MMCA Gwacheon Permanent Exhibition 'Korean Modern and Contemporary Art I'
MMCA 과천 상설전 «한국근현대미술 I»
The MMCA Gwacheon Permanent Exhibition presents 145 works from the first half of the 20th century—a crucial era spanning from the late Daehan Jeguk through Korea's opening, Japanese colonial period, liberation, and the Korean War. It traces how Korean intellectuals engaged with Western influences, photography, and linear perspective while safeguarding tradition against external threats. Organized in nine sections, the exhibition explores the emergence of new visual approaches through photography and modern knowledge systems, modernized traditional painting, early Western painting (still life, landscape, portraiture), I In-sung's works, colonial-era Korean society in 1930s-40s Chosun Art Exhibition award winners, artist couples like Park Nae-hyun and Kim Ki-chang, post-war formal experimentation, family themes in painting and sculpture, and finally Park Soo-keun's drawings and paintings. The exhibition emphasizes the profound questions artists grappled with amid rapid social change and reveals how art sustained them through hardship. The exhibition began on May 1, 2025, and was refreshed on April 22, 2026, with dedicated artist rooms for I In-sung and Park Soo-keun.
- Dates
- Apr 22, 2026 → Jun 27, 2027
- Venue
- Gwacheon · 🌸 Gyeonggi
- Price
- ₩3,000
- Ticketing
- Official museum site
Practical information
- Exact location
- Gwacheon
- Organiser
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
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🎟️ How to book — Official museum site
- 1
Check opening hours on the museum's official site
Many Korean national museums close one day a week, often Mondays — worth checking before you make the trip.
- 2
Book a time slot for the most popular exhibitions
The most anticipated temporary exhibitions sometimes limit access to online time-slot reservations, especially on weekends.
- 3
Permanent collections are often free
Only certain special or temporary exhibitions charge admission — the permanent collection itself is free to enter at most national museums.
- 4
Book ahead for groups or guided tours
School groups and guided tours generally need to be booked directly with the museum ahead of the visit.
💡 Good to know
Many Korean national museums close one day a week (often Mondays) — check before you go.
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Nov 17, 2021 → Nov 16, 2026
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Source : Culture Data Plaza
