Curating Korea: Interpretation Strategies for the Representation of Korean Art & Culture in U.S. Art Museums Using Permanent Korean Art Collections

Abstract

The majority of Korean art collection holdings in the U.S. art museums are pre-20th century in nature, raising questions about their alignment with contemporary culture and the breadth of Korean cultural representation in Western art museums. Since curatorial and interpretive decisions shape how knowledge is communicated to visitors in exhibitions, this collective case study design examines curatorial and interpretive strategies used in the exhibition of Korean art in permanent galleries in U.S. art museums. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with curators and interpretation specialists at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Peabody Essex Museum, all of which recently opened or redesigned permanent Korean art galleries. Findings reveal that museum professionals actively address the historic limitations in their collections by employing thoughtful and innovative curatorial and interpretive approaches in order to present Korean culture in balanced and nuanced ways. By highlighting practical strategies currently used in the field, this study offers museum practitioners examples for designing exhibitions of Korean art that enhance visitor engagement and foster deeper cross-cultural understanding, and supplements discourse on the continued relevant, innovative and dynamic interpretation of non-Western collections.