Home > Culture > Arts & Design

Seoul Museum of Art completes final piece of puzzle with Seo SeMa to open in March

Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 17:55

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Seoul Museum of Art officials take questions from the press on Tuesday at SeMA's main building in Jung District, central Seoul. [SEMA]

After months of delays, the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is set to open its newest outpost, the Seo Seoul Museum of Art (Seo SeMA), in March, museum officials announced Tuesday.

The museum — the final piece in SeMA’s eight-branch network — broke ground in June 2015 as part of a 50 billion won ($34.6 million) project. Originally slated to open in November last year, the launch was postponed indefinitely due to construction flaws.

“This year will be especially significant,” SeMA Director Choi Eun-ju said during a press conference in Jung District, central Seoul. “With all eight branches now complete, each institution will maintain its own identity while functioning as part of a single organic network. This reflects our long-term consideration of how art connects with citizens, the city and contemporary society.”

The eight SeMa facilities are Seoul Museum of Art in Jung District; Buk SeMA in Nowon District, northern Seoul; Nam SeMA in Gwanak District, eastern Seoul; AA (Art Archives) SeMA in Jongno District, central Seoul; Photo SeMA in Dobong District, northern Seoul; Nanji Residency SeMA in Mapo District, western Seoul; Paik Ground SeMA in Jongno District; and the upcoming Seo SeMA in Geumcheon District, southern Seoul.

Seo SeMA will focus primarily on media art.

“We see it as our responsibility to ensure that people across Seoul can enjoy art — without leaving anyone excluded,” said Jeong So-ra, head of SeMA’s curatorial division.

The museum also announced that its main building in Jung District will undergo a large-scale renovation, scheduled for completion by September 2030.

Originally constructed in 1928 as the former Supreme Court building, the site has long served as a judicial hub. The building was remodeled and reopened as SeMA in 2002, preserving its historic facade while introducing modern interior facilities.

The upcoming renovation aims to address aging infrastructure and improve exhibition conditions. Plans include remodeling the exhibition wing (approximately 118,400 square feet), adding two underground floors (about 32,290 feet) and expanding underground spaces beneath the front courtyard to include galleries, visitor amenities and storage.

The museum will also redesign the exterior for an overall sleeker aesthetic, "improving accessibility and better integrating with the surrounding streetscape, positioning the site as a central cultural landmark," said SeMA's head of management support Yoo Jung-tae. Total project cost is estimated at 79.2 billion won.

"We anticipate that this project will give new life to SeMA and renew its status as a world-class art facility," said Yoo.

Among the year’s major highlights is the largest-ever Yoo Young-kuk (1916–2002) retrospective, marking the 110th anniversary of his birth. The exhibition will run from May 19 to Oct. 25 at the main SeMA building.[YOOYOUNGKUK ART FOUNDATION]

Exhibitions will continue throughout the renovation period. In 2026, SeMA plans to stage 39 exhibitions across its eight venues, alongside 634 educational programs.

Among the year’s major highlights is the museum’s largest-ever Yoo Young-kuk (1916–2002) retrospective, marking the 110th anniversary of his birth. The exhibition will run from May 19 to Oct. 25 at the main SeMA building.

From April 30 to Sept. 6, SeMA will present “Ampre Ex Machina,” featuring around 15 artists affiliated with Nanji Art Studio. The exhibition examines enduring aspects of human nature amid technological systems, moving beyond vague techno-utopian fantasies.

Nam Seoul Museum of Art will host a solo exhibition by sculptor Cho Sook-jin from July 29 to Nov. 15. Part of the museum’s annual sculptor series, the exhibition surveys more than 40 years of the artist’s practice since relocating to New York in 1988, spanning sculpture, installation, public art, performance, photography, sound and works using discarded materials and traces of place.[SEMA]

Seo SeMA will open with a solo exhibition by Kim Hee-chun, offering a critical perspective on contemporary technological environments and culture. The show will run from Aug. 20 to Nov. 8.

Nam Seoul Museum of Art will host a solo exhibition by sculptor Cho Sook-jin from July 29 to Nov. 15. Part of the museum’s annual sculptor series, the exhibition surveys more than 40 years of the artist’s practice since relocating to New York in 1988, spanning sculpture, installation, public art, performance, photography, sound and works using discarded materials and traces of place.

SeMA is also set to present a slew of international exhibitions this year, including Asia’s first solo exhibitions on American media artist Lynn Hershman Leeson, at SeMA's main building in August, and British photographer Martin Parr at Photo SeMA in June.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]