Three years ago, RM held an anonymous show in South Korea, but this is the first proper exhibition he has staged. For many of his fans \u2014 some of whom wait outside the museum trying to get a glimpse of him \u2014 his favorite activities, including museum-hopping, bicycling and being out in nature, come as no surprise. There is even a word for it: \u201cnamjooning,\u201d<\/a> a play on the singer\u2019s first name, Namjoon. But still, the exhibition is the rare chance to view RM as a serious art collector; someone who values Korean identity in art but also loves works from many genres, eras and countries.<\/p>\n Philip Guston, Untitled (Red and Black Book), 1969; from the collection of RM.<\/p>\n (The Estate of Philip Guston \/ Hauser & Wirth)<\/p>\n Dressed in a gray T-shirt, dark collared shirt and leather pants, RM\u2019s hair is a light burnt sienna color matching the fur of the stylized tiger on the screen behind him. From a 17th century painting by Lee Won-chan, it\u2019s from his personal collection of more than 400 artworks. For this exhibition, 142 pieces owned by RM will be shown alongside 36 works from SFMOMA for a total of 178 works on display.<\/p>\n RM sees \u201cBetween You and Me\u201d as an introduction to his inner life and reflection of contrasting aspects of his personality, whether as a public figure interacting with his adoring fans or an erudite intellectual and avid reader with a reputation as a clumsy and lovable <\/a>goofball.<\/p>\n RM was on a hiatus from BTS and on the cusp of beginning his mandatory military service in South Korea when SFMOMA first approached him for the project two years ago. As it came to fruition, he sought to answer two main questions when contemplating which works of his collection to share with the public.<\/p>\n Does the artwork move him deeply? And, if the work is from a noncontemporary artist, does the piece have something to communicate in 2026?<\/p>\n \u201cIn an age where everything is consumed so fast,\u201d RM explained, \u201cI believe the attitudes of some of the past artists can resonate even more deeply today.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always dreamed of seeing different places, times, boundaries and backgrounds all mixed together in harmony,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt could be a mess because I\u2019ve never formally studied, and I\u2019m not a \u2018curator, curator,\u2019 but in any field sometimes an outsider can bring in a new breeze.\u201d<\/p>\n Wonwoo Lee, \u201cCandy,\u201d 2023; from the collection of RM<\/p>\n (Wonwoo Lee \/ PKM Gallery)<\/p>\n It\u2019s not RM\u2019s first time working with a museum. In 2023, he partnered with Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art to provide guided audio narration for \u201cThe Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n At SFMOMA, RM was joined in his effort by two co-curators: SFMOMA project manager Am\u00e9rica Castillo and assistant curator of painting and sculpture Hyoeun Kim.<\/p>\n Kim, who has long championed Korean artists internationally, was particularly impressed with the diversity of Korean art that RM has amassed, including its \u201cremarkable range.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis collection began with 6th century works, moved through the Joseon Dynasty, and continued to major Korean modern and contemporary art. It spans nearly 1,500 years,\u201d Kim said during the preview.<\/p>\n The show is arranged in eight parts and begins with a large white wall at the entrance with the title of the show scrawled in RM\u2019s handwriting. Handwritten touches are found everywhere \u2014 \u201cPlz take it in with your eyes and heart\u201d is scribbled on the floor in both English and Korean. The wall text for each piece, which also includes a QR code for audio narration, is composed by RM in both languages.<\/p>\n An inscription on the floor of an SFMOMA exhibit curated by RM of BTS features RM\u2019s writing as part of the wall (and floor) text.<\/p>\n (Christine Terrisse.)<\/p>\n Guests will also receive a zine-style pamphlet with the same homespun appeal explaining each of the eight sections in RM\u2019s words alongside a diagram of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cBlue Water\u201d centers the work of Kim Whanki, the late globe-trotting abstract artist and the first RM says he \u201cfell for.\u201d In addition to Whanki and works by Vija Celmins and Tony Feher, some RM fans might recognize one of Roni Horn\u2019s glass cylinder sculptures from a now-archived Instagram post<\/a> where it was casually displayed in RM\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even a room filled with especially eclectic pieces called \u201ci don\u2019t know..but i like it.\u201d By way of explanation, RM said, \u201cSometimes I don\u2019t really know why I collected all these things.\u201d<\/p>\n The last room, \u201cUmber\u201d or \u201cDasaek\u201d (referring to the color of Korean rice fields) might be the most meaningful to the singer. It features works by the late artist Yun Hyong-keun, for whom RM has a particular personal affinity. The cover for his debut solo studio album, \u201cIndigo,\u201d depicts Hyong-keun\u2019s 1972 painting \u201cBlue,\u201d and the album\u2019s lead track, \u201cYun,\u201d <\/a>a collaboration with Erykah Badu, kicks off with recorded dialogue from the artist.<\/p>\n Back in 2018, around the same time RM began his art journey with not much formal training in art history, co-curator Castillo began her career with SFMOMA.<\/p>\n At the time, she was in awe of the power of art to connect with people, but frustrated that more people from unconventional backgrounds weren\u2019t being given opportunities to curate major shows, thereby shaping the stories told. Her work on this exhibition is part of a continuing mission to bridge the art world and the ordinary person.<\/p>\n Chang Ucchin, \u201cRoad,\u201d 1986, from RM\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n (Chang Ucchin Foundation \/ Seoul Auction)<\/p>\n This mission guided her through the process of selecting works by famous artists from SFMOMA\u2019s collection to contextualize RM\u2019s pieces from lesser-known but equally important names.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first time we pulled a list on the SFMOMA side, we had like 500 options we then dwindled down,\u201d she said in an interview while standing in the \u201cUmber\u201d room. \u201cThere were some artworks and specific artists that we knew from the get-go we wanted to be in the show. We wanted them to have a moment. Mark Rothko was definitely one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n The sole Rothko piece in SFMOMA\u2019s collection, \u201cNo. 14,\u201d (1960) is featured in one of the final rooms in the exhibition. Adjacent to it is \u201cuntitled\u201d (1986-90) by Hyong-keun. In the exhibit pamphlet, RM notes that Hyong-keun\u2019s paintings are often compared to Rothko\u2019s, but \u201ctheir darkness is not the same.\u201d \u201cTo my eyes, if Rothko\u2019s darkness is one that \u2018opens\u2019 then Yun\u2019s is the darkness that remains after he endured everything he possibly could,\u201d he writes.<\/p>\n As RM steps into the spotlight of the art world, he is learning to become comfortable with the uncomfortable in-between spaces he occupies. \u201cI started this with an innocent heart. As I\u2019m standing here talking to you, I still feel like I\u2019m always drifting and floating somewhere, \u201d he said, adding that the feeling comes when he\u2019s in the U.S. but also when he\u2019s in his hometown of Seoul. \u201cIt\u2019s not a very pleasant feeling. I think I\u2019ve leaned on art a lot because of that feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the preview, BTS fans, called the ARMY, passed out small gifts to the press, and afterward donors lined up for a special reception. RM\u2019s mother, father and sister even arrived to celebrate, but he didn\u2019t have much time to hang around. He was scheduled to depart for Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, to join his bandmates on the Latin American leg of their ARIRANG stadium world tour.<\/p>\n It is time to leave the quiet of the museum for the roar of the crowd.<\/p>\n![\"Philip](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Wonwoo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790830453_767_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790830453_468_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Chang](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790830454_450_.jpeg\")
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