This year, the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) will open two new branches—the Photography Seoul Museum of Art (Photo SeMA) and SeMA Seo-Seoul Museum of Art—completing its "network-style museum" system. 

Photo SeMA, Korea’s first public photography museum, is set to open this May in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul. The museum will focus on the dual nature of photography as both a medium of documentation and creativity, showcasing exhibitions that encompass the broader spectrum of photographic culture. 

Over the past decade, Photo SeMA has collected 21,000 photographs and materials that hold significant positions in the history of Korean photography. Building on this foundation, the museum stated its aim “to deeply research the past and present of photography, systematize the history of Korean photographic art, and explore the rapidly evolving future of photography, establishing itself as a central institution for Korean photographic art studies.”

As its inaugural special exhibitions, the Photo SeMA will present two exhibitions under the theme “Radiant Perspectives.” The first, 《Radiance 光彩: Moments of Beginnings》, highlights five photographers who have marked significant milestones in the history of Korean photographic art. The second, 《Storage Story》, features commissioned works by six contemporary artists reflecting their experiences and interpretations of the museum’s establishment process. 

《Radiance 光彩: Moments of Beginnings》 is based on nearly a decade of research and collection efforts in preparation for the museum’s opening. The exhibition will feature works by photographers Jung Hae Chang, Lim Seok Je, Lee Hyung-rok, Cho Hyung-doo, and Park Youngsook.
 
Meanwhile, 《Storage Story》 serves as an archival exhibition that shares the museum’s development journey. It showcases works by six contemporary artists—Dongsin Seo, Won Seoung Won, Jooyoung Oh, Melmel Chung, Jihyun Jung, and Yongseong Joo—bringing their experiences and interpretations of the museum’s creation to life.

In the latter half of the year, the SeMA Seo-Seoul Museum of Art, the city’s first museum dedicated to media art, is set to open in Doksan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul. Under the theme of “Breath,” the museum will annually feature contemporary artists and works exploring time-based art forms such as performance within the realm of new media. It will also debut the inaugural “SeMA Performance” program, aimed at supporting new creations and experimentation. 

The museum plans to gradually develop into an international performance art festival, leveraging the diverse cultural characteristics of Seoul’s southwestern region, while also offering a variety of participatory programs for citizens. Additionally, the museum will showcase an interpretative exhibition of its new media collection, drawing from four years of acquisitions, alongside works from the SeMA collection. These exhibitions will recontextualize key themes and the artistic worlds of participating artists. The museum will continue to strengthen its operational foundation in the fields of exhibition, research, education, and preservation related to new media.

With the opening of these two new museums, the Seoul Museum of Art will complete its network of eight branch museums this year. The museum announced plans to further refine the distinct identities and functions of each branch, establishing an integrated and sophisticated management framework to ensure the seamless operation of all eight locations.

References

• 서울시 보도자료 (Seoul Metropolitan Government Press Release)
• 서울시립미술관 보도자료 (Seoul Museum of Art Press Release)

Ji Yeon Lee has been working as an editor for the media art and culture channel AliceOn since 2021 and worked as an exhibition coordinator at samuso (now Space for Contemporary Art) from 2021 to 2023.