MMCA launches online museum series for kids

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea has launched an online museum series for children who are spending most of their time at home amid the COVID-10 outbreak, to help them better understand the modern art.

The museum is unveiling a total of five episodes on its YouTube Channel, uploading new episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The episodes will cover four renowned artists: Park Seo-bo, Marcel Duchamp, Ahn Kyu-chul and Choi Jeong-hwa. The videos aim to help kids from six to 13 understand the artists’ works and artistic philosophy.

The first episode, a three-minute long video uploaded on Wednesday, introduces Park Seo-bo, one of the most influential figures in Korea’s modern art who led the Korea’s Dansaekhwa or monochrome movement in the 1970s, also known as the Korea’s minimalism, that strived to depict the nature by using colors, lines and dots.

“Park seo-bo tried to depict colors of the nature in his paintings. For example, although the air is invisible, Park shows the color of the air in his way. How would you depict the color of the air?” the narrator in the video asks.

The video also briefly shows how Park used hanji, Korea’s traditional mulberry paper, to express the texture of the air.

“It is difficult to visit the museum at the moment due to the COVID-19, but I believe that enjoying art at home will give you a sense of hope and relief,” said Youn Bum-mo, director of the MMCA. “I will keep improving online programs for kids to help them have more opportunities to become familiar with modern art.”

The museum is set to remain closed until Sunday, subject to change depending on the evolving situation.

MMCA has provided a variety of online programs for both kids and adults amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including an online presentation of the calligraphy exhibition, “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” whose opening has been put on hold.

Meanwhile, Korea decided on Tuesday to extend the closure of elementary, middle and high schools across the country and shift to online classes.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)