Life
Sustainability is a significant focus for Busan MOCA in 2026
Busan Museum of Contemporary Art
On Jan. 12, the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art unveiled its 2026 exhibition plan. Centered on profound discourses related to ecological values and a sustainable future, the museum will curate distinctive artworks to highlight the social role and responsibilities of public museums. In addition, its rooftop restaurant will finally welcome diners in February after two years of construction.
Through thoughtfully organized exhibitions, visitors can experience the museum’s enhanced “green” identity this year. The exhibition titled “Commission Project Ⅰ·Ⅱ” features Berlin-based media artist Marco Barotti and Korean painter Yujeong Eom. Drawing inspiration from the ecological charm of Eulsukdo Island, the two artists will showcase new drawings and sound art representing the region’s flora and fauna. By blurring the boundaries between outdoor and indoor spaces, they transform the museum into an amorphous space that awakens the senses.
Toward the end of the year, the museum will host its signature special exhibition, “2026 Busan MoCA Platform: Symbiotic Couture.” This will explore futuristic clothing made with sustainable materials and produced ethically.
Unique exhibitions focusing on the human body will also invite visitors to gain a new understanding of their own physical existence. From April to June, the performing arts exhibition “Body Under Experiment” will present a mix of video, installation, sound and performance in a “laboratory” format. Artists Geumhyung Jeong, Hoonida Kim and Byungjun Kwon will each showcase their work monthly, ensuring a multisensory experience that transcends fixed genres.
From late March through mid-July, the collection exhibition “Embodied Testimony” features three artists—Soungui Kim, Ana Mendieta and Chris Burden—who have conducted unique experiments with the body. The exhibition delivers a profound message: the body is not merely a medium for representation, but the fundamental unit through which art appears and sustains itself.
In autumn, Junseub Sim’s “Circulation of Organs” will offer the perfect opportunity to focus on the soothing yet eerily captivating sounds our bodies produce. Inspired by the artist’s experience with tinnitus, Sim captures bodily sounds, such as breathing and heartbeats, and integrates them with interactive technology. The exhibition gives these sounds physical form by transforming the rhythm of a heartbeat into an interconnected system of pipes, expanding the auditory work into a multisensory experience with striking visual appeal.
Meanwhile, the rooftop restaurant slated to open next month is expected to become a new cultural space where art and daily life naturally mingle. Overlooking the Nakdonggang River and the scenic landscape of the Eulsukdo area, the restaurant will be accessible via a dedicated elevator even after the museum closes. Additionally, the observatory in front of the restaurant will serve as an open space for everyone to enjoy the calming views and fresh air.
※ Busan Museum of Contemporary Art
◎ Address: 1191, Nakdongnam-ro, Saha-gu
◎ Website: https://www.busan.go.kr/moca_en/index
◎ Naver Map: https://naver.me/Fuz5Lxqk
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
profound: 깊은, 심오한 flora and fauna: 동식물 fundamental: 근본적인, 기본적인
Editor: Song Soomi
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