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| Installation view of the exhibition, "MMCA Lee Kun-hee Collection: Masterpieces of Korean Art," at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul / Courtesy of MMCA |
By Park Han-sol
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) has announced its plans to organize a series of nationwide exhibitions of the art collection bequeathed to the museum by late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, until 2024.
Starting off with a special exhibition early next year, co-hosted by the MMCA and the National Museum of Korea (NMK) to commemorate the first anniversary of the donation, the artworks will then tour at least 10 different local museums across the country for the next three years.
The MMCA has also set forth its plans to research all 1,488 pieces from Lee's modern and contemporary art collection ― including information about the artists, period of creation, materials and techniques ― by the end of next year, which will be registered and shared on its website starting in 2023.
The NMK has unveiled a similar objective, saying that it will finish cataloguing and analyzing by 2025 all of its 21,693 donated cultural artifacts from the prehistoric period to the Joseon era (1392-1910). Its in-depth research will invite professionals from the fields of archaeology, history and conservation science, while seeking cooperation from relevant agencies, such as the National Library of Korea.
Back in April, the two state-run institutions were named as the biggest recipients of Lee's treasure trove, spanning centuries. MMCA director Youn Bum-mo called it "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the museum," as it became the biggest single donation of paintings, etchings and sculptures the national gallery has ever received. The NMK similarly stated that Lee's donation accounts for nearly 60 percent of all of its bequeathed cultural artifacts since 1946.
Their announcement of undertaking the research and cataloguing processes of the artworks came after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed on Wednesday the establishment of a new museum that will house Lee's entire collection in a currently vacant 9,787-square-meter plot in Songhyeon-dong, central Seoul.
Accordingly, both the MMCA and the NMK will transfer all of the donated pieces to the new hall, tentatively named, the Lee Kun-hee Museum, scheduled to open in 2027.
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| Installation view of the exhibition, "A Great Cultural Legacy: Masterpieces From the Bequest of the Late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee," held at the National Museum of Korea from July to September / Courtesy of NMK |
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