An Jungju, ‘Hand in Hand with Amigos para Siempre,’ 2016, 16-channel video, color, sound, 8 min 30 sec. Courtesy of MMCA, Seoul.ArtReview has featured the ongoing exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul Branch titled Back to the Future: Exploring Contemporaneity in Korean Contemporary Art. The exhibition introduces artists who represent the contemporaneity of Korean contemporary art, featuring works acquired by MMCA from 2018 to 2022. While the exhibition primarily focuses on works created in the 1990s, it includes artworks from the late 1980s to the early 2010s, showcasing artists who witnessed significant political and socioeconomic changes in Korean society, including the transition to democracy, economic fluctuations, and the adoption of digital technology.
ArtReview stated that the Back to the Future exhibition provides a concise snapshot of the relationship between contemporary Seoul and Korean art, capturing a dynamic period in history. While the exhibition is necessarily incomplete and apolitical, it serves as a starting point for understanding this era, with the anticipation of more comprehensive exhibitions and museum acquisitions in the future.
