'Black Picasso' Basquiat Exhibition Draws Over 200,000 Visitors in Korea
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
The major retrospective “Jean-Michel Basquiat: Symbolic Signs Connecting Past and Future” at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) has surpassed 201,289 visitors three months after opening. The large show features about 230 works, including some 70 paintings and drawings from nine countries and, for the first time in Korea, some 160 pages from Basquiat’s notebook. Korean cultural treasures such as the Hunminjeongeum Haerye (explanation of the Korean alphabet), Bangudae rock carvings, and Nam June Paik’s video art are displayed alongside Basquiat’s pieces to create a dialogue between Eastern and Western signs. Actor Park Bo-gum narrates the audio guide. Celebrity visits (including BTS’s RM, Seventeen’s The8, and actors Kim Hye-soo and Ha Ji-won) and positive public reviews helped fuel repeat visits. Due to strong demand, the museum extended hours to 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and launched seasonal promotions and family deals (e.g., youth 1+1 tickets, two free children under 12 per adult). The exhibition runs at DDP Museum through January 31 and will offer limited-edition merchandise during the Christmas season.
