At 8 p.m., Flashlights Illuminate the Museum

Special Programs for the 40th Anniversary of MMCA Gwacheon

Photo Archive, Scent Workshop, and Nighttime Museum Exploration Planned

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is presenting a special program for visitors to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its Gwacheon branch.

Representative image of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Gwacheon Branch 40th Anniversary Special Program "Night Museum Exploration." National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

On July 13, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced that it will host a series of events in conjunction with its commemorative exhibition, "MMCA Gwacheon 40th Anniversary: Imaginations of Light," which opened on July 10. These programs include a photo collection archive, a lecture series by distinguished guests, educational sessions for children and families, nighttime museum explorations, and a film festival featuring the sculpture park's artists.

The participatory archive program, "Scenes," is a project that collects photos and memories taken by visitors at the Gwacheon branch. Since its opening in 1986, the Gwacheon branch has served as a major exhibition space for Korean contemporary art, as well as a memorable location featured in the film "Art Museum by the Zoo," and the site of school trips, picnics, and outdoor weddings across generations. Participants can upload photos and stories related to the Gwacheon branch via QR code until August 25. The collected photos will be serialized as Instagram card news by the museum, and the first 100 participants will receive limited-edition merchandise.

The "Three Experts, Three Perspectives Lecture Series" will also take place. On July 15, German literature scholar Youngae Jeon will deliver a lecture titled "The Museum of Space," discussing Goethe’s theory of color, his philosophy on art, and his views on nature. On August 19, biologist Jaecheon Choi will host a book talk on "The Museum in Nature," focusing on his recent book, "Historia Vitae." On September 16, physicist Sangwook Kim will present "Physics in the Museum," exploring the aging of the museum over time and the concept of the museum as a physical entity in need of care.

Promotional image for the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Gwacheon Branch's 40th anniversary special program 'Three Experts, Three Perspectives'. From left, literary scholar Jeon Youngae, biologist Choi Jaechun, and physicist Kim Sangwook interpret the meaning of the museum through the themes of whitespace, nature, and physics, respectively. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

On Wednesday nights, the museum transforms into an exploration space. The "Night Museum Exploration" program will be held at 8 p.m. on July 29 and August 26. Participants will experience the Gwacheon branch in a unique way, moving through the lobby, lamp core, central hall, circular garden, and rooftop garden with flashlights, following a route distinct from the usual visitor path. Dayoung Jeong, head of CAC and co-artistic director of the Korean Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, will lead the explorations.

"Summer Museum Painted with Scents," a family program for children, will be held at 1 p.m. from July 29 to 31 in the children's museum education room. Participants will discover the summer scents of the Gwacheon branch in the artworks, spaces, and landscapes, and, together with aromatherapist Gukhee Na, will create a fragrance inspired by their museum memories.

A special screening program, "Artists of the Sculpture Park," will be held in the main auditorium around the anniversary of the Gwacheon branch's opening on August 25. Films showcasing the work of prominent artists whose pieces are installed in the sculpture park will be screened, including "Lee Ufan: Marking Infinity," "Abacamania," "About Jenny Holzer," and "A Year with Betty Gold."

Kim Sung-hee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, said, "The 40 years of the Gwacheon branch have been shaped by the footsteps of our visitors," adding, "I hope this will become an occasion for us to envision new possibilities that connect the value of each visitor’s museum experience with the past, present, and future of the Gwacheon branch."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.