National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Publishes English Edition of 'Korean Art 1900-2020'

Over 400 Color Plates and 2,000 Indexes, Including a 120-Year Chronology of Korean Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art announced on the 28th that it published the English edition of "Korean Art 1900-2020" on the 25th.

The book is an English introductory text surveying 120 years of modern and contemporary Korean art, structured into the same five parts as the Korean edition.

Part 1: From “Calligraphy and Painting” to “Fine Art,” Part 2: Art in a Time of War and Division, Part 3: The Tradition/Modernity Dynamic in the Modernization Era, Part 4: Democratization and the Pluralization of Art, and Part 5: Globalism and Contemporary Korean Art.

The book covers the birth of modern art in the early 20th century, the development of contemporary art after the Korean War, the emergence of diverse discourses and media following the democratization movement in the 1980s, and the expansion of contemporary art in the era of globalization in the 21st century, reflecting Korea’s historical context and the dynamic changes in the art world.

Additionally, through over 400 full-color plates of major works and archives, as well as a timeline that provides an overview of 120 years of Korean art history, readers can grasp the transformations in modern and contemporary Korean art at a glance.

Thirty-four Korean art experts participated in the writing. The authors completed approximately 2,000 English index entries after multiple meetings and reviews to facilitate understanding and convenience for overseas researchers. The English edition will be distributed to major overseas art institutions and libraries and can be purchased online through the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s online shop, Misulgage, and Amazon.

Yun Bum-mo, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, stated, “The English edition of the 120-year history of Korean art will be an important resource for introducing Korean artists and artworks abroad,” adding, “It will serve as a significant milestone in increasing overseas Korean art researchers and strengthening the status of Korean art.”

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