The artistic world of BTS's RM is set to unfold at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
The special exhibition "RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me," presented jointly by RM and SFMOMA, will run from October 3 (local time) through February 7, 2027. It marks the first time RM's personal collection is being showcased in a museum setting.
Through his agency, BigHit Music, RM shared, "This is the first time I am sharing my collection under my own name. I believe few things reflect a person as candidly as a collection built over a long period of time. In that sense, I think this exhibition will serve as quite a long self-introduction." He continued, "My collection features many works by modern and contemporary Korean artists. Some names may still be unfamiliar outside Korea, but I have collected them with the hope of adding a better perspective and appreciation, and that journey has led to this exhibition."
RM participated directly in the overall planning and curation of the exhibition. Alongside SFMOMA co-curators América Castillo and Kim Hyoeun, he selected the artworks and conceptualized the presentation. To help visitors experience the pieces more intimately, he also personally wrote the exhibition texts and artwork descriptions in both Korean and English. Bilingual audio guides recorded in his own voice will be provided, and RM even curated the background music played throughout the galleries.
This exhibition marks SFMOMA's first-ever collaboration with a K-pop artist since its founding. The museum initiated the project after noting RM's distinct aesthetic taste and enduring passion for contemporary art. Christopher Bedford, Director of SFMOMA, explained, "This exhibition closely aligns with SFMOMA's mission to expand the global dialogue surrounding art. It creates a space for new voices within the museum while inviting visitors who have been introduced to contemporary and Korean art through RM."
About 180 carefully selected artworks curated by RM and SFMOMA will come together in one place. Masterpieces by leading figures of Korean modern and contemporary art—such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rae-hyun, Chang Ucchin, Kwon Ok-yeon, Kim Yun-shin, and To Sang-bong—will be showcased alongside works from SFMOMA's collection by artists including Kim Whanki, Nam Jun Paik, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Through ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, and sculptures, visitors will also be able to trace the trajectory of Korean art spanning from the sixth century to the present day.
Among these, approximately 140 works come from RM's personal collection, with most of them making their public debut in the United States. By juxtaposing works from different eras and cultures, the exhibition illuminates how varied perspectives have explored universal themes such as nature, memory, and human existence. SFMOMA introduced the showcase as one of the most comprehensive presentations of Korean modern and contemporary art ever held in the U.S.
Photo Credit = BigHit Music (HYBE)
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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