Leeum is where traditional and contemporary art
converge. The private museum founded in 2004 is
tucked away in a foothill of the bustling expat
enclave of Itaewon. Museum 1 houses traditional
Korean art, including metal works, ceramics and
calligraphy. Museum 2 contains contemporary
works. The 10,000KRW entry fee for the permanent
exhibitions is worth it — peruse rare
buncheong
wares (blue-green stoneware) from the early Joseon
dynasty and white porcelain from the late Joseon
dynasty in “Beyond Time” in Museum 1. Western
expressionism, the Korean monochrome movement,
and Korean and Western pop art feature in Museum
2’s “Beyond Space.”
LEEUM, SAMSUNG
MUSEUM OF ART
04
Before it was made famous by singer Psy’s
“Gangnam Style,” this posh district south of the Han
River was an emerging arts hub. Located in the heart
of it is Gallery Yeh. Opened in 1978, the gallery is a
forerunner of the city’s contemporary art scene. Its
façade is a piece of artwork itself — shimmering
silver folds curving in and out and defying space and
dimensionality. Together with YG Plus, Gallery Yeh
has organized exhibitions such as the “Paik Nam-
june Show,” a retrospective of the late Korean-
American artist known as South Korea’s
“grandfather of video art.”
GALLERY YEH
03
PHOTOGRAPHY: GALLERY YEH / LEEUM
18 Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Open 10am-7pm Mondays to Fridays, 10am-6pm
Saturdays.
(
60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Open
10:30am-6pm daily. Admission is 10,000KRW for the
permanent exhibition.
(leeum.samsungfoundation.org/
html_eng/global/main.asp
)
28
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