BTS rapper RM (Kim Namjoon) has been nominated for the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer List 2022, which recognises and celebrates the work and influence of notable individuals within the sector.
Thanks to the #BTSARMY, the K-pop musician has had more than 1,500 nominations for blooloop’s latest influencer list. He is currently receiving two nominations per second.
Charles Read, blooloop MD, says: “Kim Namjoon is a great example of an influencer in the truest sense of the word: ‘a person who affects or changes the way other people behave’.
“His genuine interest in art and his visits to museums around the world have created ‘BTS bumps’ and encouraged his legions of fans to learn more about museums, art and culture.”
Art enthusiast and collector Kim Namjoon
There’s honestly no-one who has inspired me more to appreciate art than Kim Namjoon. He has inspired so many of us to find our own version of “Namjooning” and find inner peace through loving and appreciating art. He is my nominee! pic.twitter.com/LK4gqfLria
— Lozza⁷ ᴾʳᵒᵒᶠ 💜🇬🇧 2022.06.10 (@lozzawayne) June 30, 2022
RM spoke about his passion for art museums in an episode of Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast. The podcast features artists, architects, gallerists, designers, musicians and collectors.
Intersections is hosted by Marc Spiegler, who covered the art world as a journalist before he was named the global director of Art Basel.
“When people come to Korea… we cannot see the great Korean artists because there are not many museums right now, there are not many galleries right now,” RM said.
“So I want to make my own sometime.”
#BTSARMY
RM is famously a museum fan, has an art collection & has hinted at opening an exhibition…so 🤔 pic.twitter.com/0XeRv2kfwf
— blooloop (@Blooloop) June 29, 2022
The musician said he became interested in art after a trip to the Chicago Art Institute in 2018. He now shares his visits to museums with his 35.7 million followers on Instagram.
RM’s fans follow his lead, visiting the same cultural institutions and posting about them on social media.
“As an art enthusiast and a collector who loves art, I read and study a lot hoping to grow special insights and better discerning eyes,” RM told ARTnews.
HYBE, the South Korean music company behind BTS, opened the HYBE Insight museum in Seoul last year. Visitors can select an artist guide, including RM, to take them through the cultural space.
The Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer List is in its third year. Nominate for 2022 here and see the list from 2021 here.
Image: RM/Instagram
