The back story
Celadon, ink and white cubes: Seoul’s arts
The national collections in Yongsan, the Leeum on the hill of Hannam, the MMCA beside the palace, the galleries of Samcheong-ro and the stages of the Seoul Arts Center: a city that has made itself an art capital.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Jinah78 · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsSeoul’s art runs from celadon and Joseon ink painting to the newest installations. The National Museum of Korea, in Yongsan, holds the national collection; the Leeum Museum of Art, in Hannam, sets old Korean art beside contemporary work; the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) has its Seoul branch beside Gyeongbokgung; and along Samcheong-ro, between the palace and Bukchon, the commercial galleries cluster: Kukje and Gallery Hyundai among them.
The great museums
The National Museum of Korea (museum.go.kr), the Leeum Museum of Art (leeumhoam.org), the MMCA Seoul (mmca.go.kr), the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum inside Gyeongbokgung, the Seoul Museum of Art by Deoksugung, and the Amorepacific Museum of Art in Yongsan.
The galleries
Kukje Gallery and Gallery Hyundai on Samcheong-ro; Songeun in Cheongdam.
Pair a palace with a museum: Gyeongbokgung with the MMCA, or the National Museum with the Leeum.
On stage
The Seoul Arts Center in Seocho, the Sejong Center at Gwanghwamun, the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, the National Theater of Korea on Namsan and the LG Arts Center Seoul in Magok.
Our advice: check the exhibition pages before you go, as the big shows book out.
Why it's on our list
- The great museums
- The galleries
- On stage
Location
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