Exhibition view of the Olympiad of Art, 1988, MMCA Art Research Center Collection
Olympiad of Art
* Source: Multilingual Glossary of Korean Art. Korea Arts Management Service
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Lee Kyungsung
Lee Kyungsung (1919-2009, pen name Seoknam) was born in Incheon as the first son of Lee Hak-soon and Jin Bo-bae. He graduated from Changyeong Elementary School (1926-31) and Gyeongseong Commercial School (1934-36). In 1937, he moved to Japan and graduated from the Department of Law at Waseda University in 1941. After his return to Korea, he worked as a clerk at the Gyeongseong Court. Later, he returned to Japan to study art history at Weseda University. After independence, he was appointed as the first director of the Incheon City Museum, a director of Hongik University Museum, Walker Hill Art Center (1981-83), and the MMCA (1981-83, 1986-92). He strived to improve the structure of Korean art museums and also trained professional curators. During his appointment as a professor at Ewha Womans University (1957-60) and Hongik University (1961-81), he also served as a chair of the Korean Art Critics Association and published several important books that contributed to the foundation of a modern Korean art history. He established the Seoknam Art Culture Foundation in 1989 and the Seoknam awards for art and art theory. After his retirement, he focused on his art and held numerous solo exhibitions.
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National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA)
A national museum established in 1969 that researches, collects, and exhibits modern and contemporary art. As of 2018, there are branches in Gwacheon, Deoksugung, Seoul, and Cheongju. When first established, the National Museum of Modern Art (now MMCA) was located within Gyeongbokgung palace. In 1973, the museum moved to the East Wing of the Deoksugung Seokjojeon building. Then, in 1986, the museum moved to its current location in Gwacheon, to occupy a new building equipped with an outdoor sculpture exhibition space, and has since opened a new chapter in Korean art. The perceived need for a space to focus specifically on Korean contemporary art led to the establishment of further site, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung in 1998. In November 2013, a further demand for contemporary art exhibitions led to the establishment of another Seoul branch being created in the Defense Security Command building in Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, which has since its inception engaged in multifaceted exhibitions of both domestic and overseas contemporary art. Also, as a further component of the MMCA complex, a disused tobacco factory in Cheongju was remodeled to provide a home to the National Art Storage Center.
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Seoul Arts Center
South Korea’s first multipurpose art center, established in 1988 for the development and promotion of culture, and increased opportunities for Koreans to enjoy the arts. The Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, which opened in February 1988, is Korea’s first art museum that specializes in calligraphic works. The museum’s collection comprises historic texts on art and calligraphy in Korea, China, and Japan, including the Geunyeok Seohwasa (History of Calligraphy and Painting); historical records of modern calligraphy and painting in Korea; and over 1,300 works of contemporary East Asian calligraphy. In March 2020, the museum elevated to the status of a “Museum Specializing in Calligraphy.” The Hangaram Art Museum, established in October 1990, opened for the purpose of exhibiting visual artworks. Each year, the museum holds over 50 exhibitions. There are seven exhibition spaces, of which Exhibition Hall No.7, a small exhibition space capable of displaying diverse genres of works, is particularly notable. The Hangaram Design Museum, which opened in November 1999, is Korea’s first art museum specializing in design. The museum holds exhibitions and seminars that introduce Korean audiences to overseas trends in design as well as providing a venue for exchange within the domestic design community.
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