Seoul's Cultural Reopenings Briefly Unfold Amid COVID-19 Fluctuations

In early May 2020, South Korea's cultural spaces and museums cautiously reopened after more than two months of closure, but by the end of the month, they had to shut down again because of new infection outbreaks in Seoul. During this short reopening, Gallery Hyundai celebrated its 50th anniversary with an exhibition that included a Kim Whanki diptych, which had set a record at Christie's Hong Kong in 2019. Curator Ahn Soyeon debuted Atelier Hermès' 2020 season with a solo exhibition by Jun Sojung, while PKM Gallery displayed late works by Dansaekhwa artist Yun Hyong-keun. The Arko Art Center brought back its exhibition History Has Failed Us, but No Matter, initially shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale. Additionally, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) started Looking for Another Family, exploring alternative family dynamics in Asia. The Gwangju Biennale, Asia's oldest biennial, delayed its opening to February 2021, while the Busan Biennale and Seoul Mediacity Biennale are set to start in early September 2020. As summer nears, the Korean art landscape remains in a state of uncertainty due to COVID-19's ongoing impact.