RM X SFMOMA Exhibition: How To Get Tickets

From RM’s “Indigo” (2022)

BIGHIT MUSIC

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is teaming up with RM of BTS to showcase his personal art collection in RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me.

From October 3 through February 7, 20227, ticket holders can view the only U.S. presentation of his collection, curated by RM himself along with exhibition co-curators América Castillo and Hyoeun Kim of SFMOMA. SFMOMA members can preview the exhibition early from October 1-3.

The exhibition brings together nearly 200 works by Korean and international artists, offering a glimpse of RM’s collection that has never been seen publicly before. It includes modern and contemporary Korean art from all around the world and across different time periods.

“We live in an age defined by boundaries,” RM, real name Kim Namjoon, says in the press release. “This exhibition at SFMOMA reflects those boundaries: between East and West, Korea and America, the modern and the contemporary, the personal and the universal. I don’t want to prescribe how these works should be seen; whether out of curiosity or study, all perspectives are welcome. My only hope is that this exhibition can be a small but sturdy bridge for many.”

An avid collector, RM has shared his love for art and history with his fans, including visits to local museums during the group’s world tours. He revealed on Intersections: The Art Basel podcast that he fell in love with art in 2018 after visiting the Art Institute of Chicago. He began collecting, which he reveals gave him “the standard to live as a better man, as a better adult, and as a better artist.”

Little did he know, his love of art and museums inspired his legion of fans to explore local museums and art shows – also known as “Namjoon-ing.” Through his influence, more Korean artists are being recognized for their artistry.

On his 27th birthday in 2020, he donated US$84,000 to Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Foundation to print and reissue books on Korean art for distribution to libraries and schools nationwide. It featured Korean artists Kim Whan-ki, Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-kuk, Park Nae-hyeon, and Yun Hyong-keun. For his 2022 solo album, Indigo, RM drew inspiration from “Blue,” a study by artist Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007). In 2022, he narrated a special audio guide for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) exhibition, “The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art.”

“RM x SFMOMA is closely aligned with our mission to expand global dialogue around art,” noted Christopher Bedford, Helen and Charles Schwab Director of SFMOMA. “This exhibition makes space for new voices in the museum, while also welcoming visitors who have been exposed to contemporary and Korean art through RM.”

The collection features work by key figures in modern and contemporary Korean art, including Chang Ucchin, Kim Yun Shin, Kwon Okyon, Park Rehyun, To Sangbong, and Yun Hyong-keun, as well as works by numerous notable contemporary artists worldwide. The exhibition will also feature SFMOMA collection artworks by Donald Judd, Kim Whanki, Yves Klein, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, Nam June Paik, and Mark Rothko, among others.

“While centered on modern and contemporary Korean art, RM’s collection encompasses the broader trajectory of art in Korea, from the 13th century to the present,” commented Hyoeun Kim, assistant curator of painting and sculpture, SFMOMA. “Through this collaboration with SFMOMA, it is especially meaningful to bring the depth and richness of his collection to a wider audience.”

“This exhibition is an invitation for visitors to trust their own perspective. These artists remind us that art was never separate from everyday life to begin with. It’s found in the places we return to, the people we care about, and the questions that stay with us,” noted América Castillo, curatorial project manager, SFMOMA.

According to SFMOMA, “works from RM’s collection and SFMOMA’s collection are placed in dialogue, showing how artists from different contexts have explored universal topics related to nature, memory, and human existence in their own distinct ways.” They invite visitors to see familiar work in a new light and encounter other artwork for the first time.