About the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art
Written by Curatorial Team, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art
Supported by Korean-English Translation is supported by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Arts Management Service
Translated by Ewha Research Institute for Translation Studies
Exhibition view, MAGICAL MOMENT(2014)
The Savina Museum of Contemporary Art, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, began in March 1996 as Gallery Savina located in Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, specializing in curated exhibitions. With a focus on theme-based exhibitions, which was unprecedented in the Korean art community at the time, Gallery Savina played a leading role in promoting thematic exhibitions by holding various special shows, such as Interpretation of Humans (1996), Animals in Art (1996), Night Scenes (1996), Textbook Art (1997), Kiss (1998), Landscape of Water (1998), Weather Forecast (2000), and Looking Seasonal Customs Through Paintings (2000).
Exhibition view, Kim, Seung Young - Walk(2011)
In July 2002, the gallery was relocated to Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and reopened under the new name, Savina Museum of Contemporary Art. Since then, the museum has been presenting an array of themed exhibitions involving collaboration and convergence with other areas, and introducing talented artists with unique aesthetic perspectives. In particular, the exhibitions highlighting a combination of art and math and science technology, such as Communication Between Art and Math 1 (2005), 2050 Future Scope: Future Lab of Artists and Scientists (2009), Social Network Art: Changes in Art and Communication (2012), Artist’s Portfolio (2013), 3D Printing & Art (2014) and Color Study (2015), caused a sensation as examples that reflected the needs and social changes of our time emphasizing convergence and creativity.
Exhibition view, Artist's Portfolio(2013)
The museum has also been faithfully fulfilling its role as an educational institution by offering distinct educational programs using art: “A Fun Encounter with Art, Math, and Science: Let’s Play, Logic!” “Discovering the Secret of Creativity Through Picasso and Magritte,” and “Career in Art Program for Youth.”
Savina Museum of Contemporary Art's educational program
In addition, the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art has continuously offered a variety of services using state-of-the-art technology to interact quickly with visitors in the digital era. For example, since 2010 when smartphones began to emerge, the museum began actively promoting its programs and activities as a digital museum by providing a range of unique, experimental digital services designed to allow visitors to continue their museum experience both inside and outside the galleries, such as QR barcodes, NFC-based audio guides, e-book services, internet live broadcasts, and virtual exhibitions. Also in March 2011, the museum developed a first-of-its-kind in Korea, “museum search” application, turning a new page as a digital-friendly museum responding proactively to the mobile environment. Additionally, in August 2012, Savina renewed its official website newly equipped with a 3D virtual exhibition feature.
Artist's talk programs have broadcasted on online
In particular, the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art has been recognized for our innovative efforts to improve visitor satisfaction when visiting the museum since we began offering the SoundCloud-based audio guide service in July 2013, followed by our “virtual exhibitions tour” program in October 2015. The virtual tour combines virtual reality video technology with curator’s narration to allow anyone to experience past exhibitions beyond the limits of time and space. The virtual tour combines virtual reality video technology with curator’s narration to allows anyone to experience past exhibitions beyond the limits of time and space.This is content based on the museum’s accumulated know-how, designed to allow visitors to revisit past exhibitions in a multi-dimensional and semi-permanent way, and can be seen as testimony to our commitment to communicate with the public in a friendlier manner without limiting the scope of our curators’ activities to inside the galleries or art community.
Virtual exhibition tour in Savina Museum of Contemporary Art's website
By expanding the options for viewing exhibitions through these various programs, the museum seeks to play a role not only as a digital museum in archiving exhibitions online and through education, but also as a lifelong learning center that will cultivate citizens’ artistic qualities, aesthetic sense, and creativity.