Explore the History of Korean Art!

The Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., in cooperation with MMCA Korea, presents a curator talk screening program featuring exhibitions currently on view at MMCA. The screening introduces the development of Korean modern and contemporary art from the 1900s to today.

The video is presented in Korean with English subtitles.

 Program Dates: Part 1 May 22 (Fri) 6 PM / Part 2 May 29 (Fri) 6 PM

 Location: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.

 Program Details:

 - 18:05 Introduction
 - 18:10 Screening
 - 18:40 Self-guided Exhibition Tour & Q&A

Part 1 RSVP Link / Part 2 RSVP Link

Part 1

Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Korean Art

Modern and contemporary Korean art is often divided around the period following the Korean War in the 1950s. MMCA Gwacheon has organized its permanent exhibition around the year 1950.

The exhibition presents works before the 1950s in chronological order, while the post-1950 section is organized by both historical periods and artistic themes, highlighting the characteristics of different artists and movements.

In this screening, two curators guide viewers through the exhibition galleries and introduce the overall structure and themes of the exhibition.

Part 2

Focus on the 1950 – 1960s Korean Art

Korean modern art underwent significant changes following the Korean War, particularly through the emergence of artist collectives formed between the late 1950s and 1960s. MMCA Cheongju presents an exhibition exploring these groups, including the Modern Art Association (1957–1960), one of the first independent artist groups in Korea.

The exhibition introduces artists who challenged the realism-centered National Art Exhibition of Korea (Kukjeon) and experimented with abstraction and modernist practices while developing their own distinctive visual language.

In this screening, viewers can explore how these artist collectives contributed to the development of Korean abstract art and laid the foundation for contemporary Korean art.