Abu Dhabi hosts ADMAF-SeMA exhibition showcasing evolution of Korea’s avant-garde contemporary art scene
ABU DHABI, 11th May, 2025 (WAM) – Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, wife of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) announced the launch of Layered Medium: We Are in Open Circuits – Contemporary Art from Korea, 1960s to Today, a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the evolution of Korea’s avant-garde contemporary art scene.
Taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 16 May to 30 June 2025, the historic exhibition marks the first large-scale showcase of Korean contemporary art in the GCC region and the inaugural project in a major three-year collaboration between ADMAF and SeMA.
Co-curated by SeMA’s Kyung-hwan Yeo and Curator Maya El Khalil, the exhibition brings together 48 works by 29 Korean artists, ranging from pioneers such as Nam June Paik and Park Hyunki to celebrated contemporary figures like Lee Bul, Haegue Yang, Ayoung Kim, and Moka Lee. Drawing its title from Nam June Paik’s visionary phrase “We Are in Open Circuits,” the show explores medium not only as a material but as a system of communication, one that traverses time, technology, geography and identity.
The works on display, many of which are being shown in the UAE for the first time, span six decades, charting Korea’s artistic responses to profound social and technological change.
From early experimentation with video, photography and performance in the 1960s and 70s to today’s immersive installations and digital simulations, the exhibition invites audiences to explore how media shapes perception, memory and connection. It traces the evolution of Korea’s contemporary art from its radical beginnings to its current dynamic expressions, reflecting shifting identities and cultural narratives. Early works reveal a search for self amid societal transformation, while later pieces engage with the body’s sensory experiences, the interplay between presence and absence, and the role of tools and media in expanding perception. As the exhibition unfolds, artists delve into cultural memory, collective identity, and the complexities of the digital age, offering thought-provoking reflections on contemporary life.
The groundbreaking exhibition will be accompanied by Layered Dialogues, a publication featuring texts by UAE-based writers, deepening the cultural exchange between Korea and the UAE. The spatial design by Formafantasma reinforces the exhibition’s conceptual framework through material storytelling and architectural sensitivity. A dynamic public programme of panel talks, screenings, and performances will further enrich the visitor experience.
In addition, a series of panel discussions and artist film screenings will form part of the wider public programme, with full details to be shared online in due course.
This exhibition forms part of a long-term institutional collaboration between ADMAF and SeMA, aimed at fostering cultural dialogue between the UAE and South Korea. Following its Abu Dhabi debut, a second co-curated exhibition, Intense Proximities, will open at SeMA in Seoul in December 2025, featuring three generations of UAE-based artists.
