SEOUL.- The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA; Director Kim Sunghee) presents three major permanent exhibitions in 2025 that trace the arc of Korean modern and contemporary art through highlights from the museum’s distinguished collection. Held across both MMCA Gwacheon and MMCA Seoul, these exhibitions offer visitors a panoramic yet nuanced view of Korean art history, informed by decades of curatorial research and public collecting.
Since its founding in 1969, the MMCA has been committed to collecting, preserving, and researching significant artworks and archival materials. With more than 11,800 works in its collection as of 2025—including the transformative 2021 donation of 1,488 pieces from the Lee Kun-hee Collection—the museum now presents its most comprehensive overview to date of Korean modern and contemporary art.
At MMCA Seoul, MMCA Collection: Korean Contemporary Art offers a survey of 86 key works from the 1960s to 2010s, including works by Paik Nam June, Lee Bul, Suh Do Ho, and Bahc Yiso. The exhibition is organized into six thematic sections, from abstraction and experimentation to hybridity, conceptualism, and documentary practices. Conceived as a preview-style highlight reel, this show allows visitors to grasp the diversity and complexity of Korea’s contemporary art scene through a focused lens.
At MMCA Gwacheon, the museum presents the full-length counterpart: MMCA Collection: Korean Modern and Contemporary Art I and II, unfolding across two large-scale exhibitions. Part I explores Korean art from the early 20th century to the Korean War, featuring over 150 works by 70 artists including Chae Yongshin, Park Rehyun, Kim Kichang, and Lee Jungseop. Part II continues the story from the 1950s through the 1990s, spotlighting movements such as Informel, Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting), Experimental art and Modernist Women Artists, and the return of figuration during the era of democratization. Together, the two exhibitions encompass more than 250 works by 140 artists, including 61 from the Lee Kun-hee Collection—marking its largest presentation at MMCA Gwacheon to date.
Designed not as fixed narratives but as evolving and flexible displays, the Gwacheon exhibitions are structured around intersecting themes of era, style, subject, and authorship. A signature feature of the exhibitions is the “Artist Room” series—dedicated spaces for in-depth encounters with artists such as Oh Chiho, Lee Jungseop, Park Rehyun & Kim Kichang, Kim Whanki, and Yun Hyong-keun. These immersive rooms expand beyond the visual, integrating olfactory and auditory elements such as a signature scent for Kim Whanki and a curated music playlist for Yun Hyong-keun, deepening viewer engagement with the sensory worlds of these artists.
To enhance accessibility, MMCA operates a free art shuttle connecting the Seoul and Gwacheon branches four times daily (departures at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm from each site). Visitors are encouraged to make a full-day journey—beginning with Korean Contemporary Art in Seoul, followed by a ride to Gwacheon to experience the expansive historical narrative in Parts I and II. This itinerary offers a rare chance to reflect on the full trajectory of Korean art, from early modern encounters to its current global resonance.
“These exhibitions embody MMCA’s commitment to presenting Korean art in both its historical depth and contemporary complexity,” says MMCA Director Kim Sunghee. “By integrating collection, research, and education, we hope to share not only the richness of Korea’s artistic heritage but also its evolving identity within today’s global landscape.”
Artists: Oh Chiho, Lee Jungseop, Park Rehyun & Kim Kichang, Kim Whanki, and Yun Hyong-keun, Rhee Seundja, Choi Wook-kyung, Lee Ufan, Nam June, Lee Bul, Bahc Yiso, etc
