Featured Events in South Korea in May, 2025 (June Updated)

1,000 square meters of the world's largest immersive exhibition! This is a special exhibition that allows you to vividly experience popular characters and movies by recreating Pixar scenes in life-size scenes. Just like the scenes in the movie, you become the protagonist of Pixar. Pixar, embark on an adventure into the world of imagination!

What if the whole world was a canvas and we were the protagonists walking on it? With 1.1 million fans, Werner Bronckhorst, a representative contemporary artist, brings you the experience of making everyday life into art. You can enjoy it at the first exhibition in Asia at Ground Seesaw West Village. This exhibition has a new collection of original paintings specially made for Korean audiences and exhibits more than 100 of his representative works. Feel the small special things in everyday life in the vast world. From the dynamic city scenery unfolding on the gray asphalt road, to the leisurely afternoon sunshine strolling on the green grass, to the moment of immersion in the blue waves. When you gaze at the daily slices transferred on the canvas, the days you face every day will become particularly precious. We invite you to join this journey and make this moment as special as the scene in the work.

Mueck is renowned for his surrealist sculptures that raise fundamental questions about human existence, life and death. His works are so detailed that they are indistinguishable from real people, exploring all aspects of life through the human figure. The exhibition’s signature work, Mass, consists of giant human skulls that resemble a tower of death, and asks one to ponder the fundamental concepts of human existence both physically and mentally. The title alone gives one a sense of the ambiguity of the work. The word “mass” can refer to both a large amount and a huge amount, and each viewer has a different interpretation. In addition to this work, you can also see Ron Mueck’s signature work Woman, which depicts a pregnant woman. In addition, the exhibition will feature photographs and documentaries shot by Gautier de Blonde that document the creative process of Ron Mueck’s works. Through this, viewers will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the world of Ron Mueck’s work and get a glimpse into his artistic inspirations and philosophy.

Miffy enters the Magic Mailbox and encounters 70 years of memories again! Take a trip down memory lane to meet Miffy, her family and friends through the Magic Mailbox, reflect on your cherished feelings, and encounter a letter from your long-lost friend Dick Brenner.

The exhibition showcases more than 170 works created through a variety of techniques and media, including seven unpublished original paintings that are being made public for the first time in the world. The exhibition specifically reinterprets the ceiling paintings of the Opera Garnier in Paris and the stained glass of the Hadassah Medical Center through media art, providing an immersive art experience that allows light and color to softly surround the space. The exhibition was carefully planned by experts, curators and architects who have conducted in-depth research on European art history. From planning to spatial interpretation, it has been carefully designed to make the works resonate with the exhibition space, allowing the audience to fully experience the color experiments and spatial perception of the objects.

Come awaken every sense of yours! MORE TO ENJOY! MORE TO FEEL! A night that belongs only to GIRLS! A wonderful new experience is waiting for you! This night is not only entertainment, but also a time to release yourself. Lights, music, food... every detail is carefully crafted for you, just to let you forget the daily pressure and immerse yourself in unparalleled joy. Relax, laugh, dance with your girlfriends in the exclusive space for girls and experience the excitement that belongs to you!

To commemorate the 165th anniversary of the birth of Alphonse Mucha, the master of Art Nouveau, my art gallery will hold "Flowers of Art Nouveau: Alphonse Mucha Exhibition" from March 20, 2025 to July 13, 2025, providing audiences with the opportunity to directly appreciate Mucha's unique and symbolic art world. Art Nouveau is a unique art movement that does not follow any specific system or principles. With the rapid political, social and technological changes in Europe at the end of the 19th century, people felt the need to break away from the old order and embrace the new reality. Art Nouveau was born under such a demand of the times, and it had a significant impact on all aspects of visual art, including painting, sculpture, graphic arts, architecture, and decorative arts. Mucha's unique style, known as the "Muchaesque," combined with Slavic folk motifs, made him a representative figure of the Art Nouveau movement. This exhibition reveals how Mucha's art and philosophy expanded beyond his success and fame in France to include Czech national identity. Explore his artistic journey through more than 300 works, including his original posters, prints, drawings, book publications, and design decorations.

The "Car-Free Submarine Bridge Walking Festival" has become a representative festival of the Han River and a healing playground that everyone can enjoy together. This fall, the Car-Free Submarine Bridge Walking Festival will return with more novel and colorful entertainment programs. In the first half of the festival, the talent show "Han River New Star", "Mask Parade" and "Motorboat Parade" and other novel attractions were loved by many people. In this festival, the themes of "Art", "Games", "Health" and "Rest" where you can feel healing while enjoying the rainbow fountain are prepared to meet different preferences.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Amorepacific, we are holding a special exhibition of ancient art, "Joseon Folk Painting Exhibition". Folk painting is regarded as an art form that is free from the constraints of form and norms, and expresses daily life and ideals in an abstract way, showing the originality of Korean traditional art. This exhibition will display a wide variety of works, including works with sophisticated expressions and high completion, as well as folk paintings with distinctive personalities and new trends.

The Space Program presented in this cultural project is Tom Sachs. One of the representative works is NASA's space exploration program. It consists of about 200 reconstructed large-scale installations and sculptures. He is 21st century space exploration, especially the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s. Since I became fascinated by this project, I have been working on the cutting-edge tools and technologies required for space exploration. We have been handcrafting spacecraft and other objects using everyday materials. Tom Sachs, First Moon Voyage (2007, Gagosian Gallery, Starting from Los Angeles, landing on Mars and collecting samples (2012, Park Avenue Armory in New York hosted a multi-event on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. Exploring Earth (2017, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco) Mining rare minerals from Vesta, the brightest and closest asteroid (2021, The Museum of Modern Art Hamburg has been hosting courses on space exploration. This year’s fifth mission, Space Program: Infinity, is different from previous voyages, and for the first time we’ve changed course, and humanity has not yet encountered alien life and is heading into the infinite universe. It directly explores the risks and rewards you will face. 

One third of the Earth's surface. A larger ocean than all land combined. That's the Pacific Ocean. In this vast ocean, humans set sail, found islands, and established their roots. The art, culture, and material culture created by humans on the countless islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean are collectively called 'Oceania'. The world created by people who sailed between islands, following the stars, winds, and ocean currents, unfolds unique stories of art and philosophy. The special exhibition 'Mana Moana - Art of the Sacred Sea, Oceania' is an exhibition jointly planned by the National Museum of Korea and the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in France, and introduces traditional and contemporary art from Oceania from the 18th century to the present. You can see exhibits that vividly convey the lives and philosophies of Oceania people, from canoes and sculptures, masks and musical instruments, stone statues and ornaments, to textiles. In Polynesian, ‘mana’ means the sacred power that resides in all beings, and ‘moana’ means the vast ocean. For those who have made the sacred ocean their foundation for life and a space of connection, ‘mana’ is the source of the heart that respects life, nature, and ancestors, and the power that moves the world. This worldview of mana conveys a deep realization that sees all beings, including nature, not as mere objects of use, but as companions of coexistence. Now, we would like to meet the various cultures that humans have created on this island called Earth. We hope that you will have a time filled with empathy and lingering emotions with ‘mana moana’.

HUNKY SHOW is a groundbreaking, sensational male dance performance musical, curated exclusively for female audiences who want to make their day special. Experience a new form of live performance that goes beyond mere spectacle, allowing you to directly participate and interact with the captivating performances of Korean fitness models and performance artists who appear in each episode. Also included are customer participation performances, anniversary specials, and even photo time and fan service to provide more than just viewing pleasure.

The Daelyn Museum of Art will host a major special exhibition, "Tanaami Keiichi: I’M THE ORIGIN," from December 14, 2024 to June 29, 2025, curated by artist Keiichi Tanaami (born 1936), who is internationally renowned as a pioneer of Asian pop art. Tanaami was a pioneer of the Superflat art movement and influenced Japanese modern art representatives Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara. Tanaami believed that "its existence itself is a genre," and this exhibition will feature more than 700 major works from his 60-year career. This exhibition allows you to explore the author's rich and varied works through his work.

Unveiling an exhibition of couture creations by British fashion muse Daphne Guinness. “432Mhz: Harmonics. The World of Daphne Guinness” is an immersive, multimedia exhibition by Ground Seesaw, running from 25 April to 10 August 2025. This groundbreaking exhibition brings to life the creative world of Daphne Guinness, showcasing her original couture pieces, accessories, jewellery, photography, designer illustrations, video installations, digital art, holograms and interactive AI experiences. A beloved muse to fashion legends such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, Daphne Guinness curated one of the most prestigious collections in fashion history for over 30 years.

The Seoul Museum of Art will hold the first solo exhibition in Korea, "Sararan", by Kawashima Kotori, a Japanese photographer who captures the beauty of existence, at the Seoul Museum of Art M2 from February 26 to October 12. This large exhibition held on two floors of the Seoul Museum of Art M2 will showcase the artist's entire creative world with 309 works, from his first photography series "BABY BABY" to his representative work "Future-chan" that is both artistic and popular, and new works that capture the cityscape of Seoul. The exhibition will also feature C-Print and gelatin silver prints created by the artist himself using analog methods.

Boramae Park in southern Seoul was transformed into a vibrant garden display as the Seoul International Garden Show kicked off on Thursday. Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the show at the 400,000-square-meter (98-acre) park features 111 gardens, 21 more than last year’s edition at Ttukseom Hangang Park in eastern Seoul. The show will run through Oct. 20.

On November 15, the National Museum of Korea opened its first dedicated exhibition room for the Oegyujanggak Uigwe. Located on the second floor of the National Museum of Korea’s permanent exhibition hall, this exhibition room is a space where visitors can only view the Oegyujanggak Uigwe, allowing them to fully experience the Oegyujanggak Uigwe.

The Guyin Photography Museum will host its first two-person exhibition "A Tale of Two Cities" in 2025, co-organized by photographer Josef Scholz (b. 1966), who currently lives in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Italian photographer Paolo Ventura (b. 1968). The exhibition captures the common theme of "city and architecture" from different perspectives, exhibiting about 40 photographs and two video works that combine digital technology and painting techniques. The exhibition title "A Tale of Two Cities" is inspired by the title of Charles Dickens' novel of the same name, based on the different descriptions of two cities. Just like the contrasting descriptions of the two cities of London and Paris in the revolutionary whirlwind in the novel, the exhibition also presents the two photographers' interpretation and reinterpretation of the city from different perspectives. Josef Scholz and Paolo Ventura not only record the urban landscape in their own way, but also cut into the two common concepts of "city" and "architecture". It also demonstrates the potential of the photographic medium through experimental methods that combine digital technology and painting techniques, and provides an opportunity to explore the urban space we live in.

The Jeju Food & Wine Festival (JFWF), held since 2016, has become an important milestone in Korea's food culture industry. Held every May, the Jeju Food World Festival has grown over the years into a world-renowned food festival that symbolizes Jeju Island, set against the backdrop of Jeju's beautiful natural scenery. It not only highlights Jeju's diverse fresh ingredients, such as seafood, Jeju black pork, and a variety of citrus fruits, but also incorporates traditional cooking techniques and recipes that have been passed down in modern times, providing food lovers with an experience of exploring and tasting unique flavors. The Jeju Food & Wine Festival (JFWF) is a cultural event that promotes the value of Jeju's agricultural and marine products and the food culture bestowed by Jeju's nature to the world through various food contents based on Jeju's pure ingredients and the creativity of chefs. This year marks its 10th anniversary.

150 years ago, the Impressionist movement overturned the way people perceived the world. In the 21st century, Jonathan Belten's photographs contain the vividness of 19th century paintings. Look at the same sky every day, walk on the same streets, and meet familiar faces. Then, at a certain moment, the scenery that you are accustomed to suddenly presents itself in a completely new way. Belten calls it "super daily". Here, "seeing", the oldest way of understanding the world, is shaken by super daily experiences. To see things differently is to live differently. Start your first conversation with the scenery that you once passed by silently.

With the theme of "Every Day Can Be a Holiday", Elizabeth Langley makes everyone's ordinary day like an exciting holiday. Elizabeth's work stems from her passion to make the world a happier place, which all began with the various leisure activities she experienced in the natural environment of Australia during her childhood. In her works, she constantly captures happy memories of daily life through various activities such as swimming, sunbathing on the beach, skiing, cycling, etc. Elizabeth's work has the power to bring a sense of happiness in a busy moment. This exhibition will evoke a happy day hidden deep in our hearts and become a happy journey to experience "healing" and rest.

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.

Our first exhibition planned for 2025 will be a solo exhibition by Pierre Huyghe, a world-renowned artist who explores contemporary social issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, from ecology to technoscience. This is Pierre Huyghe's first solo exhibition in a Korean museum, and includes new works produced in collaboration with the Pinault Collection Punta della Dogana in Venice and the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. It presents the ecosystems where humans and non-humans coexist through video, sound, sculpture and installation.

Around 1467, the Joseon royal family established the official kiln, or royal porcelain kiln, in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, to produce white porcelain for the palace. Geumsa-ri was the kiln that operated from 1734 to 1751. Geumsa-ri is famous for producing milky white, i.e. milky white white purple, and moon jars. By collecting the fragments of the golden relic, you can learn about the white porcelain produced by the golden relic, such as the moon jar.

The exhibition presents the 60-year painting career and major works of Kang Myung-hee (1947- ). Kang Myung-hee established his own painting realm by capturing the relationship between existence and nature on canvas through long-term and in-depth exploration of the essence of the natural scenery he encountered. The paintings of the artist, who has been active at home and abroad since leaving Korea in 1972, are full of influences from different cultures, as well as colors and emotions that transcend the East and the West. "Visiting" is the exhibition title borrowed from the artist's works, telling the nomadic attitude of the artist who does not settle in one place but constantly moves around to create, and the artistic inspiration he gets from brief encounters. Although this work looks like an abstract painting full of light and color, it originates from very specific elements in nature and is the condensed result of long-term training, meditation and repeated "emptying" behavior. Kang Myung-hee's footprints are all over the world, including the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, Patagonia in South America, Antarctica, India, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, etc., persistently exploring the essence of nature and looking for primitive scenery. Brushstrokes and fragments vibrate, collide and accumulate on the plane, similar to the movement of nature. The painting seems calm and peaceful, but in fact, it is a long and repeated painting, an intense dialogue with the world or nature. In an era when the existence of nature itself is threatened, his paintings contain the history and memory of the land, destruction and death, creation and extinction, and after repeated practice and purification, they bring us into the finished picture. In front of Kang Myung-hee's huge paintings, the audience will encounter nature reinterpreted by the artist, and feel as if walking in boundless nature. In 2007, the artist returned to his homeland and lived in Jeju Island, continuing to create abstract paintings depicting diverse natural scenery. Kang Myung-hee's works, which have entered the mature stage of creation, bring deep thinking about nature and human beings. His works stand on the opposite side of modern civilization and cutting-edge technology, exuding a powerful energy of life and rebirth, and comforting and soothing the pain of the times with the power of art. "Kang Myung-hee - Interview" is not arranged in chronological order, but is roughly divided into three parts according to the author's time and space experience and stream of consciousness. The titles of all sections of this exhibition are derived from the titles of the works, and recent works centered on Jeju Island are presented under the theme of ‘1. Living in Seogwang-dong’ and ‘2. Works centered on works created while working in France and traveling around the world. Visits’ and ‘3. Introducing early works that serve as the starting point for the current works and provide clues for their interpretation. It consists of the ‘Secret Garden’ section.

Around the 2000s, a new focus and tone on archives emerged in the field of documentation and the contemporary art scene in Korea. With the truth-finding movement on the sacrifices and human rights violations in Korea's tortuous modern history of the last century, the value of private records, namely manuscripts, that are not captured by public records, has been re-evaluated. In addition, critical and alternative practices have been carried out on archives that support official history and memory. Contemporary art has also accepted critical theories of archives, and through the generation and reorganization of records, events or objects that are not covered by institutions or mainstream media are socially publicized. Over the past 20 years, manuscript- and archive-based work has formed a common terrain, excavating marginalized and suppressed events and objects and restoring them to social memory. This exhibition is combined with the institutional theme "Action" of the Seoul Museum of Art in 2025, which aims to examine the social value and practical mechanism of records. From today's perspective, the trend of what used to be called archival art, and manuscript history. These two trends continue to update critical discourses on archives while forming counter-memory. Especially today, when the proliferation of digital technology and communication has made instant information production a daily routine, and misinformation and alternative facts are rampant, recent domestic and international conflicts, disputes, disasters, etc. have raised the complex issue of "how to record and interpret the present." In such contemporary issues, beyond reproduction and preservation, we think about the social role of contemporary art and archives as memory institutions to restore social memory and reveal diverse voices. The title of the exhibition "We Keep Penetrating into Different Rivers" draws on the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC)'s motto "You can't step into the same river twice", emphasizing that records are not permanent, but an ongoing process of encountering current consciousness through reading and perception. The exhibition is composed of "delayed memory", "witness records", and "thrown narratives" based on the meticulous contact and three-dimensional relationship with events or objects. "Delayed Memory" displays works related to the history of modern and contemporary Korean history and the history of suppressed communities, and exhibits related to the records of the Democratization Movement Memorial Foundation and the Korean Queer Archive Queerarch. "Witnessed Records" presents the Jeju April 3 Incident and the issue of "comfort women" of the Japanese military, which have not been revealed for a long time after the incident, through the collection records of the Jeju April 3 Peace Foundation and the Seoul Art Archives, and works that form an emotional space through meticulous documentary records. "Thrown Narratives" presents works that are rooted in real-life issues and archives, but construct new narratives in their missing spaces, liberating areas obscured by social conventions or boundaries and one-sided discourses. "We Keep Infiltrating Different Rivers" aims to recognize the activism of records from multiple perspectives through the process of constantly reconstructing and reinterpreting records of the past and present, arousing our memories, emotions and consciousness, and prompting us to take action for the future.

The painting world of Jeong Sun (1676-1759), who is known as a representative painter in the history of Korean painting and a master of true landscape painting, will be presented in a large-scale special exhibition at the Hoam Art Museum. This exhibition displays about 165 representative works of Jeong Sun, covering landscape painting, figure painting, flower and bird feather painting and other themes, fully demonstrating his colorful and diverse artistic style.