Following a major overhaul, the open storage at MMCA Cheongju welcomes visitors with a refreshed presentation.
 
As Korea’s first art museum dedicated to open storage, MMCA Cheongju opened in December 2018, making its storage facilities—a core part of the museum—accessible to the public.
 
Extending the scope of the museum experience beyond exhibition spaces, where visitors view artworks, to storage areas where works are preserved, managed, and researched, the museum has put the principles of “sharing” and “openness” into practice.
 
The number of works from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) collection stored and managed at MMCA Cheongju has grown substantially, from approximately 1,220 at its opening in 2018 to around 5,000 as of 2026.
 
Building on this expanded collection, the overhaul aims to replace works that have been on long-term display and introduce a wider range of collection items by selecting works previously kept in closed storage. The layout of the artworks and interpretive content have also been updated to communicate the distinctive features and role of the open storage more effectively.

The overhaul introduces 32 works from the collection to the public for the first time. Highlights include Kim Columba and Agnes Sisters (1954, cast circa 1974) by KIM Sechoong, a leading figure of the first generation of modern Korean sculptors; Curiosity (1972), a rare sculpture by CHOI Wook-kyung, best known for her abstract paintings; Gravestone of Mass (1981), the Grand Prize-winning work at the National Art Exhibition of Korea by CHUN Kook-kwang, a major figure in Korean abstract sculpture; and Female Natives (2010) by YANG Haegue.
 
The presentation also features contemporary craft works, including Dream of Africa–Head (1999–2003) by SHIN Sangho, a leading figure in contemporary Korean ceramics; Four Scenes (2015) by YOO Euijeong; and Bed Man (2016) by OH Hwajin.

In particular, the overhaul incorporates crates used to transport and store artworks into the display layout to offer a more vivid representation of actual storage conditions. Some works are presented inside crates, while additional crates used for artwork storage are also displayed, allowing visitors to explore storage and collection-management practices rarely seen in conventional exhibition spaces.
 
Going beyond the viewing of artworks, the presentation reveals how works are stored and managed after entering the museum’s collection, offering a more concrete understanding of the functions and role of open storage as distinct from exhibition galleries.

References

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