seoul Museum of Photographic Arts opens after 10 years of preparation Korea’s first museum dedicated to the medium of photography

theSeoul Museum of Photographyis finally open. the new museum, a branch of the Seoul Museum of Art,is the first public museumin Korea dedicatedto the medium of photographyand will officially open on June 29, 2025, in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, after 10 years of preparation.

changdong, the new center of photographic art

the Seoul Museum of Photography is designed with a total area of 7,048 square meters, including two basements and four floors, and consists of a 1,800 square meter exhibition hall, a photography education room, a darkroom, a photo library, a photo book café, and other spaces that encompass the history and present of photography. visitors can experience and immerse themselves in the medium of photography in a variety of ways beyond simply viewing exhibitions.

architecture as a representation of pixels, units of light

The architecture of the museum is a unit of light, a pixel

the building was designed by Austrian architect Mladen Jadricand Korean architectural firm Ilgugukgong Urban Architecture, and features a façade that resembles a “pixel,” the basic unitthat makes up a photograph. the effort to architecturally embody the essence of photographyis evident not only on the exterior, but also inside the space.

the opening special exhibition ‘Optical Gaze’ series

Opening of the Museum of Forestry and Photographic Arts, Seoul, South Korea[/caption]

the opening special exhibition, which will be held throughout 2025, is titled ‘The Optical Gaze‘. it showcases the results of the photography archives, data collection, and research activities that the Museum has been conducting since 2015. opening simultaneously on June 29, two exhibitions, 光彩: Moments of Beginnings and Storage Stories,offer new interpretations and interactions surrounding photography. a third exhibition will open to the public in December.

the Vision of the Seoul Museum of Photography

this opening is more than just the opening of a museum, it is also the beginning of Seoul and Korea’s move towards becoming a hub for photographic art in Asia. The space, which integrates all functions related to photography, including exhibition, education, research, collection, and preservation, will grow into a global platform for photographic art.

at the end of May, the operational direction, mid- to long-term strategy, and detailed exhibition schedule of the Seoul Museum of Photography will be officially announced. for those who love photography, there’s plenty of reason to keep an eye on this space.

source: Seoul Museum of Art