‘Close, yet distant’: MMCA exhibition revisits Korea-Japan artistic ties since 1945
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) opened a major exhibition on Wednesday, tracing eight decades of artistic exchange between Korea and Japan to offer a nuanced look at a relationship often described as “close, yet distant neighbors.” Titled “Art between Korea and Japan since 1945,” the exhibition runs from Thursday through Sept. 27 at MMCA’s Gwacheon branch. Co-organized with the Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan, the show marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries in June 1965. Featuring some 200 works by 43 artists, the exhibition examines how they navigated a shared yet fraught history shaped by colonialism, war, division and ongoing tensions. Organized into five sections, it follows the trajectory of cross-border exchanges from the aftermath of liberation in 1945 to contemporary solidarity movements. The exhibition previously opened in Yokohama in December, drawing more than 37,000 visitors — significantly surpassing the museum’s typical attendance of 27,000 — with particularly strong interest fr
