This study examines the formation and development of exhibition discourses on contemporary Southeast Asian art in Korea from 1986 to 2025. It explores how the Korean art world has received, interpreted, and progressively engaged with Southeast Asian c...
This study examines the formation and development of exhibition discourses on contemporary Southeast Asian art in Korea from 1986 to 2025. It explores how the Korean art world has received, interpreted, and progressively engaged with Southeast Asian contemporary art, tracing the shifts in curatorial practices, institutional frameworks, and critical narratives over time. Southeast Asia, as a region marked by long histories of colonialism and political upheaval, has nurtured distinctive artistic languages rooted in critical reflection and self-determination. Since the early 21st century, contemporary Southeast Asian art has gained increasing visibility in the global art world as a site of postcolonial resistance and non-Western cultural expression. These developments have influenced the Korean art field, where exhibitions began to reflect discourses of Asian identity, multiculturalism, and transregional solidarity. Despite the growing visibility of Southeast Asian art in exhibitions, scholarly research and critical discourse in Korea remain limited. This gap can be attributed not only to the absence of sustained critical platforms and archival infrastructure, but also to entrenched cultural biases and a lack of public awareness about Southeast Asian societies. In response, this research focuses on the period between 1986—when Southeast Asian artists first participated in an exhibition in Korea—and 2025, analyzing key exhibitions across three distinct phases. The early phase (1986–2007) is characterized by the emergence of Southeast Asian artists and the rise of Asian identity discourses. The middle phase (2008–2014) saw the institutionalization of cultural exchanges and the formation of solidarity-based frameworks, shaped by shifting international art discourses and ASEAN-Korea cooperation policies. In the recent phase (2015–2025), exhibitions have increasingly emphasized the complexity of Southeast Asian contexts and their intersections with Korean society, evolving into cultural platforms that imagine shared futures. The study investigates major exhibitions organized by institutions such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Gwangju Biennale, Seoul Mediacity Biennale, Asia Culture Center (ACC), and ASEAN Culture House (ACH). Through a critical analysis of curatorial intent, artist selection, and socio-political context, the research reveals the evolving discursive strategies through which contemporary Southeast Asian art has been positioned within the Korean art field. Ultimately, this thesis sheds light on the cultural and political significance of how Southeast Asian contemporary art has been received and framed in Korea. It proposes the necessity of expanding curatorial diversity, building sustainable ASEAN–Korea art networks, and enhancing public understanding as foundations for more inclusive and collaborative art discourses in the future.