The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989
March 23, 2024 - June 23, 2024
Target Galleries
General Admission $20; Contributor Member+ Free (additional tickets $16); Youth 17 and under Free
This exhibition features the first generation of artists of Korean descent to experience the new freedoms and rapid changes ushered in by democracy. Born between 1960 and 1986, they came of age in a time of transition, their work filtered through the collective memory of authoritarian rule in South Korea. Here, they reflect on social and political tensions, economic and cultural shifts. In often monumental works, they bring viewers to the border with North Korea, illuminate the ironies of globalization, and suggest what has been gained and lost in South Korea’s ascendance.
Organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, this is the first major showing of Korean contemporary art in the United States since 2009. Many of the artists are well known in South Korea or have an international following; others may be less familiar, especially in American museums. They mold the medium to their message, whether photography or painting, ceramics or video. They honor some traditions and resist others. They bend time and place, addressing the past, present and future to make sense of their complex experiences.
The Shape of Time Audio Guide
The Shape of Time Teachers Guide
The Shape of Time Tours
Free Public Tours
Public tours take place at 2 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, and 7 p.m. on Thursday. An exhibition ticket is required. No public or private tours are offered on Member Days and during Art in Bloom. The last public tour is on June 16.
Free Virtual Tours
Virtual tours take place on April 7 at 2 PM, May 8 at 2 PM, and June 6 at 7 PM. An exhibition ticket is not necessary. Registration is required.