Installation view of Suki Seokyeong Kang: Willow Drum Oriole, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul. Photo: Cheolki Hong.
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) jointly announced today dual shows in the spring highlighting Korean art and culture as part of an exciting collaboration between the two institutions. The new exhibitions, Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars at DAM, and Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face at MCA Denver, invite visitors to explore Korean culture and art from both a classic and contemporary perspective.
Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face opens at MCA Denver Feb. 21, 2025, and showcases Kang’s deft use of materials—from traditionally woven grass mats, dyed wool, and mulberry paper to industrial materials like steel and brass—to create wondrous and spiritual objects and installations, bringing the artist’s unique vision of the landscapes into three dimensions. Sculptures, paintings, textiles, installations and video will occupy the entirety of MCA Denver’s building and highlight Kang’s singular approach to engaging with these materials.
Left: Moon Jar 달항아리, 1700s, Joseon dynasty(1392–1897). Porcelain with clear glaze 17 ½ x16 ⅞in. Private collection. Photograph by Kim Hyun-soo (K2 Studio) and © Private collection. National Treasure of Korea (2007-1). Right: YoungJune P. LEW박영준 (Born 1947 in South Korea, active in the United States), Allegory of a Moon Jar, 2022-5, 2022. Acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 78 x 66 in. Denver Art Museum: Funds from the Sam F. and Freda R. Davis Charitable Trust, ACC. # TBD. © YoungJune P.LEW. Photograph by Christina Jackson and courtesy of Denver Art Museum.
Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars, which opens at the DAM March 2, 2025, welcomes visitors to explore how the moon jar from Korea’s Joseon dynasty (1392-1897) has evolved into a national artistic icon of Korea and how contemporary artists, both within and beyond Korea, reflect on the moon jar. Moon jars are elegant white globular jars that flourished in Korea during the 17th and 18th centuries, when naturalism and spontaneity became the desired aesthetic. The show will give visitors a new perspective and understanding of Korean culture from a traditional lens as the show traces the artistic phases of the moon jar with twelve exquisite ceramics spanning from the 18th century to the present, each implying a month of the lunar calendar.
“We’re thrilled to share in this significant moment for the city of Denver – two art institutions in the same city collaborating with Korean artists and encouraging our community to engage with the breadth and impact of this particular region in East Asia,” said Nora Burnett Abrams, Mark G. Falcone Director of MCA Denver. “Our hope is that viewers will visit both exhibitions at MCA Denver and the Denver Art Museum and begin a layered dialogue about contemporary Korean art and visual culture more broadly.”
“Modern and contemporary Korea is an extraordinary embodiment of a culture that is built upon rich and storied traditions that thread together the past, present and future of the nation that has influenced the entire world,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum. “The two exhibitions being on view in the same season present the perfect opportunity to create the first of many special moments to elevate arts and culture in Denver.”
Installation view of Suki Seokyeong Kang, Land Sand Strand, 2019, in the 58th La Biennale di Venezia. Image courtesy of the artist and Tina Kim Gallery. Photo: Sebastiano Pellion di Persano.
“The exhibition Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face is an invitation to explore the rich practice of Suki Seokyeong Kang and also to contemplate one's relationship to nature and to other individuals,” said Miranda Lash, Ellen Bruss Chief Curator and Leilani Lynch, Associate Curator of MCA Denver. “This is the most expansive presentation of Kang’s work in the U.S. to date, and as visitors travel upwards through the galleries, Kang’s vision of the landscape is brought to life and reaches new (literal and metaphorical) heights.”
“Both exhibitions focus on the power of materials, techniques, and aesthetics or philosophies as an expression of Korean identity and culture, with traditional and contemporary artists contributing their works,” said Hyonjeong Kim Han, Joseph De Heer Curator of Arts of Asia at DAM. “With more than 40,000 Koreans calling Colorado home, now is the perfect time for all Coloradan to connect with their fellow residents and create more opportunities for cultural and artistic exchange and creativity. This is a start to bring Korea and Colorado closer.”
Lunar Phases: Korean Moon Jars is organized by the Denver Art Museum. This exhibition is generously supported by the National Museum of Korea Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program. Additional support is provided by Gay-Young Cho, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.
Major funding for Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face, is generously provided by Liv Barrett and Patrick Collins, Lisa H. Kim and Eunu Chun, Tina Kim Gallery, Kukje Gallery, Miyoung Lee and Neil Simpkins, and the Peter Magnone Foundation, with First Western Trust Bank as Opening Night Sponsor. MCA Denver also thanks Commonwealth and Council and the citizens of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) for their support of the exhibition.
Planning Your Visit
The most up-to-date information on planning a visit to the Denver Art Museum can be found online under the Plan Your Visit tab. Use this page to find details on ticket pricing, public transit options and access information. General admission for museum members is free every day. Youth aged 18 and under receive free general admission everyday thanks to the museum’s Free for Kids program. Free for Kids also underwrites free admission for school and youth group visits.
About the Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an educational, nonprofit resource that sparks creative thinking and expression through transformative experiences with art. Its mission is to enrich lives by sparking creative thinking and expression. Its holdings reflect the city and region—and provide invaluable ways for the community to learn about cultures from around the world. Metro residents support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), a unique funding source serving hundreds of metro Denver arts, culture and scientific organizations.
For museum information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.
ABOUT MCA DENVER
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) explores the art and culture of our time through rotating exhibitions and public educational programs in two locations: the Fries Building at 1485 Delgany Street and at the Holiday Theater in Denver's Northside neighborhood. Featuring international, national, and regional artists, MCA Denver offers a wide range of exhibitions promoting creative experimentation with art and ideas. Through adult and youth education programs and other creative events, the museum serves as an innovative forum for a culturally engaged community.
For more information or to plan your visit, go to mcadenver.org and remember, TEENS ARE ALWAYS FREE!
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