"Show the Overlooked Histories of Korean Art Beyond Dansaekhwa" [Korean Art Through the Eyes of the Global Art World] ①

Interview with Cecile Dajour, Contemporary Art Curator at the Guimet Museum

46 Works by 28 Korean Artists Donated... "Aspiring to a 1960s Historical Exhibition"

"International Recognition Focused on Famous Artists and Movements Conceals the

There are names that have succeeded in introducing Korean art to the world—Dansaekhwa is a prominent example. But does the broad recognition of this term mean that the history of Korean contemporary art is truly understood? Cecile Dazur, Curator of Modern Art at the National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in France, is less optimistic. She points out that, behind the rise in Korean art's international profile, the focus on a handful of well-known artists and art movements has overshadowed other aspects of its history.

Cecile Danger, Curator of Modern Art at the National Museum of Asian Art - Guimet in France, is conducting an interview at the Seoul Museum of Art. She emphasized the historical importance of Dansaekhwa while stressing the need to also shine a light on experimental art, conceptual art, and women's art, which have been overlooked until now. Arts Management Support Center

"International recognition tends to concentrate on a few famous artists or art movements. As a result, the historical context—the diversity and complexity of art history—becomes invisible and forgotten."

I met Dazur on September 3 at the site of the "2026 Dive into Korean Art" program, which ran from August 30 to September 6 and brought her to Korea. Through the interview, I asked her about the international standing of Korean art and the museum's directions for collection and exhibition. This program included 15 art professionals from abroad, who visited the studios of nine Korean artists, major art institutions, as well as the Gwangju and Busan Biennales.

Dazur does not seek to deny the achievements of Dansaekhwa. On the contrary, she first points out that there has never been a large-scale historical exhibition of Dansaekhwa in France. What is already a familiar episode in Korean art history remains insufficiently introduced to French audiences. She stresses that, in order to present the history of Korean contemporary art, the importance and dominant position of Dansaekhwa need to be accurately explained.

Only then does her sharp question emerge: While one art movement has come to represent Korean art, where have other artistic currents been in the meantime?

"At the same time, we need to showcase other artistic movements and trends. We must explain how the dominant status of Dansaekhwa has pushed to the background and obscured works such as Art Informel abstraction, experimental art, conceptual art, and works by women artists."

This is not a call to simply seek a new trend after Dansaekhwa. Rather than replacing an already successful movement with another name, she argues, it is essential to historically examine how that movement emerged and rose to prominence. This, according to Dazur, is the very role of public art museums: to resist the oversimplification of art, to offer multiple layers of meaning and perspective, and to place works within a more precise historical context.

‘Dal Dari (La Lune et les Jambes)’ by artist Seulgi Lee, installed at the National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in France. Colorful lines stretched long across the exhibition hall ceiling traverse the space, expressing Korean folk beliefs and traditional crafts through a contemporary sculptural language. This exhibition is curated by Cécile Dazur, curator of contemporary art at the Guimet Museum. Photo by Nicolas Fussler, Guimet Museum.

Donation of 46 Korean Artworks..."A Catalyst for a 1960s Historical Exhibition"

This awareness also shapes the Guimet Museum's approach to collecting. Dazur revealed that the museum recently received a donation of 46 works by 28 Korean artists, mostly active in the late twentieth century. "I hope this donation will initiate a large-scale exhibition that takes a historical perspective on Korean contemporary art, with the 1960s at its center," she said.

More notable than the number '46' is her perspective on the donation. Instead of simply adding these works to the museum's collection, she sees them as a starting point for research and exhibitions that will revisit the art of a particular era. The museum’s official research plan for 2026–2030 identifies Korean Dansaekhwa as a primary subject, with an aim to advance research in connection with this donation. The Guimet Museum has made clear that it does not intend to simply reduce Dansaekhwa to a mere monochrome style, but instead will examine it within its historical context.

The Guimet Museum is also introducing contemporary Korean artists. One example is the large installation "Dal Dari (La Lune et les Jambes)" by Seulgi Lee, currently on display. This exhibition, curated by Dazur, utilizes both the exterior and interior spaces of the museum to connect Korean folk beliefs, traditional crafts, and contemporary artistic language. The exhibition opened on June 6 and will run until February 8 of next year.

Following Dazur’s explanation, it becomes clear that introducing contemporary artists and researching past art history are not separate tasks. When there is an understanding of the historical environment from which today’s work has emerged, international audiences can go beyond recalling only a few prominent styles or names. This is also why she aligns the museum’s collecting policy with its mission to study Asian art histories in diverse contexts.

Cécile Dayez, Curator of Modern Art at the National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in France, is expressing her views on Korean contemporary art at the "2026 Dive into Korean Art" program. She pointed out that the international recognition of Korean art has been concentrated on certain artists and art movements, resulting in insufficient awareness of the diverse historical contexts. Arts Management Support Center

"The Map of World Art Has Expanded... Changing Perspectives Takes Time"

The increasing international exhibitions of Korean artists are not the same as their works becoming part of the permanent collections of global museums. I asked Dazur about the threshold between the two. She explained that collecting is not decided by artistic value alone. The museum's research and exhibition policies are crucial, and exhibitions themselves often present opportunities to acquire new works. Unexpected opportunities, such as donations, also shape collections.

She also drew attention to the fact that, since the 1990s, the geographical scope of global contemporary art has consistently expanded at a rapid pace. Curators are finding it difficult to fully understand and integrate these emerging art worlds and their histories. As much time is needed to change established art historical perspectives as to discover new artists themselves.

"We are still in a period of transition. Changing perspectives takes time."

Now that Korean art's international presence has grown, Dazur’s challenge is not limited to presenting more iconic pieces to the world. It is about properly explaining the achievements of those already recognized, while creating a history that brings to light the artists and movements once obscured, as well as connecting works from different eras. For Korean art to remain present in the world's museums means, simultaneously, that the works enter storage and that the discipline of art history that understands them broadens its scope.

This article was produced with the support of the Arts Management Support Center.

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