The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA). ⓒ Lee Jung-kyu (이정규)The candidates for the new directorship of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), have been confirmed. The finalists include Shim Sang-yong, a professor at Seoul National University’s College of Fine Arts; Kim Sunghee, a professor at Hongik University’s Graduate School of Arts; and Kim Chan-Dong, the former director of Suwon Museum of Art. The final appointment will be made by the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
Professor Shim Sang-yong was the director of the 8th Daegu Photo Biennale (2021) and is currently the director of the Seoul National University Art Museum. Kim Sunghee is a founding member of project space SARUBIA, one of the alternative spaces in Seoul. She established the nonprofit organization CAN Foundation and is currently serving as its permanent director. Kim Chan-Dong has served as the director of ARKO Art Center and the curator of the Gwangju Biennale’s special exhibition (2000) and the Busan Biennale (2016).
Experts have highlighted “global network,” “curatorial expertise,” and “leadership in managing large organizations” as crucial qualities for the director of the MMCA. While all three candidates have played significant roles in the Korean art scene, there have been doubts raised about their ability to lead the country’s largest art museum. The former director, Youn Bum-mo, had a term that was supposed to last until February 2025 but resigned in April.
