{"id":619304,"date":"2026-10-03T09:52:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/619304\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T09:52:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:52:24","slug":"blockbuster-exhibit-between-you-and-me-opens-to-throngs-at-sfmoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/619304\/","title":{"rendered":"Blockbuster exhibit \u201cBetween You and Me\u201d opens to throngs at SFMOMA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The person everyone was waiting for was visibly anxious as he stepped up to the microphone. <\/p>\n

An army of fans lined up outside SFMOMA, but Kim Namjoon, otherwise known as RM of Korean pop group BTS, acknowledged his insecurity in the unlikely role of art curator at one of the world\u2019s foremost museums.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ARM speaks to the press gathered for the preview of an exhibition of his art. Photo by Julie Zigoris.<\/p>\n

\"AThe exhibition includes RM\u2019s handwriting on the walls, lending it a casual, intimate vibe. Photo by Julie Zigoris<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my debut as a co-curator,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m nervous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nearly 150 items from RM\u2019s personal collection are currently on display at SFMOMA, along with 36 of the museum\u2019s own pieces \u2014 a remarkable U.S. exhibition of Korean modern art as well as a rare opportunity to highlight cross-cultural connections. <\/p>\n

Aware of RM\u2019s activity within the art world, SFMOMA reached out to the Korean pop star and music producer while he was doing his military service, with the proposition for an exhibition based on his collection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For all his fame, RM seemed overwhelmed to deliver remarks at the opening of the landmark exhibition<\/a>, \u201cRM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSomehow the more I worked on it, the more confused I became,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It was this confusion that initially brought RM into the art world. The rapper described himself as someone who is always drifting and floating. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a good sensation,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve leaned on art a lot because of that feeling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

RM lives in a hyper-paced world of celebrity, but art allows him to slow down. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is pretty much myself,\u201d he said in describing the show. \u201cArt has always been a comfortable language for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Co-curator Am\u00e9rica Castillo, who fell into the museum world with no formal art history training, said she can identify with the feeling of being on the outside looking in. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was frustrated that more people from unconventional backgrounds weren\u2019t being given opportunities to curate exhibitions of this scale, and therefore shape stories being told within cultural institutions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The show provides a unique occasion to see art through one person\u2019s eyes. RM\u2019s writing sprawls across the walls. The exhibition labels, in a break from tradition, use the first person in RM\u2019s voice to explain his collection choices. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe impetus is to sound like an authority so people trust you,\u201d Castillo said, regarding the unusual labels. \u201cBut what if you say, \u2018I don\u2019t know,\u2019 and that\u2019s what makes people trust you?\u201d<\/p>\n

There are prompts on the floor and walls not to get too close to the art, like a friend texting you: \u201cPlz take it in with your eyes and heart.\u201d <\/p>\n

The frequent do-not-touch reminders could be interpreted as stemming\u00a0from RM\u2019s celebrity as well as the coziness of the exhibition space; people need to be reminded not to get too comfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TwoHan Youngsoo, Deoksugung Palace, Jeon-Dong, Seoul, Korea, 1956-1963; collection of RM; \u00a9 Han Youngsoo Foundation, courtesy Han Youngsoo Foundation.<\/p>\n

The wide-ranging exhibition includes photography, sculpture and other examples of Korean art from the sixth century to the present day. Works by Georgia O\u2019Keeffe, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse and others from SFMOMA\u2019s collection also represented.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Divided into eight sections, the exhibition begins and ends with a color, starting with the blue of water and ending with the umber of earth. <\/p>\n

Central to the journey is artist Yun Hyong-Keun, whose work bookends the show and who represents Dansaekhwa, the abstract, monochrome movement so central to modern Korean art. (A retrospective<\/a> of another Dansaekhwa master, Ha Chong-Hyn, is on view at the Asian Art Museum nearby.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

The blue represents emotion, and allows for the inclusion of work by Kim Whanki and Yves Klein, noted for his blue monochrome paintings.<\/p>\n

The umber ending puts a focus on Korean calligraphy and also adds an entry point for a Mark Rothko work that hangs side-by-side with Yun. No longer just \u201cthe Korean Rothko,\u201d Yun claims his own space next to the American painter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BlueKim Whanki, 26-I-70, 1970; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gift of Mrs. Whanki Kim; \u00a9 Whanki Foundation \u00b7 Whanki Museum; Photo by Katherine Du Tiel.<\/p>\n

The exacting dedication to painting a particular object, whether the water droplets of Kim Tschang-Yeul, the dots by Kim Whanki, or the bottles of Giorgio Morandi, are an inspiration for RM, and also the backbone of the \u201cPassion\u201d section of the exhibition. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s captivating to see a world-renowned celebrity absorbed in another artist\u2019s focused craft, in the absence of any adoring fans or limelight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The \u201cFriendscape\u201d section, populated with animals and landscapes, includes the first piece of art RM ever acquired: Lee Dai-won\u2019s \u201cBugaksan Mountain,\u201d a pointillist landscape. <\/p>\n

It demonstrates that RM\u2019s love of dots began early and continued with his appreciation of artists like Kim Whanki \u2014 \u201cthe very first name I fell for,\u201d reads the exhibition text.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most memorable section is \u201cHome,\u201d where the exhibition is set up like a cozy interior. There\u2019s a curated soundtrack by RM playing over the sound system, and viewers are encouraged to sit on the couch, armchairs or at the kitchen table to enjoy the art. A wooden shelf with a collection of ceramics juts into the center of the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The last piece in the show, Yun\u2019s \u201cBurnt Umber and Ultramarine,\u201d in its own atrium, ties the beginning of the exhibition to the end with the bookend colors. \u201cThe exhibition begins close to everyday life, moves more deeply into human experience, and ends in quiet,\u201d said co-curator Hyoeun Kim.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"AYun Hyong-keun, Blue-Umber \u201979-C6, 1979; collection of RM; \u00a9 Yun Seong-ryeol, courtesy PKM Gallery.<\/p>\n

It would be easy to think that, as a global pop phenomenon, RM lent his collection \u2014 and his name \u2014 to the exhibition and left it at that. But \u201cover the past two years, he\u2019s been deeply involved in every aspect,\u201d Hyoeun Kim said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet what does it mean when the upper echelons of the art world cede authority to a celebrity with no formal training? For one: More sales. Member tickets are already sold out for the exhibition, and weekend tickets are selling at a brisk clip, said SFMOMA director Christopher Bedford. <\/p>\n

However, many weekday tickets are still available before the exhibition closes on Feb. 7, 2027.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As for the destination for the only U.S. appearance of his collection, RM couldn\u2019t be happier. \u201cSan Francisco is one of the coolest cities in the world,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Visit \u201cRM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me<\/a>,\u201d from Oct. 3, 2026 to Feb. 7, 2027<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The person everyone was waiting for was visibly anxious as he stepped up to the microphone. An army…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":619305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-619304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}