"It Doesn't Get More Real Than This"... Ron Mueck Exhibition Surpasses 100,000 Visitors in 21 Days

Since Opening on April 11,
Average of 7,400 Visitors on Weekends,
4,200 on Weekdays
Exhibition Runs Until July 13

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced on May 2 that the exhibition of "Ron Mueck," a world-renowned master of contemporary sculpture currently being held at its Seoul branch, surpassed 100,000 visitors just 20 days after opening.

Visitors are viewing the exhibition "Ron Mueck" at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

This exhibition, which offers a comprehensive look at the oeuvre of Australian sculptor Ron Mueck (born 1958), is the largest retrospective of his work ever held in Asia and is co-hosted with the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in France. The exhibition features a total of 24 works, including 10 sculptures representing key periods of Mueck’s creative career, 12 studio photography series, and two documentary films. Over the past 30 years, Ron Mueck has consistently unveiled new works that have captivated audiences with their astonishing realism.

Since its opening on April 11, the exhibition has consistently attracted large crowds, with visitors lining up both inside and outside the venue. On weekends, an average of 7,400 people visited daily, while on weekdays, the average was 4,200. By April 30, the 20th day of the exhibition, the total number of visitors reached 101,050, and by May 1, the 21st day, the figure rose to 106,999. The daily average of 5,000 visitors is the highest since the Seoul branch opened, marking more than a fourfold increase compared to the previous record for the highest daily average attendance at an exhibition last year.

Regarding the enthusiastic response, curator Hong Iji, who organized the exhibition, explained, "Ron Mueck’s works immediately evoke emotion and empathy through familiar, universally relatable figures and their hyper-realistic expression. I believe that the meticulous exhibition design?including subtle lighting, the order and arrangement of the works?enables visitors to fully immerse themselves in the experience, leading to positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations."

The "Ron Mueck" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art will run until July 13.