Artists in Their Times: Korean Modern and Contemporary Art

This large–scale permanent exhibition featuring works in the museum collection examines major currents of Korean modern and contemporary art. Approaching the course of Korean art history not from inside the art world itself, but from a periodic and social perspective, the exhibition intends to overview the atmosphere and the evolving situations surrounding the featured works by providing archival materials key to understanding the background from which the works emerged. This 15–section exhibition delineating some 120 years of Korean modern and contemporary art history was organized in cooperation with researchers specializing in each historical period.

Art in the early 20th century departed from the question of how to represent reality, diverging into different styles of expression that embody subjectivity and character. As the weight of the question shifted toward “what is real,” there emerged works with existential tendencies and various experiments with artistic expression. The later art scene formed a rivaling structure between abstract art with monochrome leanings and Minjung art styles that penetrated the times—a structure that was soon dismantled to give rise to pluralistic works that sought decentralization. Meanwhile, the traditional Korean art scene sought to define the identity of “hangukhwa ” (Korean painting) through self–transformation. Through Japanese occupation, liberation, the Korean War, national division, the April 19 Revolution, the Yushin regime, and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, leading into the era of globalization, Korean artists have demonstrated an unyielding artistic consciousness, striving to sublimate the ordeals brought upon by history into works representative of a zeitgeist.

Galleries 5 and 6 on the third floor marshal artworks from the 1900s to 1970s. Continuing on the second floor, Galleries 3 and 4 and the corridor present works from the late 1970s to 2000s. Walking through different time periods and witnessing how art has evolved with the changing circumstances of the country, the audience will be able to grasp the organic relationship between art and society, and the periodic development of different artistic media.

The MMCA has presented an array of exhibitions highlighting Korean art history and has acquired and managed an extensive collection and archive with its focus on establishing a comprehensive history of Korean art. This exhibition will be an opportunity for the museum to casually approach the public and open their eyes to Korean art and history.