Latest Events in Seoul(April Updated)

One third of the Earth's surface. A larger ocean than all land combined. That's the Pacific Ocean. In this vast ocean, humans set sail, found islands, and established their roots. The art, culture, and material culture created by humans on the countless islands scattered across the Pacific Ocean are collectively called 'Oceania'. The world created by people who sailed between islands, following the stars, winds, and ocean currents, unfolds unique stories of art and philosophy. The special exhibition 'Mana Moana - Art of the Sacred Sea, Oceania' is an exhibition jointly planned by the National Museum of Korea and the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in France, and introduces traditional and contemporary art from Oceania from the 18th century to the present. You can see exhibits that vividly convey the lives and philosophies of Oceania people, from canoes and sculptures, masks and musical instruments, stone statues and ornaments, to textiles. In Polynesian, ‘mana’ means the sacred power that resides in all beings, and ‘moana’ means the vast ocean. For those who have made the sacred ocean their foundation for life and a space of connection, ‘mana’ is the source of the heart that respects life, nature, and ancestors, and the power that moves the world. This worldview of mana conveys a deep realization that sees all beings, including nature, not as mere objects of use, but as companions of coexistence. Now, we would like to meet the various cultures that humans have created on this island called Earth. We hope that you will have a time filled with empathy and lingering emotions with ‘mana moana’.

A permanent exhibition held at the Bank of Korea Gallery on the second floor of the Currency Museum. Masterpieces of modern and contemporary art history are carefully selected and displayed as permanent exhibitions. Compare the painting styles of the East and the West through a variety of works and walk the path of thinking and strolling.

Project Hashtag is a project curated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art to discover creators leading the visual arts in Korea and to support mutual collaboration not only in art but also in various fields. Launched in 2019 with the support of Hyundai Motor Company, Project Hashtag celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2024 and builds it into a new level of competition project that experiments with the scalability of contemporary visual art. "Hashtag (#)", the name of the enterprise, is a special symbol that can be interpreted in many ways depending on the language, country, purpose, etc. It was first used by Chris Messina on Twitter (currently X) and is now widely used. Hashtag is a method of linking related topics in different posts by connecting # and keywords on SNS platforms, and in this way, links can be formed in countless cases. The guiding value of Project Hashtag is an attitude and practice that transcends traditional definitions and boundaries, just like a label, creating a structure that enables unpredictable connections and communication. Project Hashtag 2024 is a project that supports collaboration between creators, curators, and researchers in various fields, rather than focusing on traditional pure visual art, and involves a differentiated platform through which expanded artistic possibilities are explored. We also hope to actively embrace free sharing between different fields and further conduct marginal experiments on tensions and conflicts that arise within them. Project Hashtag 2024 opened for public submissions in March 2024. This year's applicants proposed not only convergence projects using the latest technologies such as generative AI, metaverse, and games, but also social experiments that address pressing contemporary issues. In particular, people's tendency to look at social issues such as new environments, interpersonal relationships, and changes in values ​​brought about by the introduction of AI technology into daily life from different perspectives, and to seek community solidarity through interaction with others was very evident. In the Project Hashtag 2024 showcase, "Wish Office (Kim Raeo, Choi Joonseong, Seo Jinkyu, Seo John, Oh Saeol), Playing Art Method (Cho Hoyoun, Kim Youngju, Rhee Sei)", proposed different themes in their own way through the medium of "games", introducing the projects of Ho-yeon Jo, Young-ju Kim, and Se-ok Lee. "Wish Office" builds a "wish world", a virtual world where everyone's wishes can come true. We proposed a social experiment game that examines modern society through the language of games, in which individual efforts are easily frustrated. The "Playing Art Method" addresses the problems that arise when games are displayed as works in art galleries, creating meaningful discourse through exhibitions, workshops and other methods to form a loose learning community.

Project Hashtag is a project curated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art to discover creators leading the visual arts in Korea and to support mutual collaboration not only in art but also in various fields. Launched in 2019 with the support of Hyundai Motor Company, Project Hashtag celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2024 and builds it into a new level of competition project that experiments with the scalability of contemporary visual art. "Hashtag (#)", the name of the enterprise, is a special symbol that can be interpreted in many ways depending on the language, country, purpose, etc. It was first used by Chris Messina on Twitter (currently X) and is now widely used. Hashtag is a method of linking related topics in different posts by connecting # and keywords on SNS platforms, and in this way, links can be formed in countless cases. The guiding value of Project Hashtag is an attitude and practice that transcends traditional definitions and boundaries, just like a label, creating a structure that enables unpredictable connections and communication. Project Hashtag 2024 is a project that supports collaboration between creators, curators, and researchers in various fields, rather than focusing on traditional pure visual art, and involves a differentiated platform through which expanded artistic possibilities are explored. We also hope to actively embrace free sharing between different fields and further conduct marginal experiments on tensions and conflicts that arise within them. Project Hashtag 2024 opened for public submissions in March 2024. This year's applicants proposed not only convergence projects using the latest technologies such as generative AI, metaverse, and games, but also social experiments that address pressing contemporary issues. In particular, people's tendency to look at social issues such as new environments, interpersonal relationships, and changes in values ​​brought about by the introduction of AI technology into daily life from different perspectives, and to seek community solidarity through interaction with others was very evident. In the Project Hashtag 2024 showcase, "Wish Office (Kim Raeo, Choi Joonseong, Seo Jinkyu, Seo John, Oh Saeol), Playing Art Method (Cho Hoyoun, Kim Youngju, Rhee Sei)", proposed different themes in their own way through the medium of "games", introducing the projects of Ho-yeon Jo, Young-ju Kim, and Se-ok Lee. "Wish Office" builds a "wish world", a virtual world where everyone's wishes can come true. We proposed a social experiment game that examines modern society through the language of games, in which individual efforts are easily frustrated. The "Playing Art Method" addresses the problems that arise when games are displayed as works in art galleries, creating meaningful discourse through exhibitions, workshops and other methods to form a loose learning community.

Our first exhibition planned for 2025 will be a solo exhibition by Pierre Huyghe, a world-renowned artist who explores contemporary social issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, from ecology to technoscience. This is Pierre Huyghe's first solo exhibition in a Korean museum, and includes new works produced in collaboration with the Pinault Collection Punta della Dogana in Venice and the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. It presents the ecosystems where humans and non-humans coexist through video, sound, sculpture and installation.

Our first exhibition planned for 2025 will be a solo exhibition by Pierre Huyghe, a world-renowned artist who explores contemporary social issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, from ecology to technoscience. This is Pierre Huyghe's first solo exhibition in a Korean museum, and includes new works produced in collaboration with the Pinault Collection Punta della Dogana in Venice and the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. It presents the ecosystems where humans and non-humans coexist through video, sound, sculpture and installation.

The National Heritage Administration and Gyeonggi Girls’ High School Gyeongun Museum have prepared a commemorative exhibition to introduce the newly designated national folk cultural heritage, “The Clothing of Prince Ui,” and to widely publicize its value. “The Clothing of Prince Ui” consists of royal women’s ceremonial attire, including wonsam (圓衫), dangui (唐衣), seuranchima (skirt), hwagwan (花冠), norigae (norigae), and daedae (大帶) for court ladies. Gyeonggi Girls’ High School Gyeongun Museum received the donation from Ms. Lee Hae-gyeong (李海瓊, 1930~ ), daughter of Prince Ui. These costumes have clear origins and are well-recognized for their academic and artistic value as materials that clearly show the characteristics of court clothing according to the wearer’s status, and were designated as national folk cultural heritage in February. We hope that this exhibition will provide an opportunity to confirm the dignity and aesthetic beauty of court clothing and increase understanding of the royal clothing culture.

PKM Gallery will hold a solo exhibition "LAZY" from April 12 to May 17 by pop artist SAMBY PEN, who reinterprets contemporary pop culture with humor and satire. This special exhibition, held to commemorate the artist's 10th anniversary of his debut, will feature about 20 new paintings on the theme of modern people's "troubles", as well as merchandise made using the icons of his works and music by young musicians inspired by his works.

Unveiling an exhibition of couture creations by British fashion muse Daphne Guinness. “432Mhz: Harmonics. The World of Daphne Guinness” is an immersive, multimedia exhibition by Ground Seesaw, running from 25 April to 10 August 2025. This groundbreaking exhibition brings to life the creative world of Daphne Guinness, showcasing her original couture pieces, accessories, jewellery, photography, designer illustrations, video installations, digital art, holograms and interactive AI experiences. A beloved muse to fashion legends such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, Daphne Guinness curated one of the most prestigious collections in fashion history for over 30 years.

Don’t miss our hilarious Comedy Dating Game! Watch contestants bring their wildest, wackiest personas to life. Expect ridiculous answers, bizarre talents, and non-stop laughs. 😂 Whether you want to participate or just watch, it's the perfect way to enjoy a night of unpredictable fun and great company. 🥳 ❤️ Doors open at 7:30pm Show starts at 8pm Information Source: Planet Hustle | eventbrite

International Conference on Economics, Management and Social Study South Korea 2023 provides opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas and application experiences face to face, to establish business or research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration International Conference on Economics, Management and Social Study South Korea provides opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas and application experiences face to face, to establish business or research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration. The idea of the conference is for the scientists, scholars, engineers and students from the Universities all around the world and the industry to present ongoing research activities, and hence to foster research relations between the Universities and the industry. Information Source: International Society for Engineering Research and Development (ISERD) | expotobi

The Seoul Media City Biennale, initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is dedicated to innovative exploration of contemporary social conditions, new media developments, and changes in urban structures. Artist and filmmaker Anton Vidokle, curator and art historian Hallie Ayres, and film curator Lukas Brasiskis are co-curators of the 13th Seoul Media City Biennale. All three are affiliated with the publication e-flux founded by Vidokle, where Ayres is assistant director and Brasiskis is assistant curator of film and video.

The Seoul Media City Biennale, initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is dedicated to innovative exploration of contemporary social conditions, new media developments, and changes in urban structures. Artist and filmmaker Anton Vidokle, curator and art historian Hallie Ayres, and film curator Lukas Brasiskis are co-curators of the 13th Seoul Media City Biennale. All three are affiliated with the publication e-flux founded by Vidokle, where Ayres is assistant director and Brasiskis is assistant curator of film and video.

The Seoul Museum of Art has announced the three artistic directors of the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, which will be held from August 26 to November 30 next year. They are artist and filmmaker Anton Vidokle, curator and art historian Hallie Ayres, and film curator Lukas Brasiskis. The three were selected from 66 international open calls for applications. They proposed the concept of "exhibition-as-séance" and aim to "break away from the concept of biennials under contemporary neoliberalism and construct an enhanced experience where awakened life and the intertwined world of the superhuman arena". They point out that "these ideas are related to some important contemporary discourses, from feminism to indigenous struggles, from anti-capitalism to postcolonialism", and they plan to use "the aesthetics of spiritualism and animism to critically intervene in dominant discourses such as capitalism, materialism, postcolonialism and contemporary technology".

Founded in 2017, the Seoul Biennale is a testbed for exploring fresh solutions to some of the most compelling issues facing major global cities today. So far, it has involved nearly 3 million people in four editions over the last seven years. The 5th edition will be curated by Thomas Heatherwick, who was appointed General Director of the 2025 Biennale by Mayor Oh Se-hoon. The 2025 programme will explore how to make buildings and cities radically more joyful and engaging, channeling the city’s ambition for a human-centered, climate-friendly future. This theme will be brought alive through a dramatic new public installation and a programme of events and activities.

Kiaf SEOUL is South Korea's first international art fair which opened in 2002. With the rapid growth of Seoul as a global art city, Kiaf SEOUL is also evolving quickly to exceed market standards. Seoul has become a vibrant art hub in the global art market, where art connects people to provide unforgettable memories. With 20 years of history, Kiaf SEOUL presented traditional and contemporary art in one place as a bridge to connect the Korean art market and the global art market. Kiaf SEOUL will continue to serve as a global platform to host a festival full of art.

Kiaf SEOUL is South Korea's first international art fair which opened in 2002. With the rapid growth of Seoul as a global art city, Kiaf SEOUL is also evolving quickly to exceed market standards. Seoul has become a vibrant art hub in the global art market, where art connects people to provide unforgettable memories. With 20 years of history, Kiaf SEOUL presented traditional and contemporary art in one place as a bridge to connect the Korean art market and the global art market. Kiaf SEOUL will continue to serve as a global platform to host a festival full of art.

Kiaf SEOUL is South Korea's first international art fair which opened in 2002. With the rapid growth of Seoul as a global art city, Kiaf SEOUL is also evolving quickly to exceed market standards. Seoul has become a vibrant art hub in the global art market, where art connects people to provide unforgettable memories. With 20 years of history, Kiaf SEOUL presented traditional and contemporary art in one place as a bridge to connect the Korean art market and the global art market. Kiaf SEOUL will continue to serve as a global platform to host a festival full of art.

The Seoul National University Museum of Art (Director Shim Sang-yong) will hold the “Weapon World” exhibition from February 6 (Thursday) to May 4 (Sunday), 2025, showcasing the power of art that contrasts with weapons through approximately 120 works by domestic and foreign artists. This exhibition reflects on our present through weapons that embody the cutting-edge technology of modern society, and highlights artworks that explore the form and purpose of weapons. The concept of arms tax involves the broad impact of military activities such as weapons production, technology development, defense industry and war, as well as the complex military-industrial complex surrounding these activities, on the global environment and the future of mankind. If the "Anthropocene" explores the geological impact of human activities on the earth's ecosystem, and the "Capitalistocene" explains the impact of the expansion of the capitalist system on society and nature, then the "arms tax" is to recognize and warn of the dangers of militaristic civilization based on these concepts. To help people get to know the exhibition, we will be hosting curator-led tours of the exhibition on the last Wednesday of each month, “Culture Day”. Curator-led tours of the exhibition are scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, Wednesday, March 26, and Wednesday, April 24 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

An Sang-hoon's paintings are constantly revealing and erasing. Starting from images destined to disappear from photographs, they undergo countless painterly decisions, transforming into abstract canvases, their traces solidifying on the surface. In this process, the concepts of "hand" and "stain" operate as potential elements in his works. The hand leaves marks at every stage, and the stain accepts these marks, existing in an imperfect state. Stains often reveal the truth before disappearing, briefly existing quietly in the canvas. They wander between disappearance and persistence, constantly transforming and reborn. The works begin with these disappearing moments. Photos discarded in the trash bin of an iPhone, destined to be erased as vaguely as fragments of memory, are summoned onto the canvas through techniques such as watercolor, acrylic and spray paint to form initial layers. However, this is only the beginning. The figurative image is transformed and destroyed again through thick layers of paint and finger painting, a process that is not just deconstruction, but a search for the seeds of new order in chaos. Recent works such as "Plants that Can't Survive the Winter", "Green Santa Claus" and "Morning Exercise" imagine various layers as a single plane, combining them flatly with oil paint alone. The artist's method is closely related to his attitude towards painting, which manifests as a resistance to the traditional meaning of painting. He does not regard painting as a mere tool for representation, so in his works, traces of reference or appropriation are either removed or rendered invalid. Even the title of the work is severed from the image, leaving the language trace unexplained in the canvas. This attitude explores another possibility of painting. Unlike the common tendency in contemporary painting to assign meaning, he reveals the inherent potential of painting itself by removing the network of representation and meaning. He is constantly changing, exploring new possibilities of painting in chaos, and sometimes wavering in the face of the uncertainty he encounters. For him, uncertainty is not a threat, but an opportunity for new possibilities and experiments, the potential to repeat failures in an unfinished and unstable state, to constantly question his own paintings.

The Seoul Museum of Art will hold the first solo exhibition in Korea, "Sararan", by Kawashima Kotori, a Japanese photographer who captures the beauty of existence, at the Seoul Museum of Art M2 from February 26 to October 12. This large exhibition held on two floors of the Seoul Museum of Art M2 will showcase the artist's entire creative world with 309 works, from his first photography series "BABY BABY" to his representative work "Future-chan" that is both artistic and popular, and new works that capture the cityscape of Seoul. The exhibition will also feature C-Print and gelatin silver prints created by the artist himself using analog methods.

The modern art in the Leeum Museum of Art covers international art trends from Korean modern and contemporary art to Asian and Western modern art, and is the result of the Samsung Cultural Foundation's long-standing belief and passion for the development of Korean culture and art. In 2025, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Samsung Cultural Foundation, the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, provides a place for people to appreciate its collection of modern art from a new perspective. The focus of this exhibition is not on representative collections of well-known museums, but on works that have never been made public. In addition, new works recently acquired by the museum are introduced to enrich the artistic dialogue that reflects the changing times. The exhibition is not arranged chronologically or thematically, but encourages the audience to discover more relationships between works through visual or conceptual juxtaposition, thus creating a multi-layered, non-linear artistic experience. The opening works of the exhibition include Auguste Rodin's The Burghers of Calais, Alberto Giacometti's Lady Giant III, and Jan Bo's Our Country (Part), echoing the history and identity of the Leeum collection that connects modern and contemporary art. Starting with the wonderful encounter with paintings by Mark Rothko and Zhang Xuzhen, to the major works of modern masters Sol LeWitt, Richard Deacon, Carl Andre, and Robert Rauschenberg, which were made public for the first time since the opening of the Leeum, as well as the recently acquired works of Louise Nevelson, Hannah Darboven, and Lee Bontesseu, they complement each other and further enrich the depth and breadth of the art collection of the Leeum. In addition, the architecturally transformed M2 exhibition space will provide visitors with a special visual experience, allowing them to explore the space and works in a whole new way. Through this exhibition, we hope to examine the evolution and changes of modern art through the collections accumulated by Leeum Art Museum over the past decades, reflect on the contemporary context and artistic significance of the works, and feel the complex levels of art through the multi-level dialogue between the works. - Leeum Art Museum

The modern art in the Leeum Museum of Art covers international art trends from Korean modern and contemporary art to Asian and Western modern art, and is the result of the Samsung Cultural Foundation's long-standing belief and passion for the development of Korean culture and art. In 2025, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Samsung Cultural Foundation, the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, provides a place for people to appreciate its collection of modern art from a new perspective. The focus of this exhibition is not on representative collections of well-known museums, but on works that have never been made public. In addition, new works recently acquired by the museum are introduced to enrich the artistic dialogue that reflects the changing times. The exhibition is not arranged chronologically or thematically, but encourages the audience to discover more relationships between works through visual or conceptual juxtaposition, thus creating a multi-layered, non-linear artistic experience. The opening works of the exhibition include Auguste Rodin's The Burghers of Calais, Alberto Giacometti's Lady Giant III, and Jan Bo's Our Country (Part), echoing the history and identity of the Leeum collection that connects modern and contemporary art. Starting with the wonderful encounter with paintings by Mark Rothko and Zhang Xuzhen, to the major works of modern masters Sol LeWitt, Richard Deacon, Carl Andre, and Robert Rauschenberg, which were made public for the first time since the opening of the Leeum, as well as the recently acquired works of Louise Nevelson, Hannah Darboven, and Lee Bontesseu, they complement each other and further enrich the depth and breadth of the art collection of the Leeum. In addition, the architecturally transformed M2 exhibition space will provide visitors with a special visual experience, allowing them to explore the space and works in a whole new way. Through this exhibition, we hope to examine the evolution and changes of modern art through the collections accumulated by Leeum Art Museum over the past decades, reflect on the contemporary context and artistic significance of the works, and feel the complex levels of art through the multi-level dialogue between the works. - Leeum Art Museum