12 Must-See Exhibitions in Seoul in September 2025
September is the best month to explore exhibitions in Seoul.
1. Lee Bul: From 1998 to Now 《이불: 1998년 이후》
📍Leeum (60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 4, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026
From cyborgs to monumental airships, the defining moments of Lee Bul, who brought Korean contemporary art onto the global stage. This exhibition presents over 150 major works from the late 1990s to the present, offering a comprehensive view of her artistic world.
2. From the earth 《흙으로부터》
📍Hakgojae Gallery (50, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 20 – Sept 13, 2025
This exhibition explores how Korean art has unfolded within the concept of “earth.” From Joseon-era ceramics to the works of seven modern artists including Kim Whanki and Song Hyunsook, the show offers a large-scale survey of Korean identity and contemporary art through the medium of earth.
3. Adrián Villar Rojas: The Language of the Enemy 《아드리안 비야르 로하스: 적군의 언어》
📍Artsonje (87, Yulgok-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 3, 2025 – Feb 1, 2026
This exhibition is the first solo presentation in Korea by Argentine-Peruvian artist Adrián Villar Rojas, serving as his experimental stage that transforms the entire museum into a single sculpture. It is a large-scale, site- and environment-specific project that reconfigures the museum building into a sculptural ecosystem.
4. Panorama 《파노라마》
📍Songeun (441, Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 22 – Oct 16, 2025
Instead of connecting artists under a single theme, this exhibition focuses on presenting each artist’s world in a condensed form. This large-scale exhibition, spanning generations and concepts, offers a unique opportunity to grasp the flow of contemporary Korean art at a glance.
5. Korea Artist Prize 2025 《올해의 작가상 2025》
📍MMCA Seoul (30, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 29, 2025 – Feb 1, 2026
This year’s selected sponsored artists — Kim Young-eun, Lim Youngzoo, Kim Jipyeong, and Unmake Lab — reconfigure contemporary social sensibilities and aesthetics through diverse media and perspectives. The central question posed by the four teams: “How can the invisible be made visible?”
6. Kim Tschang-Yeul 《김창열》
📍MMCA Seoul (30, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 22 – Dec 21, 2025
A large-scale retrospective of artist Kim Tschang-Yeol, this exhibition highlights his artistic journey from early experimental works to the profound philosophical explorations during his time in New York and France, and finally to the mature expressions of his later years. Monumental works, meticulously built up with drops of paint on canvas, are on display, allowing viewers to experience the depth of both time and art.
7. Jean-Michel Basquiat 《장 미셸 바스키아》
📍DDP (281, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 23, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026
A special exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat focusing on iconic symbols that bridge the past and the future. The show features over 220 works, including masterpieces from his prime such as Museum Security, Untitled, and his final spiritual self-portrait Exu. For the first time in Korea, visitors can also explore eight of Basquiat’s personal sketchbooks.
8. Inextricable 《불가분적 관계》
📍Thaddaeus Ropac (122-1, Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
📍White Cube Seoul (6, Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 2 – Nov 8, 2026
Antony Gormley’s first solo exhibition in Seoul, Inextricable, will be held at Thaddaeus Ropac and White Cube, jointly organized during Frieze Seoul 2025. Each gallery will present a distinct exhibition layout, offering a multifaceted perspective on Gormley’s sculptural world.
9. Takashi Murakami 《무라카미 다카시 》
📍Yongsan APMA Cabinet (100, Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 2 – Oct 11, 2025
World-renowned pop artist Takashi Murakami returns to Seoul for his first solo exhibition in 12 years. Centered on his signature motif, “Flowers,” the exhibition showcases vibrant colors and new artistic styles. A highlight is the new work Tachiaoi-zu, inspired by Edo-period painter Ogata Kōrin, generating high anticipation.
10. Mark Bradford : Keep Walking 《마크 브래드포드 》
📍Yongsan APMA (100, Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 1, 2025 – Jan 25, 2026
The first solo exhibition of American contemporary artist Mark Bradford in Korea, Keep Walking, is being held at the Amorepacific Museum of Art. Transforming urban debris into art and personal experiences into social messages, Bradford’s works offer visitors an encounter with his overwhelming scale and profound expression at the Yongsan museum.
11. Seoul Mediacity Biennale 2025 《서울미디어시티비엔날레 2025》
📍SeMA (61, Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul)
📅 Aug 26 – Nov 23, 2025
An experimental showcase of 49 artists blending spirituality, technology, video, and installation. Held across multiple venues in Seoul, the exhibition features 11 subthemes and offers spaces for encounter, perception, and dreamlike exchange, where artworks speak, evoke, and transform.
12. Tigers and Magpies 《까치호랑이 虎鵲 》
📍Leeum (60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
📅 Sept 2 – Nov 30, 2025
The tiger wards off misfortune, while the magpie brings joyful news—symbols most cherished in Korean tradition. This exhibition unveils the 1592 Hojakdo for the first time, tracing the origin of the magpie-tiger motif. In the 19th century, it evolved into folk paintings, embodying humor, satire, and the spirit of popular culture. Discover the hidden meanings and charm of Korean tradition at Hojak: The World of Tiger and Magpie.
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