MMCA Studies 2024 out now

The MMCA Studies 2024 is dedicated to Collections and the Culture of Collecting. It aims to examine the multifaceted dimensions of collections, and highlight the possibilities they offer for authentic connections. Taking a comprehensive approach, encompassing institutional collections in Korea and abroad, as well as those of mega-collectors and next-generation collectors, it delves into the characteristics of intangible collections, investigating their temporality and the exhibition practices they inspire.

Kim Hyein, a research fellow at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, analyzes the trends of contemporary Korean art collections in American museums. Kim calls for sustained production of comprehensive research materials to bridge gaps in the study of Korean art abroad. Igarashi Rina, senior curator at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, examines how the museum’s collection policy has worked in harmony with its exhibitions to create new value for Asian art.

Hong Sunpyo, art historian, and professor emeritus at Ewha Womans University, discusses the collections of Kansong Chun Hyungpil and Lee Kun-hee, two seminal figures in the history of Korean art collecting. He emphasizes the exceptional quality and vast scope of these collections, highlighting their value as public resources. Christoph Noe and Jamie Bennett of the online art platform LARRY’S LIST explore how millennial and Gen Z collectors are reshaping the global art landscape. They argue that art institutions should strategically deepen their engagement with this demographic, harnessing the global influence of next-generation collectors to expand their reach and impact.

Curator and art critic Kwon Taehyun critiques the notion that museum collections are preserved permanently, arguing that this belief is fundamentally a form of fantasy. Comparing collections to seeds, artifacts from the past that carry the potential to transform into something entirely new in the future, Kwon argues how the temporality of collections weaves past, present, and future into an interconnected continuum.

“The Museum Studies” section explores the MMCA’s collection policies, strategies for archival utilization, and curatorial notes for collection-based exhibitions in 2024. Park Mihwa, director of the Collection Division at the MMCA, examines the principles guiding the museum’s acquisition practices. Archivist Lee Jihee explores the application of the MMCA Art Research Center’s archival resources. Founded in 2013 to collect original materials focused on the museum’s modern artworks and artists, the Art Research Center has progressively expanded its scope to include various institutional archives.

Curator Park Hyesung and researcher Yang Hyunjung trace the history of art management by the Korean government, focusing on works acquired through “management transfers.” Drawing the research, the exhibition MMCA Collection: Social Life of Artworks examines the transferred works, offering insights into the museum’s acquisition processes and institutional development. Curator Lee Minah revisits her exhibition MMCA Photographs Collection Exhibition: What’s the Time in Your World?, showing how it employs the medium of photography to invite visitors to reflect on the temporal nature of the world they inhabit.

Recently, concepts such as “accessibility,” “inclusivity,” “diversity,” and “sustainability” have become integral to the functions of museums. Curator Chung Sang-yeon outlines MMCA’s various strategies for making exhibitions more accessible to people with disabilities, including descriptive audio guides, sign language video guides, and educational resources for slow learners.

Overall, the current issue of MMCA Studies adopts a reflective approach, integrating the historical evolution of collection practices with contemporary interpretations of the MMCA’s core functions: collecting and research.

Edited by Tiffany Yeon Chae.