BTS musician and art enthusiast RM (Kim Namjoon) has partnered with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on a new exhibition featuring artworks from his personal collection.
On view from October 2026 to February 2027, RM x SFMoMA will be co-curated by RM with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's América Castillo and Hyoeun Kim.
It will bring together 200 works from the collections of RM and SFMoMA, showcasing modern Korean artworks alongside contemporary artworks from around the world. Many of the artworks are going on display to the public for the first time.
“We live in an age defined by boundaries," said RM.
"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."
K-pop star to co-curate SFMoMA exhibition
RM's collection includes Korean artworks by Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Kwon Okyon, Kim Yun Shin, To Sangbong and Chang Ucchin, in addition to pieces by contemporary artists from around the world.
From the SFMoMA collection, the exhibition will include works by Korean artist Kim Whanki, as well as American and European artists such as Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe and Paul Klee.
“Visitors will have an unprecedented opportunity to explore RM’s beautiful and contemplative collection of paintings and sculpture in dialogue with works from SFMoMA’s holdings, inviting us to make new discoveries and reflect on our own relationships with art,” said Janet Bishop, chief curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
RM, a blooloop influencer, became interested in art after a trip to the Chicago Art Institute in 2018. He now shares his visits to museums with his 48.7 million fans on Instagram, who follow his lead.
He previously collaborated with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on an exhibition's audio guide, and funded the restoration of a traditional Korean bridal gown held by the institution.
Images courtesy of SFMoMA
