National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art | 30 Samcheong-ro, Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu
03062 Seoul

plan route show map

artist / participant

press release

MMCA Gwacheon

William Kentridge is the first solo exhibition of William Kentridge in Korea.

The Soho Eckstein Films
A complete presentation of the nine animated films which comprise the Soho Eckstein series, first known as "Drawings for Projection", with which Kentridge established his reputation and his initial set of concerns. Divided into two programs and shown in adjacent rooms, these films span the years 1989 - 2011. A significant selection of drawings coming from these films is also included.

I Am Not Me, The Horse Is Not Mine
This monumental video work was made in tandem with Kentridge's work on his production of the Shostakovich opera The Nose. It looks at the utopianism of the Russian Revolution in light of both its aesthetic and political aspirations. This work comes from the collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea.

The Refusal of Time
Realized for Documenta XIII in 2012, this magnum opus engages with the key modern question of how mechanical technologies first created a sense of public temporality, positioning these initially European developments in a broader global context. It has since been shown at major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This edition comes from the collection of the Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing. Also included are a selection of large-scale charcoal drawings growing from the research process.

Several significant groups of drawings and paintings related to the various animations and other projects on view: drawings from the Soho Eckstein film cycle, larger charcoal drawings related to "Refusal of Time", and more recent Indian ink drawings on book pages. Other films including Ubu and the Truth Commission (1997), Shadow Procession (1999), Black Box/Chambre Noire (2003), and Second-Hand Reading (2013) will enhance the presentation.