Recent sponsorships related to Korean art at major museums in the U.S. have significantly elevated the status of Korean art in the country.
On July 23, Genesis, the premium brand of Hyundai Motor Company, announced a five-year sponsorship agreement with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York. The MET, which opened in 1870, houses tens of thousands of artworks spanning 5,000 years of art history and attracts 7 million visitors annually.
As part of this agreement, Genesis will sponsor the “Genesis Facade Commission,” a project to exhibit installations on the museum’s front facade.
Since 2019, the MET has introduced “The Facade Commission,” an exhibition series showcasing works by world-renowned artists on the museum’s exterior walls. The Genesis Facade Commission will feature four works by Korean contemporary artist Lee Bul. This exhibition is scheduled to run for about eight months starting in September.
In addition to the MET, other museums have also received substantial donations. On the July 23, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art reported receiving a $1.4 million donation from the National Museum of Korea.
This donation is part of the National Museum of Korea’s initiative to support Korean galleries in overseas museums. Over the next four years, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art plans to expand its Korean art programs.
For example, in 2025, the museum will co-host the “Lee Kun-hee Collection” exhibition with the National Museum of Korea. Furthermore, the museum plans to reinstall its Korean art collection and develop public and academic programs focused on Korean art.
These efforts aim to solidify the presence of Korean art within the next 5 to 7 years, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.
Moreover, both the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art and the MET have recently established curatorial positions funded by the Korea Foundation (KF) for specialists in Korean art. On July 16, the Smithsonian appointed Sunwoo Hwang as the inaugural KF curator of Korean Art and Culture. Previously, in September of last year, Eleanor Hyun (Korean name: Soo-ah Hyun) was appointed as the MET’s first KF curator.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
