Publication of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Representative Collection of 300 Masterpieces

Collection of 300 Works from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Cover [Photo by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) announced on the 15th that it has published "300 Masterpieces from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art," a collection carefully selected from its representative holdings, as part of its 50th anniversary commemorative project.

This is the first time in 15 years that the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has published a collection of its holdings. In 2004, on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, the museum published a collection featuring works by 119 artists (teams). Since then, the museum has achieved remarkable growth both quantitatively and qualitatively. The number of holdings increased from 5,360 in 2004 to 8,417 as of October 19 last year. Reflecting this growth, the current collection includes works by 300 representative artists (teams) collected by the museum over the past 50 years.

The works selected for the collection were decided through various methods including discussions, meetings, and voting involving all curatorial staff of the museum. Additionally, 35 curators from the museum participated in writing to help readers better understand the museum’s holdings. The collection is arranged chronologically by production date, allowing readers to experience the flow of contemporary Korean art of the 20th and 21st centuries as they read.

Yun Beom-mo, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, stated, "The works included in '300 Masterpieces from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,' which showcase the essence of Korean art at a glance, will soon be introduced in the permanent exhibition at the Seoul branch, enabling both research and exhibition to be conducted simultaneously." He added, "We expect that the forthcoming English edition will provide an opportunity to introduce Korean modern and contemporary art to overseas readers."