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Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum 2025–2026 “Vault, Connected” Exhibition Opens

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Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum (hereinafter “the Museum”) announced that it will hold the tour exhibition “2025–2026 ‘Vault, Connected’” at the Vault Art Museum in the main building from tomorrow (December 9) through March 2, 2026.

“Vault, Connected” is a tour exhibition that presents objects and spaces associated with the vault facilities, currency, gold bars, and other items from the former Bank of Korea Busan Branch (now the main building of the Museum).

In this exhibition, a variety of displays have been prepared for each space previously used as a vault.

In Vault No. 1, where 10,000-won banknotes were once stored, a two-person invitational exhibition will be presented featuring artists Lee Jaekyun and Choi Wongyo, winners of the “1st Emerging Artists Art Show – Busan (2024) Connected,” highlighting the present and future of Busan’s young artistic talent. The fresh perspectives of emerging artists, set within the historical context of a vault, offer new artistic possibilities.

In Vault No. 2, where coins and gold bars were kept, archival photographs capturing the history of the bank and contemporary artworks inspired by gold bars will be showcased. Once symbols of economic value, these gold bars are reinterpreted through the artists’ perspectives to present new meaning.

In Vault No. 3, which housed damaged and pre-disposal banknotes, signage used during the former Bank of Korea Busan Branch era and discarded materials collected during remodeling have been reborn as upcycling artworks, giving new life to items that were once destined to be thrown away.

In Vault No. 4, which preserves the most original structure among the underground vaults, a space has been created where visitors can view a tour video that explores the architecture and history of the former Bank of Korea building.

Additionally, the Museum will specially unveil the “Former Bank of Korea Busan Branch Signboard,” which has returned to its hometown after 12 years.

To enhance the exhibition environment of the “Bank of Korea Archive Room,” which operates in the east-side vault on the first floor of the main building, the Museum will newly display the “Former Bank of Korea Busan Branch Signboard,” offering visitors an enriched viewing experience.

The signboard being exhibited was used as the indoor signboard of the former Bank of Korea Busan Branch for 50 years, from 1963 to 2013. The original, which is currently managed by the Bank of Korea Archives, will be publicly displayed to citizens on December 9 only.

Beginning December 10, the signboard will be replaced by a reproduction to ensure the preservation of the wooden material and the efficiency of the exhibition.

The exhibition also features the “Find the 007 Briefcase” event, held in collaboration with the Bank of Korea Busan Branch.

Participants can join the event by certifying their participation in the exhibition on social media (SNS). The first 10 visitors who submit verification each day will receive one commemorative item made from approximately fifty discarded 10,000-won bills provided by the Bank of Korea Busan Branch, along with a mock 100,000-won bill created in collaboration with a young Busan artist. The event will run daily while supplies last.

For detailed information on the exhibition and related programs, please visit the Museum website at busan.go.kr/mmch or contact the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum at 051-607-8044.

Kim Ki-yong, Director of the Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum, stated, “Through this tour exhibition, we hope visitors will explore the architectural space and history of the building, while appreciating installation artworks related to the vault facilities of the former Bank of Korea Busan Branch and works by young artists from Busan.”