Seoul Museum of Art Completes Eight-Museum System: 2026 Exhibition and Operational Plans Unveiled

Youngkuk Yoo, Oh Yoon, and Sookjin Cho Solo Exhibitions Planned for 2026
West Seoul Museum of Art to Open in March; Main Building Remodeling Underway
Press Conference on the 27th Highlights 'Creation' and 'Technology' as Core Agendas

The Seoul Museum of Art has completed its system of eight main and branch museums with the opening of the West Seoul Museum of Art, unveiling both its mid- to long-term operational strategy and its exhibition plans for 2026. The museum defined this completion not as a mere expansion in scale, but as a pivotal 'turning point in operations.'

Director Eunju Choi of the Seoul Museum of Art is giving a greeting at the 2026 New Year press conference held at the Seoul Museum of Art in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 27th, the Seoul Museum of Art held a press conference and announced its new mid- to long-term vision: "SeMA, a Museum Shaping Everyone's Future." Director Eunju Choi stated, "The completion of the eight main and branch museums means that we now have the structure to implement the changes we have been preparing. From 2026, we aim to enter a full-fledged operational phase toward 2030."

The museum presented its core strategy as operating a 'network-type museum' that clearly defines the character of each branch while organically connecting exhibitions, research, and education. The plan is for each space-Seosomun Main Building, Buk Seoul and Nam Seoul Museums of Art, the Art Archive, the Museum of Photography, Nanji Art Studio, and the West Seoul Museum of Art-to fulfill a unique role while functioning under a unified operational system.

Sound Has Always Been Alive CEL (Felix Kubin & Hubert Zemler), _Eiweissangriff_ Still Cut, 2023, Video_ Pedro Maia

This operational direction will be directly reflected in the 2026 exhibition plans. The museum has set 'creation' as its institutional agenda and 'technology' as its exhibition agenda for next year, applying these as common standards across all venues. The intention is to re-examine the meaning of creation and the role of the museum amid the spread of artificial intelligence and new media, and to treat technology not merely as an exhibition subject but as a structural condition of the contemporary art environment.

In 2026, a total of 39 exhibitions and 634 educational programs will be held across the eight main and branch museums. Exhibitions highlighting modern and contemporary Korean art include a retrospective commemorating the 110th anniversary of Youngkuk Yoo's birth at the Seosomun Main Building, as well as planned exhibitions featuring Byungjun Kwon at Buk Seoul Museum of Art, Sookjin Cho at Nam Seoul Museum of Art, the Oh Yoon Collection at the Art Archive, and a solo exhibition by Heecheon Kim at the West Seoul Museum of Art.

On the 27th, at the Seoul Museum of Art in Jung-gu, Seoul, Jeong Sora, Head of Curatorial Research, introduced the main exhibition plans at the Seoul Museum of Art 2026 New Year Press Conference. Photo by Yonhap News

International exhibitions will also be expanded. The Seosomun Main Building will host a solo exhibition by renowned American media artist Lynn Hershman Leeson, while the Museum of Photography will present Asia's first large-scale retrospective of Magnum Photos photographer Martin Parr. Buk Seoul Museum of Art will hold an international exchange exhibition focused on sound art.

Themed exhibitions reflecting the institutional and exhibition agendas include the 20th anniversary exhibition of Nanji Art Studio, "Origins of Love," "Writing, The Art of Composition," and "Inhwan Oh vs. Seoyoung Jang: Becoming Human." The West Seoul Museum of Art, opening in March, will welcome visitors with a special opening exhibition centered on performance, "Breath," and a construction record exhibition, "Our Time Begins Here." In its second year, the Museum of Photography will strengthen its role as a platform encompassing the entire photographic medium through the "Seoul Photo Festival."

Youngkuk Yoo, Work, 1967, oil on canvas, 130×130cm Photo by Youngkuk Yoo Art and Culture Foundation

In terms of facilities, the remodeling of the Seosomun Main Building has been identified as a key task in the mid- to long-term strategy. The museum plans to improve exhibition environments and storage functions and reorganize visitor flow by expanding underground spaces without above-ground extensions, aiming for completion by 2030.

Director Eunju Choi stated, "The Seoul Museum of Art has now reached a stage where we ask what role a public art museum should play in contemporary society, beyond the achievements of individual exhibitions. As a network-type museum connecting the city and the world, we will set new standards in both operations and content."