Installation view of 《The Art of Learning: Becoming Each Other's School》 © ARKO Art Center
ARKO Art Center is presenting its 2026 thematic exhibition, 《The Art of Learning:
Becoming Each Other’s School》, through
September 27, 2026.
Rather than referring to established educational institutions such
as conventional art colleges, ARKO Art Center uses the term “art school” to
describe self-organized communities, programs, and groups initiated by artists
for collective learning and creative collaboration.
Within this framework, “art schools” take diverse forms and names,
including artist collectives, studios, alternative spaces, and other
self-organized communities.
The
exhibition brings together eight participating groups: Material Library,
Mockcamp, Birdcall, Kuroda, Curating School Seoul, Happy Class, PIE, and YPC ×
Rat Journal. A total of 42 artists are participating in the exhibition.
Installation view of 《The Art of Learning: Becoming Each Other's School》 © ARKO Art Center
Each participating group presents the background and process
behind the formation and operation of their collective, along with the values
they pursue and their future plans, through an exhibition format.
They will also design and host a range of programs that invite
discussion around the solutions and alternatives artists are developing in
response to social change. In this sense, the exhibition itself becomes another
“art school,” bringing together multiple groups in a shared space of learning
and exchange.
At
the heart of the exhibition is the question, “Why must we come together?”
Through workshops, presentations, and other formats, the participating groups
and artists will engage with potential future collaborators as well as the
general public.
They
will actively explore forms of participation, collaboration, collective
creation, knowledge sharing, and peer-building, creating opportunities to learn
from and with one another.
Installation view of 《The Art of Learning: Becoming Each Other's School》 © ARKO Art Center
During the exhibition, approximately 20 sessions of the “Art
School Programs” will be held, including reading clubs, workshops, talks, and
roundtable discussions. These programs provide a space and time for
participants to explore new forms of knowledge together, exchange ideas, and
build connections with others, rather than facing an uncertain reality alone.
On
September 3, the “ARKO Day” event will also feature a presentation introducing
the participating groups and artists, along with a networking party for young
artists. Held annually by ARKO in September during Korea Art Festival and Seoul
Art Week, “ARKO Day” is a networking and introduction event that highlights
emerging and young artists.
