Seoul's First Public Art Museum in the Southwest, 'Seoseoul Art Museum,' to Begin Construction in March Next Year... Targeting Opening in 2024

Expectations to Bridge Regional Cultural Gaps... Pre-Event Program Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul’s first public art museum in the southwestern area, the Seoul Metropolitan ‘Seoseoul Museum of Art,’ will begin construction in March next year, aiming to open in 2024.

On the 27th, Seoul City announced that it will establish the 'Seoseoul Museum of Art' within Geumnarae Central Park in front of Geumcheon-gu Office Station, with a total floor area of 7,342㎡. As a ‘museum within a park’ and the first public art museum built in the southwestern area, which has relatively few cultural facilities, it is expected to help bridge the cultural gap between regions.

Seoul City selected the final winning design, 'Museum of Daily Life' (by Kim Chan-jung), through an international design competition held in June this year, and is currently proceeding with the architectural design by reflecting the opinions of experts from various fields regarding the museum’s operation.

Prior to this, Seoul City will hold a pre-program titled 'Signals at the Boundary' from the 28th to November 7th at the Namseoul Museum of Art as an opportunity to preview the ‘Seoseoul Museum of Art.’ Artists, experts, and the local community where the Seoseoul Museum of Art will be built will participate to present various experiments under the theme of ‘Region and Media.’

A total of 20 domestic and international artists (teams) will participate, showcasing works in various media such as installation art, photography, sound, video, and AR. A symposium and workshops will also be held to understand Korea’s modern and contemporary history and the regional context of the southwestern area from a cultural perspective, and to examine the interaction between urban space and the museum. Additionally, a convergent art education program led by artists and involving high school students and the general public will be conducted.

The pre-program 'Signals at the Boundary' consists of an exhibition featuring works in various media such as installation, photography, sound, video, and AR, as well as citizen participation programs led by artists, including the ‘Multimedia Laboratory’ and ‘Artist Classes.’ The ‘Multimedia Laboratory’ offers a total of nine public and educational programs. It serves as a platform to experiment with the public nature pursued by the Seoseoul Museum of Art, where experts from various fields participate under the theme of region and media, connected to the exhibition, to hold symposiums and workshops.

The ‘Artist Classes’ are preliminary studies on the educational direction the planned museum will pursue, consisting of family, general public, and youth participation programs led by artists. The youth participation program, which offers a glimpse into the educational vision of the Seoseoul Museum of Art, will be held in connection with after-school classes at Seoul Arts High School, and the general public program can be applied for via a link on the Seoul Museum of Art’s website.

Next year, the Seoul Museum of Art Seosomun Main Building plans to build and expand a close network with art museums, institutions, and organizations across Asia, and conduct various international exchange projects such as exhibitions and workshops inviting domestic and international experts annually.

Joo Yong-tae, head of Seoul City’s Cultural Headquarters, said, “The second edition of the Seoseoul Museum of Art pre-program will lay the groundwork for the opening program of the future-oriented Seoseoul Museum of Art,” adding, “We expect it to present various experiments on the theme of ‘Region and Media’ with the participation of artists, experts, and the local community, proposing a new model for museums.”