Leeum Museum of Art Hosts Exhibition Tour for People with Disabilities and Their Families: "Art Open to All"

Six Local Welfare Institutions Invited
"Exhibition Explanations Tailored to Participants"

On November 3, Leeum Museum of Art hosted a special viewing event, inviting people with disabilities and their families from the local community. A total of 240 participants-including users, guardians, and volunteers-from six institutions took part: Yongsan District Public Welfare Center for the Disabled, Eunpyeong District Public Welfare Center for the Disabled, Yongsan District Sign Language Interpretation Center, Independent Living Solidarity for the Severely Disabled, Yongsan District Lifelong Education Center for People with Developmental Disabilities, and Haetbitjari Daycare Center.

Invited families closely appreciating the Hojakdo. Provided by Leeum Museum of Art

Participants enjoyed a wide range of exhibitions, including the solo exhibition "Lee Bul: Since 1998" by world-renowned Korean contemporary artist Lee Bul, "Magpie Tiger 虎鵲" featuring the original magpie-tiger by K-Pop Demon Hunters, and the museum’s permanent collection.

This event was especially meaningful as parents from the invited families volunteered as one-day docents. As parents of children with disabilities, these volunteer docents provided exhibition explanations tailored to the participants’ perspectives, drawing on their own experiences to help everyone understand and empathize with the artworks. This approach enabled participants to become more interested and immersed in the exhibitions, and the collaborative nature of the event between Leeum Museum of Art and the invited families added further significance.

Yoo Dohwa, who participated as a volunteer, shared, "It was enjoyable and rewarding to discover new things while studying the exhibitions in order to explain them directly to families. Seeing families listen to my stories and ask questions reminded me once again that art is a language that connects people."

Kwon Giyong, Director of the Yongsan District Public Welfare Center for the Disabled, said, "Leeum Museum of Art’s invitation event has now become an important annual event for our institution. Visiting the museum is a much-anticipated opportunity for people with disabilities and their families to share their hearts and gain new inspiration. I hope such opportunities will continue so that people with disabilities, their guardians, and volunteers can visit the museum even more often."

Ryu Moonhyung, CEO of Samsung Foundation of Culture, stated, "We will continue our efforts to ensure that programs for people with disabilities are not just one-off events, but that art naturally becomes part of everyday life in our society. Leeum Museum of Art also aims to be an open art space for everyone, creating warm experiences that connect people."

Since 2022, Leeum Museum of Art has continued its annual invitation program, working to share the inspiration of art with more people through ongoing collaboration and exchange with the local community. The program has received great response from a diverse range of participants, including people with disabilities, multicultural families, seniors, and youth from low-income backgrounds. Including this event, the cumulative number of invitees has reached approximately 1,800.