Poster image of 《Salon de SeMA : SeMA's New Acquistions 2014》 © SeMA

Seoul Museum of Art will present the 2014 New Acquisitions Exhibition 《Salon de SeMA》  from February 17 to March 29, 2015.
 
A museum’s collection is not only a key element that defines its identity and direction, but also a medium of communication that connects the museum with its audiences. Through systematic analysis and research of its collection, Seoul Museum of Art has established a mid-term acquisition policy, striving to maintain a balance across media, genres, and periods while building a distinctive collection that sets it apart from other institutions.
 
Under these objectives, a total of 213 works were acquired in 2014 through two rounds of collection. To ensure a balanced representation across genres, the museum increased the proportion of photography, installation, and new media works, supplemented historically significant works that had been lacking, and collected works by major contemporary artists leading new tendencies, thereby contributing to the expansion of contemporary art discourse.
 
From these acquisitions, approximately 60 works across various genres—including Korean painting, painting, photography, sculpture, installation, and new media—are presented in this exhibition. Titled 《Salon de SeMA》, the exhibition borrows the format of the historical salon exhibition, which played a significant role in connecting art with the public, to introduce the museum’s newly acquired works.


Im Sunny, Reading TV, 2014 © Im Sunny

The exhibition 《Salon de SeMA》 seeks not only to create harmony and relationships among the works by presenting a wide range of newly acquired pieces without restriction to specific themes or genres, but also to highlight the unique characteristics of each individual work through contrasts with others. In addition, works not included in this exhibition—particularly media art—will be presented at the Seoul Museum of Art, Buk-Seoul through the second part of the New Acquisitions Exhibition, 《Media Salon de SeMA》 (March 10 – May 17, 2015).
 
Rather than focusing solely on the aesthetic or asset value of its collection, Seoul Museum of Art places greater emphasis on the relationship between the collection and its audience—namely, the impact of the works on viewers. Moving forward, the museum will continue its efforts to acquire outstanding works from both Korea and abroad, and to share them with the public through meaningful exhibitions that foster communication and engagement.

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