonseong, Seo Jinkyu, Seo John, Oh Saeol), Playing Art Method (Cho Hoyoun, Kim Youngju, Rhee Sei)", proposed different themes in their own way through the medium of "games", introducing the projects of Ho-yeon Jo, Young-ju Kim, and Se-ok Lee. "Wish Office" builds a "wish world", a virtual world where everyone's wishes can come true. We proposed a social experiment game that examines modern society through the language of games, in which individual efforts are easily frustrated. The "Playing Art Method" addresses the problems that arise when games are displayed as works in art galleries, creating meaningful discourse through exhibitions, workshops and other methods to form a loose learning community.

Project Hashtag is a project curated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art to discover creators leading the visual arts in Korea and to support mutual collaboration not only in art but also in various fields. Launched in 2019 with the support of Hyundai Motor Company, Project Hashtag celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2024 and builds it into a new level of competition project that experiments with the scalability of contemporary visual art. "Hashtag (#)", the name of the enterprise, is a special symbol that can be interpreted in many ways depending on the language, country, purpose, etc. It was first used by Chris Messina on Twitter (currently X) and is now widely used. Hashtag is a method of linking related topics in different posts by connecting # and keywords on SNS platforms, and in this way, links can be formed in countless cases. The guiding value of Project Hashtag is an attitude and practice that transcends traditional definitions and boundaries, just like a label, creating a structure that enables unpredictable connections and communication. Project Hashtag 2024 is a project that supports collaboration between creators, curators, and researchers in various fields, rather than focusing on traditional pure visual art, and involves a differentiated platform through which expanded artistic possibilities are explored. We also hope to actively embrace free sharing between different fields and further conduct marginal experiments on tensions and conflicts that arise within them. Project Hashtag 2024 opened for public submissions in March 2024. This year's applicants proposed not only convergence projects using the latest technologies such as generative AI, metaverse, and games, but also social experiments that address pressing contemporary issues. In particular, people's tendency to look at social issues such as new environments, interpersonal relationships, and changes in values ​​brought about by the introduction of AI technology into daily life from different perspectives, and to seek community solidarity through interaction with others was very evident. In the Project Hashtag 2024 showcase, "Wish Office (Kim Raeo, Choi Joonseong, Seo Jinkyu, Seo John, Oh Saeol), Playing Art Method (Cho Hoyoun, Kim Youngju, Rhee Sei)", proposed different themes in their own way through the medium of "games", introducing the projects of Ho-yeon Jo, Young-ju Kim, and Se-ok Lee. "Wish Office" builds a "wish world", a virtual world where everyone's wishes can come true. We proposed a social experiment game that examines modern society through the language of games, in which individual efforts are easily frustrated. The "Playing Art Method" addresses the problems that arise when games are displayed as works in art galleries, creating meaningful discourse through exhibitions, workshops and other methods to form a loose learning community.

Souimun Gate (昭義門) was once a prominent part of the Seoul City Wall during the Joseon dynasty. Situated between Sungnyemun and Donuimun Gates, it served as a key passageway to the southwest of Seoul. The area surrounding Souimun was a bustling hub of both land and water transportation, filled with people and goods during the Joseon era. Additionally, just outside Souimun was the site where individuals convicted of capital crimes, along with Catholics considered a threat to Neo-Confucian ideology, were executed. These public executions were meant to serve as a stark warning to passersby about the consequences of crime. In 1914, during the Japanese colonial period, Souimun was demolished to make way for road development, as it was seen as an impediment to modernization. This exhibition offers visitors a glimpse into Souimun's rich history, showcasing its role as both a guardian of the Seoul City Wall and a vibrant center of activity before its demolition.

More than a thousand years ago, Goryeo celadon was the product of the Goryeo people's high-level cutting-edge technology and unique aesthetics. Among them, figurative celadon with specific shapes such as animals, plants, and figures fully demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship and aesthetics of Goryeo celadon. In pictographic celadon, various shapes are expressed in a three-dimensional way. The addition of blue glaze gives people a lively feeling. Pictographic celadon, the crystallization of the best production technology and unremitting efforts, contains the world that the Goryeo people love. We reflect our world on these green containers and think about the world we want to contain. We invite you to step into the world of pictographic celadon, where there is infinite beauty and stories.

The term Taepyeongseongdae refers to an era of peace under the rule of a benevolent king. For those of us today, amidst news of conflict and division, such a time may seem like a distant utopia. Yet, throughout history, there have been periods remembered for their peace. In the Joseon Dynasty, the reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo stood out as such a time. This exhibition brings to life the vibrant 18th-century Seoul, often celebrated as a pinnacle of cultural and historical renaissance. Step into the Seoul of this peaceful era, shaped by two visionary rulers who embraced the “Magnificent Harmony” (Tangpyeong) ideology, striving for reforms that uplifted the lives of their people and left a legacy of lasting peace.

Koreans believe that people born in the Year of the Snake are smart. Because in the Chinese zodiac, the snake symbolizes wisdom. However, stories about snakes usually portray snakes as scary creatures. The appearance of snakes, the aggressiveness of some snakes, and their deadly venom have created an instinctive fear in humans. Therefore, snakes are portrayed as creatures that follow the transcendent and punish evildoers. Although humans are afraid of snakes, they also believe that snakes are sacred. This is because I am amazed by the way snakes grow by shedding their skins and their survival instincts of disappearing in winter and reappearing in spring. Due to these characteristics, snakes travel between different dimensional worlds and are even considered sacred creatures that bring blessings and prosperity to humans. In this way, snakes have become scary and righteous, disgusting and wonderful, familiar and sacred, and live with us. To celebrate the Year of the Snake, this exhibition attempts to examine the lives of humans who live with snakes. I hope you have a prosperous Lunar New Year and everything goes according to plan, overcoming the complex human mind and creating a thousand faces for an animal called snake.

2024.12.20 Permanent exhibition "Gustav Klimt: Eternal Beauty" tells the story of the golden painter Klimt's life of pursuing true beauty through his works. Freedom and love shine with golden light, from the mysterious birth of life to the noble death. Klimt's timeless and beautiful story begins here.

2024.12.20 Permanent exhibition "Gustav Klimt: Eternal Beauty" tells the story of the golden painter Klimt's life of pursuing true beauty through his works. Freedom and love shine with golden light, from the mysterious birth of life to the noble death. Klimt's timeless and beautiful story begins here.

"Cinema Paradiso (Immersive Special Exhibition)" is a global touring exhibition jointly planned by Korea Forest International and Italy's Crossmedia Group to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Italy in 2024.

Kim Byung-ho uses metal as the main material to create sculptures and installations whose aesthetic forms stand out. Kim Byung-ho's work process is based on carefully planned design drawings and is carried out in a thoroughly divided production system, reflecting an aspect of modern society. As a modern person integrated into the structure of contemporary society, I seek to achieve a new form of sculpture by combining mechanical complexity and seemingly beautiful artistic practices. For him, a work of art is an object similar to a product created by social consensus such as norms, rules, and systems. Kim Byung-ho's working world reminds people of philosophical questions about human life and psychology in a civilized society based on rationalism. Held on three floors of Arario Gallery in Seoul, this exhibition displays 15 sculptures of various sizes, including Kim Byung-ho's representative works and new works.

• Have wild fun and shout wild! • A girl’s dream party! This is where a fantasy you've never dreamed of before begins. • After Party for women who dream of a fantastic escape for just one night!

Yuko Higuchi is a professional painter living in Japan. The "Yuko Higuchi: Secret Forest" exhibition is held at ALT.1 on the 6th floor of the Hyundai Seoul Hotel in South Korea. Following Taiwan, this will be an overseas exhibition. In addition to 5 new works painted for the Korean exhibition, more than 1,000 works carefully selected directly by Higuchi will be exhibited.