Museums carefully open up as virus outbreak settles
![Visitors look at works on display at MMCA Seoul’s permanent exhibition ’MMCA Collection Highlights 2020+“ on Thursday in central Seoul while wearing masks and standing away from each other in an effort to abide by social distancing guidelines. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/483ed749-e386-41c2-bb3f-4d0a4861d083.jpg)
Visitors look at works on display at MMCA Seoul’s permanent exhibition ’MMCA Collection Highlights 2020+“ on Thursday in central Seoul while wearing masks and standing away from each other in an effort to abide by social distancing guidelines. [YONHAP]
The only thing that filled the museum's halls last Wednesday, however, was an eerie silence in the absence of people’s voices.
![A visitor tries on a virtual reality headset at SeMA's new exhibition "Collecting For All" on Wednesday while wearing a mask. [YOON SO-YEON]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/ef08a98e-d797-4626-a0d7-8963b74e582a.jpg)
A visitor tries on a virtual reality headset at SeMA's new exhibition "Collecting For All" on Wednesday while wearing a mask. [YOON SO-YEON]
Since the government loosened its social distancing guidelines last week, public cultural facilities — including art museums, history museums, theaters and libraries — resumed business on Wednesday to quiet fanfare. Because distancing guidelines haven’t been totally discarded, most art museums are running on a reservation system. Visitors must make an online reservation prior to visiting and then enter, needless to say, while wearing a face mask.
![Heat-detecting cameras are installed at the front entrance of SeMA. [YOON SO-YEON]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/3ef2e2e6-7258-4f09-9680-aff58f311f27.jpg)
Heat-detecting cameras are installed at the front entrance of SeMA. [YOON SO-YEON]
![On-site staff members wearing face masks will inform visitors to stay away from the works and each other. [YOON SO-YEON]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/22d2a6a5-1303-463b-be17-bb8017462711.jpg)
On-site staff members wearing face masks will inform visitors to stay away from the works and each other. [YOON SO-YEON]
According to the two directors of the museum, the coronavirus has definitely posed a challenge that they hadn’t dealt with before, but it also gave them an opportunity to prove itself to audiences like never before.
“After the corona pandemic shut down museums in other countries, I have been getting emails from overseas asking about how we are handling the situation,” said Beck Jee-sook, director of SeMA.
Yun Bum-mo, director of MMCA, also said that it was a chance for Korean museums to be recognized by the world. MMCA has in fact been leading the Korean art scene with its unique digital contents, spanning from curators’ exhibition tours to the director’s art lessons on some of Korea’s most historical works. Thanks to various efforts, it was listed as one of the top 10 art museums in the world by Forbes, according to the director, and has also received emails from around the world.
![Visitors to MMCA Seoul view Jennifer Steinkamp's video art "Still-Life" (2019) on Thursday. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/94ac399f-cda4-44b3-8aeb-409427745164.jpg)
Visitors to MMCA Seoul view Jennifer Steinkamp's video art "Still-Life" (2019) on Thursday. [YONHAP]
Another similarity between the two museums lies in the themes they have chosen for their spring exhibition, which is to look back and rediscover their own collections and view them in a new light. While SeMA’s exhibition “Collecting For All” displays 131 works by 49 artists until May 31 to question what it means for an art museum to “collect” artwork, the “MMCA Collection Highlights 2020+” is the beginning of MMCA Seoul’s first permanent exhibition that will take place in the first hall of the museum. After this exhibition, MMCA will continue exhibiting pieces from its collection, but change the display every now and then according to relevant issues and the museum’s schedules.
![A guest at the MMCA Seoul’s new exhibition ’Axis of Horizon“ looks at Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s ’Horizontal-Vaakasuora“ (2011), which depicts the difficulty in capturing nature -- and any other subject -- in its truest form, and rethinking the relationship between people and nature. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/05/10/3746149f-e8db-4ed1-af72-10f29f2fedda.jpg)
A guest at the MMCA Seoul’s new exhibition ’Axis of Horizon“ looks at Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s ’Horizontal-Vaakasuora“ (2011), which depicts the difficulty in capturing nature -- and any other subject -- in its truest form, and rethinking the relationship between people and nature. [YONHAP]
Other public art museums will also follow with their new exhibitions, such as the Suwon IPark Museum of Art, MMCA Gwacheon, Busan Museum of Art and the Nam June Paik Art Center.
The bad news is that it might be difficult for some exhibitions that were planned for the winter, or other upcoming exhibitions that involve overseas artists to be held. One of MMCA’s anticipated displays of “Sun & Sea (Marina),” from the Lithuanian Pavilion of the 58th Venice Biennale, has been pushed to next year.
“Reorganizing a new schedule is harder than making a new schedule. It’s not just about getting the works and artists here. It’s about the shipping, the insurance, figuring out a new date for everyone and so on. It will definitely be a challenge,” said Yun of MMCA.
BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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