MMCA Collection Highlights 2020+

Artists: Ko Huidong, Oh Jiho, Kim Whanki, Lee Jungseob, Chang Uc-chin, Park Sookeun, Chun Kyungja, Paik Nam June, Lee Ufan, Park Seo-bo, Yun Hyong-keun, Yun Suknam, Lee Bul, Suh Doho, etc.

The collection is the most important indicator of the specific character of an art museum. As the sole national art museum in Korea, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) has since its founding in 1969 acquired a collection of some 10,000 artworks for the establishment of Korean art history. As such, the collection serves as the basic foundation for the museum’s activities.

The exhibition MMCA Collection Highlights 2020+ is divided into four sections: “From the Opening of Ports to Liberation,” “Prelude to an Era of Division,” “Toward International Art,” and “Democratization and Contemporary Globalism.” The first section, “From the Opening of Ports to Liberation,” features artworks of modern times, influenced by Japan during its occupation of Korea. It includes the Self-Portrait by Ko Huidong, the first Korean oil painter, and Oh Jiho’s Sunny Place, a prime example of Korean impressionism. Section two, “Prelude to an Era of Division,” focuses on artists from the post-liberation period and the Korean War, such as Park Sookeun, Lee Qoede, Lee Jungseob and Yoo Youngkuk, presenting artworks by artists expressing Korean identity. The third section, “Toward International Art,” is composed of works by artists such as Lee Ufan and Paik Nam June who were active in the international art scene, as well as artworks that resulted from the direct embrace of the Western art style known as Art Informel. Lastly, “Democratization and Contemporary Globalism” presents the fervent passion of Minjung art for Korea’s democratization, together with representative examples of Korean contemporary art, which continues to expand its reach globally.

This standing exhibition at MMCA Seoul, which has previously held diverse contemporary art programs including multidisciplinary art, film and video, has special significance. Consisting of fifty exemplary works, it will serve as an opportunity for spectators to enjoy an in-depth experience of the Museum’s collection, accompanied by the MMCA Collection 300 catalog, published in 2019, and Introduction to Korean Art, scheduled for publication in the near future.