I've taken art history classes and genuinely love contemporary art. And I have still walked out of exhibits frustrated. Sometimes all there is is a title, a name, and a year on a small plaque — and I can feel that there's so much more to get, that I'm not going to get there on my own, and that the help just isn't there. Whatever the work holds stays closed. I leave disconnected. Cold.
So when the RM x SFMOMA exhibit was announced, I knew I didn't want that. This is the first public showing of RM's personal art collection — a private collection entering public conversation through one of the world's major modern art museums — and it is too important to me to walk away cold. As someone who loves BTS and has tremendous respect for RM and the thoughtfulness he brings to everything he touches, I want to walk in open, but not ignorant. So I started doing the work of being ready to receive it. It's just me reading, researching, and pulling out the things that feel worth sharing with someone new to these artists — six Korean artists connected to RM's collection: Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Kwon Okyon, Kim Yun Shin, To Sangbong, and Chang Ucchin. A little background, a few interesting threads — enough to spark curiosity, whether that leads deeper into this site or out into the world to explore more.
In the exhibit's press release, RM said he hopes the show acts as a small but sturdy bridge for viewers. I held onto those two words. That's what this site is — an extension of that same hope, built for any fellow ARMY who wants a little something to hold onto before walking through the door.
I'm glad you're here,
Tida