Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art
takato marui · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art
Established	2004
Location	Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Type	Art museum
Founder	Samsung Cultural Foundation
Architect	Mario Botta; Jean Nouvel; Rem Koolhaas

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is a private art museum in Hannam-dong, Seoul, founded by the Samsung Cultural Foundation. The museum presents a range of Korean art and contemporary art through holdings, rotating exhibitions, and education programs, engaging audiences from local neighborhoods to international travelers. Its campus combines works by leading architects and collections that link Joseon dynasty antiquities to contemporary practices represented by artists associated with Korean art and global movements.

History

The museum opened in 2004 following initiatives by the Samsung conglomerate and the Samsung Cultural Foundation, building on earlier corporate collections associated with Lee Byung-chul and philanthropic practices within South Korea. The development involved collaborations with international figures such as Rem Koolhaas, Mario Botta, and Jean Nouvel, and benefitted from Seoul municipal cultural policies and networks including the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Over time the institution hosted loans and exchanges with institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Leadership transitions included directors connected to institutions such as the British Museum, the Princeton University Art Museum, and the Getty Research Institute. The museum’s history intersects with cultural diplomacy, regional biennales such as the Gwangju Biennale and the Busan Biennale, and corporate cultural strategies similar to those of Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Art Museums of Japan.

Architecture and Buildings

The Leeum complex comprises three main buildings designed by world-renowned architects: a concrete volume by Mario Botta, a subterranean structure by Jean Nouvel, and a rectilinear glass-and-steel building by Rem Koolhaas through his practice OMA. The Botta building houses traditional Korean ceramics and Joseon dynasty objects, featuring gallery spaces influenced by museological precedents like the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Nouvel’s building contains modern and contemporary galleries and engineering solutions comparable to projects at the Institut du Monde Arabe and the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Koolhaas’s interventions recall other OMA projects such as the CCTV Headquarters and the Casa da Música, emphasizing circulation strategies similar to those at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. The site planning references urban sites like Itaewon and the Han River corridor, while interior conservation facilities parallel standards at the Smithsonian Institution and the Louvre.

Collections

The museum’s collections are divided roughly between traditional Korean art and contemporary art. Holdings include celadon and buncheong ceramics, Buddhist sculpture and ritual objects linked to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Goryeo dynasty, and Joseon dynasty periods, comparable to collections at the National Museum of Korea and the Tokyo National Museum. The contemporary collection features works by Korean artists associated with Dansaekhwa such as Lee Ufan and Park Seo-bo, as well as international artists like Mark Rothko, Jeanne-Claude, Anish Kapoor, Olafur Eliasson, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei, Gerhard Richter, Cindy Sherman, and Jeff Koons. Photography and video works relate to artists represented by museums such as the International Center of Photography and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The museum also holds design objects and archival materials comparable to collections at the Cooper Hewitt and the Design Museum. Conservation efforts align with practices at the Getty Conservation Institute and collaborations with archival repositories like the Smithsonian Archives of American Art.

Exhibitions and Programs

Leeum mounts temporary exhibitions that have partnered with institutions such as the Tate Modern, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery, London, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Hayward Gallery. Retrospectives and thematic shows have featured artists like Nam June Paik, Kim Whanki, Lee Ufan, Yayoi Kusama, Ai Weiwei, Gerhard Richter, and Damien Hirst, while curated dialogues have connected Korean masters to international counterparts such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning. Educational programs include lectures, conservation workshops, and family activities drawing expertise from universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University, and partnerships with cultural festivals like the Seoul International Book Fair and Seoul Fashion Week. The museum participates in loan programs with the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Tate, and collaborates with contemporary art networks like Performa and the International Council of Museums.

Management and Funding

The museum is operated by the Samsung Cultural Foundation and funded primarily through the Samsung corporate group, endowments, ticketing, and private sponsorships. Governance involves boards and advisory committees with members linked to institutions such as the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea), and international partners including the Asia Society and the Smithsonian Institution. Financial models mirror other corporate museums such as the Pinault Collection and the LVMH museum initiatives, balancing corporate philanthropy with earned income and donor relations similar to practices at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Visitor Information

The museum is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, accessible from Itaewon Station and nearby to the Han River parks. Hours, admission, guided tours, and accessibility services follow standards comparable to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and international museums like the Tate Modern and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visitors may also find museum shops and cafes offering publications and design objects akin to stores at the Studio Ghibli Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, and the site is involved in cultural circuits with destinations such as Bukchon Hanok Village, Gyeongbokgung, and Insadong.

Category:Museums in Seoul Category:Art museums and galleries in South Korea