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| ▲ This photo, taken on Oct. 5, 2021, shows the special exhibition titled "Human, 7 Questions," which was released ahead of the opening of Leeum Museum of Art. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- Leeum Museum of Art has returned with a new look. To provide visitors the best space to appreciate art, Leeum reorganized permanent exhibitions as well as renovated the interior of the lobby.
The permanent exhibition at Leeum, which presents major collections, will be completely reorganized for the first time since the "Beyond and Between" exhibition in 2014 and introduce a large number of works that have not been displayed so far.
The official opening for Leeeum, which has been closed for about a year and seven months due to COVID-19, is set on Oct. 8.
The Traditional Korean Art permanent collection displays a total of 160 art pieces, including six national treasures, such as the "Gourd-shaped Ewer Decorated with Lotus Petals," famous Joseon Dynasty painter Kim Hong-do's "Daoist Immortals," as well as four treasures and six contemporary art works.
More than half of the works for the Modern and Contemporary Art permanent collection galleries will also be unveiled for the first time at Leeum.
Visitors can appreciate a total of 76 works, including paintings, sculptures, and installations by contemporary artists such as Choi Man-lin, Choi Wook-kyung, Lee Seung-jio, Lee Blu, Robert Irwin, Ghada Amer, Salvador Dali, Dan Graham, and Anish Kapoor.
Along with permanent collections, Leeum will also showcase a special exhibition titled "Human, 7 Questions," which will be held until Jan. 2, 2022, and displays around 130 works by 51 Korean and foreign artists. The exhibition raises the question of what 'humans,' one of the biggest sources of art, represent in the fast-changing environment of the 21st century and the pandemic.
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| ▲ This photo, taken on Oct. 5, 2021, shows George Segal's "Rush Hour," which is positioned at the start of the "Human, 7 Questions" exhibition in Leeum Museum of Art. (Yonhap) |
Through introducing world-class masterpieces such as Alberto Giacometti's "Tall Woman III" and George Segal's "Rush Hour," the thematic exhibition will be divided into seven categories to look back on humans from various angles.
The works of artists who have made a significant mark in contemporary art history, such as Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Paik Nam-june, are in harmony with relatively less well-known contemporary artists.
To highlight the fascinating pieces of art within Leeum, the museum's interior was changed and overseen by creative director Jung Ku-ho, a former fashion designer, performance and exhibition director.
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| ▲ This photo, provided by Samsung Foundation of Culture, shows the entrance of the Leeum Museum of Art. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Walking through the lobby, visitors can observe works by Kim Soo-ja and Lee Bae, which were installed and arranged to highlight the intentions of the architects. Furthermore, the "Media Wall," which is a digital display screen installed in the lobby, displays art works and interviews by installation artist Jennifer Steinkamp.
The new MI (Museum Identity), produced by world-renowned design company Wolff Olins, was developed in the form of a symbol and a wordmark that rotates around, aimed to express the museum's desire to keep up with the rapidly changing times.
The museum has also newly appointed Kim Sung-won, a professor at the College of Arts and Design, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, as the new Deputy Director in September.
Some expect that the reopening of the museum, which has had a huge influence as the nation's best private art museum, will have a positive effect on Korea's art industry.
Leeum, which was criticized to be too exclusive in the past, decided to operate permanent exhibitions for free at all times with the reopening of the museum, making a leap forward as a future-oriented art museum. The exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art and Ho-Am Art Museum are also free until the end of this year.
"Admission to Leeum's permanent exhibitions will be made free of charge in order to honor the intent of Lee Kun-Hee, the late Chairman of Samsung, and his family's donation of his private art collection, which was 'to broadly share with fellow citizens of Korea the cultural assets of the country, collected with a resolve to preserve Korean culture,'" Leeum explained.
The Ho-Am Museum of Art, located in Yongin, Seoul, is scheduled to reopen at the same time as Leeum and will hold a special exhibition titled "Metallurgy : Great Wisdom" that illuminates the originality of Korean beauty through metal art created from ancient to modern times.
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