Abu Dhabi has become the latest stage for a landmark presentation of Korean contemporary art, as the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) launches its most ambitious international exhibition to date in the Gulf region. Titled 《Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits》 the exhibition brings together 48 works by 29 of Korea’s most influential contemporary artists and is co-organized with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF). It opened on May 16 at Manarat Al Saadiyat and runs through June 30, 2025.


Exterior view of Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi / © Propertyfinder

Interior view of Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi / © Propertyfinder

At the heart of this unprecedented cultural exchange is the concept of “open circuits,” first proposed by Nam June Paik. Far beyond a technological metaphor, Paik’s idea of open circuits captures the organic, non-linear interconnection between people, media, and time—a theme that frames the entire exhibition.
 

 
Korea’s Contemporary Art, Seen Through Four Layers

Spanning more than six decades of artistic experimentation, the exhibition is structured around four thematic sections that explore the evolution of Korean contemporary art through a material, performative, and conceptual lens. The curatorial approach—led jointly by Yeo Kyunghwan (SeMA) and Maya El Khalil (ADMAF)—emphasizes the porous boundaries between place, body, memory, and media.
 
“This exhibition expands the notion of artistic connectivity across physical and geographic boundaries. It invites a layering of different lived experiences through transparent and transformative media,” said the curators in a joint statement.


 
SECTION 1 – Body, Space, and the Shifting Gaze

This section revisits the experimental practices of the 1960s–70s, when Korean artists redefined the perceptual experience of art. Highlights include Lee Kang-so’s Painting 78-1 (1977), Park Hyun-ki’s TV Fishbowl (1979) and Water Inclination (1979), and Nam June Paik’s Self-Portrait (1998), each exploring the mutable relationships between physical presence and visual cognition.

Park Hyunki, Water Inclination, 1979, C-print, 60 × 50 cm (×4), ed. 2/10, Collection of Seoul Museum of Art. / Courtesy of Seoul Museum of Art



SECTION 2 – The World Through the Body

Artworks such as Lee Kun-yong’s Body Drawing (2007), Oh Min’s Etude on Etude (2018), and Lee Bul’s intricate sculpture Untitled (2006) examine the body as both a perceptual tool and a site of cultural inscription. These works investigate how bodily gesture and ritual expand into non-human or mediated realms.


Lee Kun-Yong, Logic of Place, 1975 performance, printed in 2019, C-print, 49 × 49 cm (×4), ed. 3/12, Collection of Seoul Museum of Art. / Courtesy of Seoul Museum of Art

Lee Bul, Untitled, 2006, crystal, glass, and acrylic beads on nickel chrome wire, stainless steel frame, 320 × 62 × 32 cm, Collection of Seoul Museum of Art. Photo: Kim Sangtae / Courtesy of Seoul Museum of Art



SECTION 3 – Memory and Reconstructed Identities

This segment centers on the politics of memory and the visualization of personal and collective histories. Jeon So-jeong’s trilogy—A Future that Arrived Early(2015), Eclipse(2020), and Green Screen(2021)—delve into imagined spaces beyond political borders. Kwon Hayoun’s video installation Kubo, Wandering in Colonial Seoul (2021) reimagines historical memory through virtual storytelling.


Jeon So-jeong, A Future that Arrived Early, 2015, Single channel video, color, sound(stereo), 10min 8sec, ed.1/5, Collection of Seoul Museum of Art



SECTION 4 – Urban Networks and Connected Landscapes

Contemporary cities and digital ecosystems form the focus of this final section. Im Minouk’s S.O.S. – Adoptive Dissonance(2009) offers a meditative journey along Seoul’s Han River, while Kim Ayoung’s Delivery Dancer’s Sphere Simulation(2022) explores sensorial labor within algorithmic cityscapes. Jung Seo-young’s iconic Sculptural Bride (1997/2016) redefines materiality and form through abstract corporeality.


Im Minouk, S.O.S. – Adoptive Dissonance, 2009, Performance recording video; 3 channel video (HD), color, sound, 11m, ed.3/8, Collection of Seoul Museum of Art.


Diplomacy Through Art: Seoul Meets Abu Dhabi

This exhibition is the first major outcome of a three-year institutional partnership between SeMA and ADMAF, signed in 2024. The collaboration encompasses co-commissioned works, international artist residencies, and curatorial exchanges. For SeMA Director Choi Eun-ju, the significance is both artistic and diplomatic:
 
“Abu Dhabi sits at the cultural nexus of globalization and urbanization. We hope this exhibition offers a new interpretive lens on Korean contemporary art within this context,” she stated.
 
H.E. Huda Ibrahim Al Khamis-Kanoo, founder of ADMAF, emphasized the project’s broader vision:
 
“This exhibition serves as a vital platform for introducing Korean art to new audiences in the Gulf and beyond. It also exemplifies cultural diplomacy at its most meaningful.”


 
Public Programs and Artist Dialogues

In parallel with the exhibition, “Layered Dialogues”, a public engagement program, hosts panels, screenings, and talks featuring Korean and Emirati artists and theorists. Participating Korean artists such as Kwon Byung-jun and Choi Go-eun will be joined by UAE-based practitioners to discuss cross-cultural perspectives on media, technology, and contemporary experience.


 
Participating Artists

Nam June Paik, Kim Kulim, Park Hyun-ki, Lee Kun-yong, Lee Kang-so, Park Iso, Hong Seung-hye, Jung Seo-young, Lee Bul, Im Minouk, Moon Kyungwon & Jeon Joonho, Kwon Byung-jun, Haegue Yang, Lee Seulgi, Hong Young-in, Kim Sung-hwan, Oh Min, Kang Seo-kyung, Kim Ayoung, Kwon Hayoun, Jeon So-jeong, Choi Go-eun, Jeon Hye-ju, Woo Hanna, Ram Han, Koo Ki-jung, Hwang Sun-jung, and Mokha Lee.

"Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits"
Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
May 16 – June 30, 2025
Organized by: Seoul Museum of Art × Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation