The Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art was awarded an institution prize upon being selected for the “Special Exhibition” category of the 2nd Museum and Art Museum of the Year Award jointly held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Museum Association.

The Korean Museum Association launched this award last year in order to promote the vitalization and cultural development of museums and art galleries, awarding prizes to outstanding candidates selected and discovered through an open nomination process for all museums and art galleries in Korea.

The exhibition “Fascination of Emptiness: Correlationship Between Isolation and Solitude,” which earned the Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art its selection for the “Special Exhibition” category, was acclaimed for emotionally contemplating the individual isolation caused by COVID-19 and the restriction and alienation birthed by the artificial social structure.

Last year, the Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art showcased the special exhibition “Fascination of Emptiness: Correlationship Between Isolation and Solitude” amid the widespread outbreak of COVID-19, reflecting the timely nature and historic demand of the transition period marked by the turning points of the post-COVID-19 era and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

▲ Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art

This exhibition was part of an exchange exhibition through the regional network that has been operating since 2014, held with the participation the team of resident artists in the museum’s creative studio. Some of the submitted artwork earned critical acclaim, being screened for an extended period and even winning the Grand Prize at the Joongang Media Art Competition, earning the assessment that the exhibition embraced historic trends and reflected on our current situation through lucid language.

Director Byeong Jong-pil of the Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art commented, “In the contemporary context of the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing the various circumstances and sensibilities of isolation and solitude through poetic and symbolic photographic and video artwork resulted in a positive response,” and added, “We will continue to greet visitors with special exhibitions showcasing penetrating insight into our era.”

Meanwhile, the Museum and Art Museum of the Year Award held as an open competition by the Korean Museum Association is divided into a total of three categories, “Special Exhibition,” “Education Program” and “Publication,” and took place for the second time this year.