The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announced that its exhibition 《Ron Mueck》, currently on view at the Seoul branch, has attracted more than 210,000 visitors within just over 30 days since its opening. 

This large-scale retrospective is the artist’s first major exhibition in Asia and is co-organized with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain (FC) in France. It offers a comprehensive look at the oeuvre of Ron Mueck (b. 1958), a renowned Australian sculptor celebrated for his hyperrealistic work. The exhibition features 10 representative sculptures from various periods of Mueck’s career, along with 12 studio photographs and two documentary films — a total of 24 works on display.

Since its opening on April 11, the exhibition has drawn continuous crowds, with long lines forming inside and outside the exhibition hall daily. In just over 30 days, from April 11 to May 18, more than 210,000 visitors have experienced the show. With an average of 6,777 visitors on weekends and 4,611 on weekdays, the exhibition is attracting approximately 5,600 people per day—marking the highest attendance for a single exhibition in the history of MMCA Seoul.
 
Young visitors in their 20s and 30s are particularly prominent at the exhibition. Those in their 20s make up 45%, and those in their 30s account for 28%, meaning people in their 20s and 30s together comprise an overwhelming 73% of all visitors. 

Riding on the exhibition’s popularity, the catalogue and merchandise have also gained strong traction. Items such as eco bags, postcards, and notebooks have sold out and are currently in their second round of production. A second printing of the exhibition catalogue is also being prepared. In response to merchandise inquiries and requests, five types of T-shirts printed with three exhibited works were recently stocked and have become hit products at the MMCA museum shop.

In addition, since the opening of the 《Ron Mueck》 exhibition, the MMCA has seen a surge of approximately 70,000 new members—an increase 4.5 times higher compared to the same period last year. Visitor numbers to the Seoul branch of the museum have also risen by 145% year-on-year.
 
Search volume for “MMCA” and “Ron Mueck” on online portal sites has increased by 71% and 100% respectively since the exhibition’s launch. On Instagram, the hashtag #RonMueck has seen a spike of over 240%. These indicators suggest that the 《Ron Mueck》 exhibition is playing a major role in generating interest in contemporary art and museums among audiences who previously may not have visited. 

The highly popular 《Ron Mueck》 exhibition at MMCA Seoul runs through July 13.

References

• 국립현대미술관 보도자료 (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) Press Release)