Exhibitions

A Home for Sculpture

2026.05.04.mon.-10.14.wed.

Moon Gellary

The exhibition, A Home for Sculpture, focuses on the construction process of Moonshin Art Museum, which was the most grandiose art project completed by the sculptor Moon Shin. This exhibition looks beyond the physical records of how the art museum was completed and follows the artist’s perspective on art, life trajectory, and traces of how the sculptor explored ‘space’ as art. As an artist, Moon Shin was constantly on the move: he left his hometown Masan for Japan, then moved to Seoul, where he later left for France. Although, this was a long and exhaustive journey in pursuit of art, his desire to return and settle in his hometown increased with time.

During his teenage years, Moon bought land based on a wild dream, however, a year before he passed away, he turned his longtime wish into a reality by building a home for his art. This is how a space like Changwon City Masan Moonshin Art Museum was born.

This art museum is a work of art, which the artist himself designed and completed after 14 years of construction and destruction. From Moon Shin’s point of view, architecture is a process of repetition and perseverance, which is similar to completing a wooden sculpture after sanding it a million times. Thus, the artist did not treat architecture differently from sculpture; he devoted a profound level of emotion alongside his persistence and sincerity.

This exhibition includes not only the construction process of Moonshin Art Museum, but also various clues that indicate what the artist thought of space and architecture. For example, there are photos of Moon repairing ancient castles located on the outskirts of Paris from the early to mid-1960s, then there is his 1967 polyester piece titled , as well as his house in Itaewon that was built around the same time, and designs for a park that was meant for a competition in France. Moreover, the drawings of various spaces and buildings show how the sculptor continued to think about architecture, which was beyond the confines of sculpture.

Consequently, the exhibition looks into specific details of the construction process of Moonshin Art museum through designs, bird’s eye view drawings, idea sketches and other materials from 1981 that are related to the construction of the museum. Unlike fine art, architecture is subject to the function of a ‘house,’ where people can stay and rest, accordingly, Moon Shin intended to provide a resting place for his artwork. His museum is not simply an exhibition space, but an organic sculpture where art, space and human co-exist. This art museum is special because of its two characteristics: its architecture is regarded as a work of art, whereas the museum itself is viewed as a home to art.

The final part of this exhibition, which reflects on the concept of ‘expansion,’ presents sculptures from Sookmyung Women’s University Moonshin Museum. Moon Shin’s works assumed a new role with its placement at Sookmyung Women’s University in 2004, since they became available in a highly accessible location in the city center. Although the museum originally served as a research center, it grew to accommodate various contemporary art surrounding a space that was custom built for white sculptures - ‘Galaxy Gallery’ - while maintaining its focus on research. Hence, the museum complements the Changwon City Masan Moonshin Art Museum, while opening another possibility for Moon Shin’s art world. Sculpture × Architecture is both a record of the life Moon Shin dedicated to his art and an exhibition that conveys the profound reflections of an artist who wanted to build a house where art could stay. In this space, we can experience the convergence between architecture and the art and life Moon Shin once dreamt of.