The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is officially launching the “MMCA Research Fellowship,” a newly established international research support program designed to expand the global scope of Korean art studies.
 
The program aims to foster the internationalization of Korean art discourse by providing leading scholars from abroad with opportunities to reside and conduct research in Korea, enabling in-depth engagement with Korean culture and art through diverse academic approaches.
 
Selected as the first “MMCA Research Fellow,” Professor Alexander Alberro (Columbia University, USA) arrived in Korea on December 15 and will reside in the country for six months, during which he will pursue research on Korean art with comprehensive support from MMCA.

Professor Alberro is a globally renowned art historian known for his scholarship in conceptual art and institutional critique. During his residency, he will conduct in-depth research based on the MMCA’s collection, archives, and exhibitions, while engaging in exchanges with Korean researchers and artists to deepen his understanding of Korean art.
 
In particular, he is scheduled to present two public lectures in March and June next year, through which he will introduce his research interests and share the outcomes of his studies on Korean art with a wider audience.

The “MMCA Research Fellowship” is expected to serve as a significant platform for enhancing the international standing of Korean art research through collaboration with leading overseas scholars, expanding the academic use of the museum’s collections and archives, and broadening contemporary art discourse through exchange with the Korean art community. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea plans to continue enriching research and discourse on Korean art through sustained collaboration with a wide range of international researchers.
 
MMCA Director Sunghee Kim stated, “Since the beginning of my tenure, I have emphasized the international expansion of discourse alongside exhibitions of Korean art. The “MMCA Research Fellowship” will serve as that platform,” adding, “I hope that Professor Alberro, our inaugural fellow, will bring new perspectives to the study of Korean art and open a meaningful point of departure for its global dissemination.”

References

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