South Korea’s Busan Museum of Art is set to close for a two-year renovation project on 18 December, with a reopening set for 2026.
First opened in 1998, the Busan Museum of Art will be transformed into a “future-facing institution of the 21st century”, the museum’s director Suh Jin-suk said during a press conference this week, the Korea Times reports.
The 43 billion won ($33.1 million) development will overhaul the museum’s “hardware and software”, Suh said. The renovation will address the ageing infrastructure and the visitor experience.
As per the Korea JoongAng Daily, the museum’s exhibition space will be expanded to two floors underground and three floors above ground. The museum will also upgrade its children’s gallery, education centre and main entrance.
Additionally, the museum’s storage space will be expanded to house the 3,000 works in the collection.
As part of the project, the Busan Museum of Art is in discussions with major contemporary art museums in other Asian countries to create a collaborative network for joint exhibitions and publications.
Suh added: “The initiative seeks to re-narrate the modern and contemporary art history of Asia, including Korea, which still exists in a state of vacuum, from an Eastern perspective .
“Since the era of West-induced modernisation, many Asian nations have lacked agencies to critically contextualise and analyse their modern art with their own language and perspective.”
$33m overhaul for Busan Museum of Art
During the two-year closure, the museum will continue its work through online exhibitions, Suh confirmed. Construction will begin in April.
In more South Korean news, MSG Entertainment is reportedly planning a Sphere-style music venue for K-pop performances in Hanam.
Asia’s first Sphere could be part of the planned 900,000-square-metre K-Star World entertainment destination in Hanam.
K-Star World is estimated to cost around 2.5 trillion won ($1.9 billion). Building the Sphere will cost an additional 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion).
Images courtesy of the Busan Museum of Art
