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MMCA Seoul’s opening show mired in controversy

Zeitgeist Korea exhibition notice
Image source – National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art website

It’s a shame that the opening of the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art had to be bogged down in controversy.

What should have been an interesting show, Zeitgeist Korea, one of the museum’s five concurrent exhibitions, is tainted with nepotism, as 32 out of the 39 artists featured are alumni of Seoul National University, according to Blouin Artinfo. Prominent arts organisations demonstrated outside the new museum and demanded the resignation of the director.

The Korea Times also reports that the Blue House had a hand in the final selection, with six politically “awkward” pieces dropped from the display at the last minute, less than a week before the show’s opening. One of those removed was by prominent minjung artist Lim Ok-sang.

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