KoreaToday National Contemporary Art Museum Gets Seoul Venue
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Seoul is incontestably the hub of South Korea for almost all sectors including the arts. While the capital houses the National Museum of Art in Deoksu Palace, the National Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
It only seems natural that the government decided to build a main annex in Seoul for exhibitions and cultural activities. The Gwacheon museum will mostly likely function as a center for storage, research and education, said the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in a press release.
Paris has its train station-turned-Musee D'Orsay and London boasts the factory-turned-Tate Modern. By 2012, Seoul will transform the Defense Security Command (DSC) in Jongno into a contemporary art museum complex.
This answers those who have been long campaigning for a contemporary art museum in Seoul, an idea proposed in 1995. The renovation will be in sync with that of Gyeongbok Palace. The DSC, located in the center of Samcheong-dong, had seemed out of place in the artsy neighborhood lined with art galleries. Three years from now, the new museum will unite the beautiful hanok (Korean traditional house)-dotted area comprising Samcheong, Sogyeok, Gahoe and Tongheui into one big, harmonized art valley.
Transforming the site from a military unit to a cultural space seems all the more fitting since it once housed the Jongchinbu (Office of Royal Portraits and Costumes) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), along with the Gyujanggak (Royal Library) and Saganwon (Office of the Censor General).
Preservation, Renovation
``We're trying our best to renovate while preserving the main frame (of the DSC),'' Yoo Ho-sung from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was quoted as telling the Weekly Hankook, a sister magazine of The Korea Times.
Since moving to Gwacheon last year, the DSC has left behind 13 buildings covering 27,354 square meters, of which the floor space measures 34,490 square meters.
The core structure of the complex, however, will not be drastically altered. Because the site is located in the vicinity of Cheong Wa Dae and Gyeongbok Palace, buildings cannot exceed four stories (16 meters). The main building was built in 1929 by architect Park Gil-yong and was also used as a hospital for what is now Seoul National University Medical School. It is a designated modern cultural asset, so its exterior cannot be touched.
The ministry can find inspiration from various renovated buildings around the world. ``What immediately comes to mind are Musee d'Orsay in Paris, Tate Modern in London and Dia:Beacon in New York. One nearby example is the National Museum of Art in Deoksu Palace,'' said Yoo.
``Considering how the Seoul annex is most likely to house exhibitions, we can also refer to the MoMA's (Museum of Modern Art) annex PSI in New York,'' he said. In light of the limited urban environment, it seems probable for the Seoul annex to hold exhibitions. But details about the functions of the Gwacheon and Seoul museums are still under careful debate, he said.
Another great foreign example is the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Austria. The Hamburg royal family's stable was transformed into a multi-complex art space in 2001. Spanning over roughly 30,000 square meters like the DSC site for the Seoul annex, MuseumsQuartier is made up of some 10 buildings including the Leopold Museum, modern art gallery MUMOK, dance theater, children's theater, design shop and cafe.
Art Houses
More important than looks, of course, is the art the new museum will house. As of now, the Culture Ministry said that the Seoul annex would exhibit contemporary artworks from the 21st century, including photography, video, design, new media art, installation art and mixed media works. The complex will also house educational facilities such as an auditorium and lecture halls. There will also be an open-air sculpture park.
The Gwacheon annex, on the other hand, is most likely to be a center for research, including preservation and restoration, and hold temporary exhibitions. As mentioned before, it will probably be the main storage space for contemporary artworks.
``Considering the use of space, it seems unnecessary to store works in the middle of the city. If the Seoul annex were to be the unique national art museum then storage space would be a major issue, but in this case we have alternatives,'' said Yoo.
The Deoksu Palace Museum will continue to concentrate on fine arts, including photography, etchings, drawings and architecture from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries.
The redistribution of functions brings to light several criticisms about the current state of the Gwacheon and the Deoksu Palace museums. Deoksu Palace Museum is notorious for its small size and miniscule permanent collection, which amounts to less than one hundredth of that of New York's MoMA. It is also understaffed.
``It is necessary to deliberate issues such as securing permanent collections, the synergy effect that may result from designating the roles of the Gwacheon Museum, Deoksu Palace Museum and Seoul annex and countermeasures for possible obstacles,'' said Jung Joon-mo, exhibition director of the Goyang Cultural Foundation and a supporter of the Seoul annex project.
Drawing the Blueprint
Ever since the official announcement of the Seoul annex plan last month, advisory meetings for seeking advice from experts in related fields have started, said the Culture Ministry. The basic framework for the construction is expected to be set before the end of the year.
While there is no official advisory committee, the Ministry is referring to various professionals involved in art, exhibition planning, gallery management, art critics, architects, urban planners, etc.
Discussions about the budget will begin in May, when the state plans to compile the general budget. Once the government measure is announced, the National Assembly will discuss the matter and produce a final plan by December.
Blueprints for the construction will be produced next year and construction will begin in 2011 for completion by 2012.
The launching of the Seoul annex will allow locals to enjoy the city in an unprecedented way. It will, moreover, be an opportunity to revamp all of the national art museums and their various functions, and create the means for new cultural dynamics. It is also hoped that the project will inspire sustainable cultural endeavors and solutions for problems with long-term effects, such as the deficient donation practice by the public.