17 June 2020: The V&A has today announced a new five-year partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea. This major grant will enable the redevelopment of the museum’s Korean Gallery as well as support an expansion in future programming dedicated to contemporary Korean culture. V&A curator Dr Rosalie Kim will now lead the research and development plans to improve the current Korean Gallery with a new curatorial narrative, never-before-seen objects, recent acquisitions and new display cases.
The V&A has collected art and design objects from Korea since 1888 and opened its Korean Gallery in 1992, the first of its kind in London. Spanning 4AD to the present day, the museum’s collection encompasses ceramics, embroidery, lacquerware, metalwork, fashion, graphic design and digital art.
Additional resources will be made available to raise awareness of Korean culture across the museum’s programming including an Artist in Residency, a series of publications and new learning programmes, such as workshops, seminars and conferences. Leading creatives from Korea will also have the opportunity to showcase their work to V&A audiences through existing and popular events including Fashion in Motion and Friday Late.
Director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt said: “One of our most ambitious international partnerships to date, this landmark initiative enables us to celebrate the diversity of the V&A’s collections, foster international dialogue and exchange and introduce new audiences to Korean cultural history. Now more than ever, we’re grateful for this long-term commitment, which enables us to shape an exceptional free offer for the broadest possible audience.”
Enna Park, South Korean Ambassador to the UK, said: “Telling the story of Korean culture and history has long been a part of the V&A’s offering, and with this multi-year partnership the people of Korea are now proud partners of this work. We are excited to be joining the V&A on the next stage of the Korean Gallery’s journey.”
