National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Opens Audience Participation Space 'Yeollin Gonggan 7'... "Screening Documentary of Music Performance in Sign Language"

MMCA Presents "Five Conversations That Change Us"
April 4 - July 13 at MMCA Seoul
April 19: Screening of Sign Language Music Documentary and Book Talk

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will present the visitor participation project "Five Conversations That Change Us" from May 4 to July 13 at MMCA Seoul. Exhibition Room 7 at the Seoul branch has been renovated into "Open Space 7," consisting of a permanent workshop area, a learning space, and a resting area.

In the permanent workshop area, programs that visitors can participate in are continuously operated. These include "Shapes of Voice," where participants listen to audio descriptions of artworks and create sculptures based on the images they associate; "Connected Worlds," where individuals express and share their experiences and stories through picture diaries; and "Continuing Writing," where multiple participants collaboratively transcribe texts.

Movie still from 'Listen'.

The learning space hosts art theory lectures, artist talks, and book talks. On April 19, the art documentary film "Listen" (2016), which depicts deaf musicians performing songs using only sign language, will be screened. This visual experiment expands the traditional auditory-centered concept of music, shedding new light on the essence of music and the boundaries of sensory perception. After the screening, a talk with the director E Kilbora and co-directors Eri Makihara and DAKEI will take place. Applications for the film screening and artist talk will be available on the MMCA website starting April 1.

Open Space 7 provides accessibility materials and guidance to ensure that people with disabilities, the elderly, and others can visit without restrictions. Audio guides and tactile maps are available at the entrance, and all permanent workshops offer Braille and large print materials. Sign language interpretation videos are also provided.

Kim Seonghee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, stated, "We expect this program to remind us of the museum’s role as a place that sparks dialogue through artworks, overcoming physical and linguistic barriers."