Emirati-Korean Exhibition Showcases Cultural Partnership Between Seoul and Abu Dhabi

Emirati-Korean Exhibition

 Emirati-Korean Exhibition Showcases Cultural Partnership Between Seoul and Abu Dhabi

Ma Chai Sook, Deputy Mayor for Cultural Affairs of Seoul, Republic of Korea, affirmed that the exhibition "Multimedia... We Are All Open Circuits", held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, wife of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, at Manarat Al Saadiyat and running until June 30, marks a historic milestone in the cultural cooperation between Abu Dhabi and Seoul.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Ma Chai Sook said the exhibition, organized by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation in collaboration with the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), features works by prominent contemporary artists representing Seoul and Korea, and embodies an effective cultural synergy between the two sides.

She noted that bringing contemporary Seoul art to Abu Dhabi is a practical step towards strengthening cultural exchange, expressing hope that this cooperation would expand to include various cultural fields and industries in the future.

Independent curator and contemporary art specialist Maya Al Khalil emphasized that the exhibition spotlights Korean multimedia art and includes works by artists who played a pivotal role in the development of radical art in Korea. She noted that more than 49 renowned Korean artists are featured, many of whom are showcasing their work at this level of quality in Abu Dhabi for the first time.

In her statement to WAM, Al Khalil explained that the project consists of four main thematic sections. The experience begins with an exploration of the early pioneers of multimedia art, led by Nam June Paik, widely regarded as the founder of video art. From this foundational stage, the exhibition moves through three additional sections: the first focusing on "The Body as a Medium"; then broadening to encompass "Society as a Matrix of Ideas, Identities, and Narratives"; and finally concluding with "Space as a Medium."

She pointed out that the exhibition title, "Multimedia... We Are All Open Circuits", is inspired by Nam June Paik’s 1965 vision, in which he believed technology would become a tool for global connection—enabling multi-directional communication where everyone can send, receive, and interact, instead of one-way broadcasting.

Kyung Hwan Yoo, curator at the Seoul Museum of Art, stated that the exhibition marks a pivotal point in the cultural collaboration between Korea and the UAE. It reflects the outcomes of a strategic partnership between SeMA and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, and is the fruit of continued dialogue between the cities of Seoul and Abu Dhabi.

In her statement to WAM, she noted that the exhibition is the result of ongoing cultural dialogue and a shared desire to present contemporary Korean art in a thoughtful context that aligns with Abu Dhabi’s cultural and social fabric. Originally curated in 2024 at the Seoul Museum of Art, the exhibition has been reimagined for the UAE and Gulf context, giving it new depth.

She added that the project was shaped by essential questions: What is the importance of contemporary Korean artists for both sides? And how can this vision be shared with audiences in Abu Dhabi? Exploring these questions laid the conceptual foundation of the exhibition.

She also revealed that she conducted a research visit to Abu Dhabi in November last year in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, as part of preparations for both this exhibition and an upcoming one in Seoul this December. Her visit revealed striking similarities between Abu Dhabi and Seoul—particularly in their rapid economic and political transformations since the 1970s. Despite different causes, the outcomes and societal experiences were remarkably parallel.

These rapid societal changes are reflected in a trilogy of themes—body, culture, and society—around which the exhibition is centered. Artistic media are presented as intellectual and aesthetic tools that convey the spirit of cultural dialogue and create a space for human interaction between nations.

She emphasized that the exhibition offers audiences in Abu Dhabi and the Gulf a unique opportunity to engage with contemporary Korean artworks through a fresh cultural lens, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in this artistic exchange and explore its expressive and intellectual dimensions.