Art Community: "Should Build National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Not Lee Kun-hee Art Museum"

One of the donated items from the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, Jang Uk-jin's 'Gongginori'

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] As the government is considering establishing a museum related to the 'Lee Kun-hee Collection,' a group advocating for the establishment of a National Museum of Modern Art has been officially launched within the art community.

The 'Group of People Who Want the National Museum of Modern Art,' consisting of about 400 art figures, held its inauguration ceremony and seminar on the 27th at the Korea Publishing Culture Center in Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. They officially requested the government to build a National Museum of Modern Art, which does not currently exist in Korea, based on the works donated by the family of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

In their declaration, they stated, "The absence of a modern art museum, which should have been established alongside the construction of the nation-state of the Republic of Korea, has extended beyond a century to 2021," and argued, "The existence of a National Museum of Modern Art symbolizing the spirit and material of the modern era, the most influential period in shaping Korea's identity, is not a choice but a necessity."

They also emphasized, "Coincidentally, the national donation of the Lee Kun-hee collection, which includes 1,000 great modern heritage pieces, has occurred," and added, "We must take this opportunity as a turning point in history."

Last month on the 28th, the Samsung family donated over 23,000 cultural assets and artworks left by Chairman Lee Kun-hee to the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Among these, 1,488 pieces of Korean modern and contemporary art were donated to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

The art community that formed this group argues that about 1,000 modern artworks donated by the Samsung family and over 2,000 modern artworks held by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art should be combined to establish a National Museum of Modern Art.

They particularly identified the 'Korean Air Songhyeon-dong site' in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as the optimal candidate location for the National Museum of Modern Art. Their plan is that if the Seoul Metropolitan Government provides free underground usage rights for the site, they will maximize profits and minimize costs by including duty-free shops and bus parking lots. Additionally, a plan to remodel the Government Seoul Office into a museum was also proposed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.