Blockbuster Art Shows Headed to Korea in 2026: Hirst, Segal, and Korean Masters
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Korean museums and galleries are planning a string of major exhibitions for 2026, promising another busy year for art lovers and social-media-minded visitors alike. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will host Damien Hirst’s first large-scale Asia retrospective in March, featuring famous works such as the shark-in-formaldehyde piece and the diamond-encrusted skull. Leeum Museum opens Korea’s first solo show by British performance artist Tino Sehgal in February, presenting 25 years of site-specific live works that involve performers and improvisation. Other international highlights include Jonas Wood’s Asia survey at the Amorepacific Museum, Robert Mapplethorpe’s show at a hanok (traditional Korean house) space, and a year-end solo by text artist Jenny Holzer. Major Korean retrospectives are also planned: Yoo Youngkuk’s 110th-birthday retrospective at Seoul Museum of Art, Do Ho Suh’s large solo at MMCA Seoul, and exhibitions on modern sculptors and painters such as Park Seok-won and Bang Hye-ja. Museums will also spotlight overlooked ‘hidden masters’ and key figures in women’s art—Hoam Museum stages a major retrospective of sculptor Kim Yun-shin, and Arario Gallery will present photographer Park Young-suk’s large show. The lineup is expected to keep crowds and “museum selfie” culture strong into 2026.
