The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is launching a permanent exhibition this year to extensively showcase its major collections. Additionally, a new storage facility will be established in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk. On the 7th, the MMCA announced this year’s main projects and operational directions.
### Permanent Exhibition of Collections by Era
The museum plans to permanently exhibit major collections in a space of 3,300㎡ (equivalent to about 1,000 pyeong) at the Gwacheon branch and 1,551㎡ (about 470 pyeong) at the Seoul branch. Out of the total 11,800 collections, the Gwacheon branch will display works from the 1900s to the 1980s, while the Seoul branch will house pieces from the 1960s onwards. Notably, the “Lee Kun-hee Collection,” which toured various regions over the past two years, will be available for viewing through this permanent exhibition.
### Exhibitions Containing History
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, the museum will host an exhibition titled “Nostalgia, Longing for Home,” featuring works embodying the emotions tied to longing for one’s land. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic normalization, an exhibition titled “Korea-Japan Contemporary Art” will be held in collaboration with the Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan.
As part of the “Rediscovering Korean Modern Art” series, the Deoksugung branch will present the “Surrealism and Korean Modern Art” exhibition, while the Cheongju branch will focus on post-war Modern Art Association artists in “A New Endeavor: Modern Art Association 1957-1960.” Additionally, the Deoksugung branch will hold a 20th-anniversary retrospective of artist Lee Dae-won, and the Seoul branch will host the first exhibition of “Water Drop” painter Kim Chang-yeol since his passing.
A series titled “MMCA X LG OLED” will debut in the Seoul branch’s installation box, showcasing large-scale installation artworks that reflect the unique spatial characteristics. Furthermore, by the end of this year, a “Global Tour of Donated Works by the Late Lee Kun-hee” will commence, visiting major museums in the US and the UK.
### Securing New Storage Facilities
The MMCA is also working to secure new storage space to address the saturation caused by the increase in collections. The museum is considering utilizing the underground area of the Korea Mint Corporation’s building in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk, which is currently unused, as a new storage facility. It is anticipated that obtaining new storage will alleviate part of the current 90% saturation issue in museum storage.