This exhibition marks the first permanent exhibition since the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) opened in 2013.
Since its original opening in 1969, MMCA began its acquisition activities. It has collected and researched significant artwork and archival materials. The museum focuses on art history and contemporary art trends. Its focus spans more than 50 years. The museum’s collection includes around 11,800 pieces. This exhibition presents about 90 representative works of Korean contemporary art. These works are from the period between the 1960s and 2010s. The selection is based on subtopics representing key themes in Korean contemporary art history. Themes include abstraction, experimentation, figuration, hybridity, concepts, and documentary approaches. It offers viewers a multilayered introduction to currents in Korean contemporary art through different eras.
Korean contemporary art has undergone dynamic changes. It responded to Korea’s own unique social situation and cultural upheavals. These changes also relate to transformations in media and its organic relationships with international art produced around the same time. The exhibition begins in Gallery 1. It explores representative works of Korean contemporary art from the 1960s to the 1980s. This period includes examples of Korean abstract art created in the name of modernity and the avant-garde. There are also works of experimental art that expanded aesthetic boundaries based on the nature of objects and actions. Additionally, figurative and Minjung artworks sought to examine art in the context of life. Gallery 2 showcases major works of Korean contemporary art from the 1990s to the 2010s. It includes key collection works by Korean artists who began to receive major attention from the international contemporary art scene. This attention was in the context of pluralization and globalization. The gallery also features conceptual works centered on objects and language, along with attempts at different perceptions of reality. These are explored in the context of documentary and fiction.
Collection Rotation Notice
- Kim Whanki, Where, in What Form, Shall We Meet Again? 19-II-73 #307 (1973), and Park Saengkwang, Shamanism 3 (1980), will be included in the international touring exhibition Lee Kun-hee Collection Overseas Tour (National Museum of Asian Art, USA; Art Institute of Chicago, USA; The British Museum, UK). After September 7, 2025, these works will be replaced by Kim Whanki’s Summer Moon Night (1961) and Park Saengkwang’s Shamanism 16 (1985).
- Following conservation treatment and overseas loans, after October 22, 2025, Kim Whanki’s Summer Moon Night (1961) will be replaced by 4-VI-69 #65 (1969).
- Park Seokwon’s Accumulation–Tension (1972, remade 2016) will no longer be on view after October 22, 2025.
- Seo Doho’s The Light of the Bicycle (2007) and Lee Bul’s Cyborg W5 (1999) will no longer be on view after October 31, 2025.
Editor’s Tip
Kim Whanki and Lee Ufan are widely regarded as two of the most important masters representing Korea. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience their remarkable works in person.
Kim Whanki (1913–1974)
Kim Whanki was a pioneering figure in modern Korean art and one of the leading artists of Korean abstraction. He is best known for his later “dot paintings,” composed of thousands of meticulously placed points that create rhythmic, meditative surfaces. Blending traditional Korean aesthetics with modernist abstraction, Kim developed a distinctive visual language inspired by nature, poetry, and the color blue.
Lee Ufan (b. 1936)
Lee Ufan is a Korean artist, philosopher, and key figure in the Mono-ha movement in Japan. His work explores the relationship between materials, space, and perception. Often using natural stones and industrial materials such as steel plates, Lee emphasizes restraint, emptiness, and the tension between objects and their surroundings. His minimalist paintings and sculptural installations reflect a deep philosophical inquiry into existence, presence, and the act of seeing. Lee remains one of the most internationally recognized Korean artists, with major exhibitions held worldwide.
Exhibition Period
May 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026
Organizer / Support
Organizer: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
Sponsor: Shinyoung Securities
Corporate Sponsors: LG OLED, Dongkuk CM
Location
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
165 Sogyeok-dong Jongno-gu Seoul 
Venue
Gallery 1 (1F), Gallery 2 (B1), MMCA Seoul
Editor’s Tip
It’s conveniently located near Gyeongbokgung Palace, making it an easy stop while exploring the area.
You can walk through the cafés and restaurants around Insadong and Anguk Station, visit the exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and then continue on to Gyeongbokgung.
Alternatively, you can start by exploring City Hall and Gwanghwamun, make your way up to tour Gyeongbokgung Palace, and finish your route with the exhibition.
Admission
2,000 KRW
Participating Artists
Over 80 artists including Kimsooja, Kim Whanki, Park Seo-Bo, Park Hyunki, Do Ho Suh, Shin Hak-chul, Haegue Yang, Lee Bul, Lee Ufan, Moon Kyungwon + Jeon Joonho, among others.
Number of Works
Approximately 90 works
Opening hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday 10:00 ~ 18:00
Wednesday, Saturday 10:00 ~ 21:00(Late opening 18:00~21:00)
※ Closed: Jan. 1, Lunar New Year’s day, and Chuseok
Reservation (ENGLISH)
https://booking.mmca.go.kr/product/en/performance/411
□ MMCA Guided Tour in English
– Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
– 13:00 and 14:30 (30 min)
– Free with museum admission
– Unavailable on national holidays
– MMCA Guided Tour is unavailable on February 17th and 18th due to the Lunar New Year and will resume on February 19th.
□ Reservation and Admission Guide
– Transferring or selling admission tickets to others is strictly prohibited, and admission may be restricted if the ticket holder is not the original reservation holder.
– Online reservation is available from 18:00 on Monday, 7 days before the desired admission date. Reservations can be made for dates up to one week in advance.
– The maximum number of persons per reservation is 4, individuals per exhibition based on the viewing date, for each ID.
– Reservations for infants are mandatory. Please select the ‘Preschoolers’ option and book according to the number of persons.
– If you have made a reservation for a free or discounted ticket for someone other than yourself, the QR ticket will be activated after verifying the relevant documentation at the information desk.
□ Cancellation Guide
– The cancellation period for a reservation is until 10 minutes before the end of the reserved exhibition time.
– If it is difficult for you to visit, please cancel your reservation out of consideration for others.
– Reservations can be canceled by logging in to “My Page – Reservation/Application History – Exhibition”.
□ Refund Policy
– If you cancel your reservation before 10 minutes before the end of the reserved exhibition time, a full refund is possible.
– No refunds are available after the admission deadline.
□ Entrance Guide
– Please scan the QR ticket received on your mobile device at the QR ticket validation machine located at the entrance of the gallery.
– Re-entry is not allowed
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