RM: “This exhibition will be quite an extensive self-introduction”… Filled with affection for Korean modern and contemporary art

A special exhibition offering a glimpse into the artistic world of BTS member RM will be held in San Francisco, United States. It is the first exhibition at a museum to showcase works collected personally by RM, bringing together approximately 180 works, including modern and contemporary Korean art.

The special exhibition ‘RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,’ presented jointly by RM and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), will run from October 3 through February 7, 2027.

Approximately 140 of the works presented in this exhibition are from RM’s personal collection. Most of these works are reportedly being shown in the United States for the first time. Works by artists representing modern and contemporary Korean art, including Yun Hyong-keun, Park Re-hyun, Chang Uc-chin, Kwon Ok-yeon, Kim Yun-shin, and Do Sang-bong, will be displayed alongside works from the SFMOMA collection.

Visitors can also see works by Kim Whanki and Nam June Paik, as well as Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The exhibition is organized to offer an overview of the development of Korean art from the sixth century to the present through works in diverse genres, including ceramics, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture.

RM did more than simply lend the works; he also participated directly in the exhibition planning and curation process. Together with SFMOMA co-curators America Castillo and Kim Hyo-eun, he selected the works and developed the exhibition’s direction, while also personally writing the Korean- and English-language exhibition texts and artwork descriptions for visitors.

RM also personally created the bilingual audio guide, recorded in his own voice, and selected the music played in the exhibition galleries. He completed the exhibition by sharing his personal tastes, developed through collecting art, and his interest in art with visitors.

RM explained that this exhibition is “the first occasion to share my collection under my own name,” describing it as an opportunity to introduce himself through the collection he has built over many years. He added that he had collected many works by modern and contemporary Korean artists and wanted to introduce artists who are still unfamiliar outside Korea.

This collaboration is also significant because it is the first exhibition SFMOMA has organized with a K-pop artist since its founding. SFMOMA is said to have first proposed the project after taking note of RM’s longstanding interest in modern art and his art-collecting activities.

SFMOMA Director Christopher Bedford explained that the exhibition aligns with the museum’s aim of expanding global dialogue surrounding art and will provide an opportunity to invite visitors to encounter modern art and Korean art from a new perspective through RM.

[Seung-hoon Ji, Star Today reporter]