Global Museums Shift Focus on Korean Art: From 'Collection' to 'Research'

Discovering Abstract and Experimental Works at Guimet Museum and Beyond
Focus on the Continuity of Tradition and Art Historical Context
"KIAF and Frieze Seoul Stand Out for Their Dynamism"

"The Guimet Museum wishes to showcase a variety of Korean art beyond Dansaekhwa. In Korea, there have also been movements in abstract and experimental art that differ from Dansaekhwa. I hope to take a broader view of the Korean art scene from the 1960s to the 1980s."

The perspective of major art museums around the world on Korean contemporary art is changing. There is an increasing trend to not only collect works by famous artists, but also to research the history and experimental currents of Korean contemporary art, connecting these discoveries to their existing collections.

Cecile Dajour, Contemporary Art Curator at the Guimet Museum in France, emphasized at the "2026 KIAF Seoul × Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) × Frieze Seoul Talk" held at COEX, Seoul, on September 4, that there is much to note in the flow of Korean contemporary art aside from Dansaekhwa. The talk, exploring the theme "Global Collections and the Future of Korean Art", was moderated by Kim Eun-jin, Art Wall Director, and featured curator Dajour, Meruro Washida, Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa in Japan, and Hyun Soo-ah, Korean Art Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States.

Hyeonsu A, Korean Art Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States, Meruro Washida, Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa in Japan, and Cecile Dajour, Contemporary Art Curator at the Guimet Museum in France (from left), explain why they focus on Korean art at the "2026 KIAF Seoul × Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) × Frieze Seoul Talk" held at COEX, Seoul on the 4th. Korea Arts Management Service

The Guimet Museum is France's representative national museum specializing in Asian art. Among its approximately 65,000-piece collection, it holds about 1,500 Korean works. Curator Dajour explained, "The Korean collection is a very significant part of our holdings," adding, "We have ancient artifacts from the Silla period, Joseon dynasty paintings and ceramics, and Buddhist artworks."

Recently, the Guimet Museum’s interest has expanded beyond internationally renowned Korean artists to include a deeper art historical context. Curator Dajour noted, "While Korean contemporary art became a focus of overseas museum collections during the globalization of the 1990s and 2000s, there has been relatively little research and documentation on art from the 1960s to the 1980s," and added, "Starting with Dansaekhwa, we want to explore different trends such as abstract art, experimental art, and conceptual art which have been overshadowed so far."

They aim to move past simply focusing on artists and artworks, to a deeper study of the historical context—including the background and the spirit of the times in which the works were created—of Korean contemporary art.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a representative comprehensive art museum in the United States, has also built a Korean art collection ranging from ancient to contemporary works. Curator Hyun explained, "We have outstanding Korean artworks, from ceramics of the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo Buddhist paintings and manuscripts, to paintings, Buddhist sculptures, ceramics, as well as works from the 20th and 21st centuries. In decorative arts, one can see ceramics, metalware, and lacquerware."

The collection of Korean works began in 1889 with the acquisition of seven musical instruments from the 19th century. Four years later, in 1893, buncheong ware was added to the collection. While the collection grew steadily, for over a hundred years there was no dedicated exhibition space, leaving much of it in storage. This changed with the opening of the Korean Gallery in 1998, after which displays and research intensified. In 2023, the museum also held an exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the Korean Art Gallery.

The opening of the Korean Gallery brought a more multidimensional approach to Korean art. Curator Hyun noted, "At the 2011 special exhibition on buncheong ware, we exhibited 15th–16th century works alongside contemporary potters such as Kwangjo Yoon and Hun-Chung Lee, highlighting how tradition is inherited and transformed. The exhibition also explored the Korea–Japan relationship in the 16th–17th centuries through buncheong ware. While modern Japanese ceramics maintain a Japanese style, their lineage reveals clear influences from Korea."

Hyun Soo-ah, Korean Art Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States (second from the left), is explaining about Korean artworks owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the "2026 KIAF Seoul × Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) × Frieze Seoul Talk" held at COEX, Seoul on the 4th. Korea Arts Management Service

The Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, one of Japan’s leading contemporary art museums, demonstrates that interest in Korean contemporary art is not a sudden phenomenon. The museum, which opened in 2004, began collecting works by Korean artists as early as 2000. Director Washida introduced, "We have works by Korean artists such as Lee Bul and Do Ho Suh."

Director Washida showed deep understanding of the artists, particularly by introducing Lee Bul’s 2000 work in the museum’s collection. He explained, "Lee Bul’s work incorporates new technology alongside shamanistic elements. The coexistence of two seemingly contradictory factors within a single work is one of the reasons Kanazawa collects Lee Bul’s art."

The cases of the three museums demonstrate an expansion in overseas art museums’ focus from simple ‘Korean artwork collection’ to researching the context of Korean art. Moving past an emphasis on famous artists or Dansaekhwa, they are uncovering trends that have not yet been fully spotlighted, and re-examining the status of Korean art within tradition and modernity as well as its relationships with neighboring countries. Director Washida also expressed a desire to include ceramic works by Lee Bul and works by Lee Soo Kyung, known for "Translated Ceramics," in the future.

Curator Hyun cited dynamism as the reason for the continuing focus on Korean art. She said, "I come to KIAF and Frieze Seoul every year, and there are always changes. I am deeply impressed by the constant emergence of new artists and new types of works."

This article was produced with support from the Korea Arts Management Service.

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