THE COLLECTION

From prior to its opening, Artsonje Museum had a collection of works by Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Odlenburg, Jasper Johns, and it has been extending its collection in post 1960's western contemporary art. In the first year of the museum opening, an exhibition showing works by Andy Warhol and Basquiat was organized and the museum continues to exhibit unfamiliar western contemporary art to the general Korean public. This activity has been quoted as the precedent to the systematic and full-scale introduction of western contemporary art to Korean audiences. (Art in America, July, 1993) Artsonje Museum collection, which is growing over time along with research and program activities, consists of paintings, photography, sculpture, and video works that exemplify the contemporary art flow from the Abstract Expressionism, Pop, New Expressionism to current media art.

The Museum's major contemporary western art collection includes works by Robert Rauschenberg, David Salle, Julien Schnabel, Anselm Kiefer, Jorg Immendorf, John Chamberlain, Nancy Graves, Anthony Caro, Ferdinand Arman, Magdalena Abacanovich, Frank Stella, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Fernando Botero, George Segal, Nam June Paik, Gilbert & George, and Thomas Ruff. The Museum also collects works by Korean artists who represent Korean Modern art from the modernist masters such as Kim Hwan Ki , Suh Sae Ok , Park Suh Bo, Lee Woo Whan, Nam Kwan, Lee Eung No, Lee Sae Deuk, Kim Chang Ryul to the currently active established artists such as Kim Choon Soo, Lee Kang Soh, Kown, Yuh Hyun, Choi Man Lyn, Cho Duk Hyun, Ju Myung Duk and others. Artsonje Museum is doing its best to develop into a more diverse collection by adding experimental and recent works by currently active established Korean artists