Vasari Codex. A living chronicle of the art world.

museum exhibitions schedule May 25, 2026

Incheon's Crocat House hosts group exhibition featuring 6 Korean, global artists

Crocat House, a new cultural and arts complex in Incheon, South Korea, is hosting a group exhibition titled "Felt Seams — What the Tide Erases, the Body Holds," featuring six Korean and international artists. The show, curated by Korean artist Sung A Jang, explores themes of identity, memory, and the spaces between body and world, with works ranging from figurative sculptures to paintings. The exhibition opened on May 16, 2026, and includes artists such as John Shrader, who presented new sculptural pieces alongside earlier works.

museum exhibitions schedule May 19, 2026

Yoo Young-kuk’s inner landscapes spotlighted in Seoul retrospective

The Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) has opened its largest-ever retrospective of pioneering Korean abstract painter Yoo Young-kuk, titled "Yoo Youngkuk: A Mountain Within Me," marking the 110th anniversary of his birth. Running through Oct. 25 at SeMA's Seosomun branch, the exhibition brings together 178 works, including 115 oil paintings, drawings, photographs, archival materials, and previously unseen pieces, as well as BTS RM's collection "Mountain." Rather than a chronological format, the show begins in 1964—the year of Yoo's first solo exhibition—and moves backward and forward through time, highlighting his geometric compositions and bold primary colors inspired by the mountains and sea of his hometown Uljin.

museum exhibitions schedule May 13, 2026

‘Close, yet distant': MMCA exhibition revisits Korea-Japan artistic ties since 1945

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Gwacheon, South Korea, has opened a major exhibition titled “Art between Korea and Japan since 1945,” co-organized with the Yokohama Museum of Art. Running from May 14 to September 27, 2026, the show marks the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic ties between the two countries. Featuring some 200 works by 43 artists, including Zainichi artists and video art pioneer Nam June Paik, the exhibition traces eight decades of artistic exchange shaped by colonialism, war, division, and ongoing tensions. It previously opened in Yokohama, drawing over 37,000 visitors—significantly surpassing typical attendance—with strong interest from younger audiences.

museum exhibitions schedule May 12, 2026

Lotte Hotels & Resorts taps graphic artist Verdy for ‘Art-cation' promotion

Lotte Hotels & Resorts has launched a collaborative promotion with Japanese graphic artist Verdy, timed to his first solo exhibition in Korea, “I Believe in Me,” at the Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul. The promotion, running until July 19, offers guests at Signiel Seoul, Lotte Hotel Seoul, and Lotte Hotel World limited-edition key card holders designed by Verdy, along with discounts on exhibition admission and specialized room packages that include tickets and upgrades.

museum exhibitions schedule May 7, 2026

Korean American artist exhibits 'Along the LOVE Road' series in Seoul, Buyeo

Korean American visual artist Sungmo Cho is returning to South Korea after 14 years to exhibit his 'Along the LOVE Road' series in Seoul and Buyeo. Cho, who moved to New York in 1992, has created over 30 solo shows and 150 group shows across four countries. His works explore themes of migration, memory, and the tension between civilization and nature, with roads serving as a central symbol of both human progress and environmental destruction.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 30, 2026

Cultural institutions tap power of art to heal national fractures

More than 300 museums and art institutions across South Korea will participate in the 2026 Museum and Gallery Week, a nationwide cultural festival organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, running from May 1 to May 31. The event adopts the theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World" from the International Council of Museums, and features three main programs: "Museum × Meet" highlighting 50 signature objects, "Museum × Enjoy" with exhibitions and performances at 18 institutions, and "Museum × Wander" offering guided tours connecting galleries with historic sites.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 29, 2026

‘Into Other Spaces' to reexamine trailblazing women artists across decades

The Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul is hosting 'Inside Other Spaces: Environments by Women Artists, 1956-1976,' an exhibition that reconstructs immersive room-scale works by 11 women artists from underrepresented regions. Co-curated by Andrea Lissoni and Marina Pugliese, the show traces two decades of experimental environments made from light, sound, plastic, and foam, which anticipated installation and media art. The Seoul edition features a new version of Jung Kang-ja's 1967 work 'Muche-jeon (Incorporal Exhibition),' a smoke-filled chamber that evokes the tension of 1970s authoritarian Korea.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 21, 2026

Ha Chong-hyun's 6 decades of art head to San Francisco's Asian Art Museum

Korean artist Ha Chong-hyun, a key figure in the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement, will receive his first North American museum retrospective at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The exhibition, opening in September, will feature approximately 50 works spanning six decades, including his recent paintings and his signature 'Conjunction' series.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 6, 2026

From fields to fire: Lee Bae brings 30 years of charcoal art to Museum SAN

South Korean artist Lee Bae has opened a major solo exhibition titled "En attendant" at Museum SAN in Wonju, marking the first time the institution has dedicated its entire grounds to a single Korean artist. The retrospective spans thirty years of Lee’s career, showcasing his deep engagement with charcoal as a medium that bridges his heritage as a farmer’s son with the traditions of East Asian ink painting. The exhibition features monumental sculptures, installations, and video works that transform the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces into a meditative journey.

museum exhibitions schedule Mar 17, 2026

Galleries Art Fair to open next month with record participants

The Galleries Art Fair, also known as the Hwarang Art Fair, will return to Seoul's COEX exhibition center from April 8-12, 2026. This year’s edition marks a significant milestone with a record-breaking 169 participating member galleries, making it the largest iteration in the event's history. The fair will feature a diverse range of contemporary Korean art, including a special section for emerging talent titled "Zoom In Edition 7" and a commemorative exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Galleries Association of Korea.

article news schedule Feb 12, 2026

N. Korea holds events to gather momentum ahead of key party congress

North Korea has organized a series of events, including a large book and art exhibition at the Korean Art Museum in Pyongyang, to generate public enthusiasm ahead of a key Workers' Party congress scheduled for late February. The exhibition featured approximately 10,000 books on party ideology alongside paintings, sculptures, and artifacts depicting the daily lives of North Korean citizens.

article news schedule Feb 6, 2026

Arts Council Korea calls for applications for Seoul art residency

The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) is accepting applications for its ARKO Art Studio residency program in Seoul, which will host 10 visual artists—six international and four local—for two rounds in 2025. Selected artists receive private studio space in Pyeongchang-dong, cultural tours, mentorship, networking events, and studio visits with curators, culminating in a two-month group exhibition at the ARKO Art Center. The application deadline is February 18, with successful applicants announced on March 11.

person The Korea Times