Abstract Sculpture Master Late Choi Man-rin's Family Donates 443 Works to Seongbuk-gu

Choi Man-rin's '4 0 96-12', 1996, bronze, 38x20x35cm. (Photo by Seongbuk Art Museum)

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] A total of 443 works and 2,095 materials left by the late Choi Man-rin, a master of Korean abstract sculpture, have been donated to Seongbuk-gu.

Seongbuk-gu announced on the 10th that it held a 'Donation Agreement Ceremony for the Works and Materials of the Late Choi Man-rin' at the Seongbuk-gu Office Mayor's Office.

The ceremony was attended by the family of artist Choi Man-rin, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, Lee Geon-wang, CEO of Seongbuk Cultural Foundation, and Kim Bora, Director of Seongbuk Art Museum, who signed the agreement.

The main contents of the agreement include ▲ the free donation of 443 works and 2,095 materials ▲ regulations for the contracting parties ▲ acceptance based on the Seongbuk Art Museum ordinance ▲ matters concerning the utilization of donated works for the development of the Seongbuk-gu Choi Man-rin Art Museum.

During his lifetime, Choi Man-rin donated 126 of his most essential works to Seongbuk-gu free of charge. To accommodate this, Seongbuk-gu purchased and remodeled the artist’s residence in Jeongneung, where most of his major works were created, and opened the 'Seongbuk-gu Choi Man-rin Art Museum,' a branch of the Seongbuk Art Museum, in August last year.

Choi Man-rin passed away shortly after the museum’s opening, making the Seongbuk-gu Choi Man-rin Art Museum a symbolic place to honor the artist. Therefore, this donation by the family is a meaningful contribution that carries on the artist’s will to ensure the continuous development of the Choi Man-rin Art Museum.

Choi Man-rin lived in Seongbuk-gu for over 55 years and made many contributions to the development of local culture and arts. He contributed to the establishment and development of the Seongbuk Art Museum, the first public art museum in the autonomous district, and donated his works during his lifetime while arranging for the purchase of his residence by Seongbuk-gu.

Thanks to Choi Man-rin’s efforts, the Seongbuk-gu Choi Man-rin Art Museum is cited as an exemplary case of a distinctive museum utilizing local assets. Recognized for publicizing an artist’s residence, the museum also won the Korea Public Architecture Award last year.

The 443 works being donated this time include many late-period sculptures and drawings, which the previous donation lacked and which the artist valued highly. It is regarded as a meaningful donation equipped with key works from different eras for the growth of the artist’s museum.

The donated materials include 52 models (maquettes) by Choi Man-rin, a pioneer of public sculpture, and a vast archive of 2,043 items that the artist organized and collected throughout his life. This is expected to become an important foundation for research institutions dealing with the artist and modern and contemporary Korean sculpture.

The family of Choi Man-rin includes his wife, actress Kim Sowon, and their siblings. Their eldest son is Professor Choi Asa of the Department of Architectural Design at Kaywon University of Art and Design, and their daughter is theater actress Choi Aran. He is also related by marriage to actor Choi Bul-am.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “This agreement is meaningful for both Seongbuk-gu and the family of artist Choi Man-rin. We will strive for the continuous development of the Choi Man-rin Art Museum and grow it into a world-class artist museum.”

Meanwhile, on the 12th of last month, Seongbuk-gu held a donation agreement ceremony for works and collections with the family of the late Seo Se-ok, a major local artist, and is currently promoting the establishment of a museum.

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