New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Korean Gallery 'Lineage'

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York, USA, announced on the 16th that it will hold an exhibition titled "Lineages: Korean Art at The Met" starting November 7 (local time) to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Korean Gallery.

'Untitled (Muje)' by artist Kwon Young-woo, scheduled to be exhibited at 'Lineages: Korean Art at The Met,' opening next month at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

This exhibition will showcase over 30 works ranging from 12th-century celadon to pieces from the 2000s. It is characterized by introducing the major history of Korean art through four themes: line, objects, places, and people. Well-known works such as the ink painting "People" by Oriental painter Seo Seok, "Moon and Jar" by Kim Whanki, and "Untitled" by Kwon Young-woo are also included. Works by Baek Nam-soon, Kim Hong-ju, and Lee Jong-gu will also be exhibited.

Additionally, The Met plans to present works collected over the past 25 years, as well as major 20th-century pieces loaned from overseas institutions. Many of the works will be introduced to visitors alternately during the exhibition period.

Max Hollein, director of The Met, explained, "While celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Korean Gallery, this is an opportunity for The Met’s international visitors to reflect on the significance of Korean art. By presenting both classical and contemporary artworks together, it raises questions about how Korean artists have responded to the past and present while looking toward the future to create new legacies."

Korean Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
[Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art]

The Met opened the Korean Gallery in 1998 with the Lee Kun-hee Korean Art Fund from the Samsung Foundation of Culture and support from the Korea Foundation (KF). The first Korean artworks collected by The Met were eight musical instruments donated as part of the 1889 Crosby Brown Collection. In 1893, it acquired a 15th-century Buncheong ware bowl with a chrysanthemum pattern called "Gyeongju Jangheunggo" and subsequently added rare works such as a 12th-century inlaid lacquer box and five nationally treasured Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo period. The Met’s Korean Gallery regularly loans domestic and international works and holds exhibitions related to Korean art.

Eleanor Sua Hyun (Korean name Hyun Sua), the exhibition’s curator and The Met’s inaugural "KF and Samsung Foundation of Culture Korean Art Associate Curator," stated, "The significance of a Korean art exhibition hall is very important. This exhibition will highlight areas to develop and directions to pursue in the future by showcasing contemporary Korean art." This exhibition is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KF, and the Samsung Foundation of Culture.

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