January 2025 : Top 6 Exhibitions to Visit in Seoul
Happy New Year once again! Let’s enjoy inspiring exhibitions and make 2025 a joyful and fulfilling year. Here are six exhibitions happening in Seoul this January. Next time, we’ll introduce exhibitions in Busan!
1. The Masters of Light : Caravaggio
- Seoul Arts Center (2406, Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul)
- November 9, 2024 – March 27, 2025
Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi), who ended his life as a fugitive after a murder conviction, is renowned for ushering in the Baroque era with his dramatic chiaroscuro and realistic depictions of religious themes. The exhibition “Masters of Light: Caravaggio & the Faces of Baroque” at Hangaram Art Museum explores his masterpieces, contemporaries, and the techniques of the Caravaggisti, offering a comprehensive view of his enduring legacy through six curated sections.
2. Anna & Daniel Photo Exhibition
- Seoul Arts Center (2406, Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul)
- December 21, 2024 – March 30, 2025
Spanish photographer duo Anna Devis and Daniel Rueda present their first solo exhibition in Korea, showcasing playful interpretations of happiness in everyday moments. Using only natural light and simple props, they create scenes without editing programs like Photoshop. Their approach, which embraces the warmth of analog photography, has gained global admiration for its simple, joyful, and intuitive aesthetic.
3. The Modern and Contemporary Ink Art of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China (수묵별미)
- National Museum of Contemporary Art, Deoksugung (99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu)
- November 28, 2024 – February 16, 2025
The exhibition “The Modern and Contemporary Ink Art of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China” is being held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung. It showcases 148 works by 69 Korean and 76 Chinese artists, co-curated by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the National Art Museum of China. The exhibition is spread across four halls on the first and second floors.
4. Sutra and Box: Vessels of Enlightenment (전∙함: 깨달음을 담다)
- Leeumhoam (60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
- September 5, 2024 – February 23, 2025
The exhibition ‘Sutra and Box: Vessels of Enlightenment’ showcases two remarkable masterpieces from the Goryeo Dynasty: a meticulously handwritten Buddhist manuscript and a finely crafted sutra box. Among the highlights are the seven volumes of the Lotus Sutra, entirely written and illustrated in gold. These works capture the deep aspirations of the era and provide visitors with a rare chance to appreciate such invaluable pieces of cultural heritage.
5. Vienna 1900: Dreaming Artists – From Gustav Klimt to Egon Schiele
- NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA (137, Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
- Novemeber 30, 2024 – March 3, 2025
The National Museum of Korea, in collaboration with the Leopold Museum of Austria, is hosting the special exhibition “Vienna 1900: Dreaming Artists”. This exhibition introduces artists who dreamed of freedom and change in turn-of-the-century Vienna, focusing on the cultural and historical significance of Vienna in the 1900s.
6. James Rosenquist, Dream World: Paintings, drawings and collages, 1961–1968
- Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul (122-1, Dokseodang-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
- November 21, 2024 – January 25, 2025
Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul is presenting a solo exhibition by James Rosenquist, a pioneer of American Pop Art, titled “Dreams: Paintings, Drawings, and Collages, 1961–1968.” This exhibition highlights Rosenquist’s monumental paintings, non-traditional canvases, and research works, sketches, and source collages that served as blueprints for works held in prominent institutions. It focuses on the decisive decade when Rosenquist solidified his position as an influential artist, rising to prominence as one of the most significant figures of his time.
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