NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART The National Museum of Contemporary Art is set in a scenic mountain suburb near the Seoul Grand Park, south of the river. It’s a 1 hour trek from the city center, but modern art enthusiats will find it well worth the journey. The museum opened in 1986 and is built on an impressive 120,000 square meters of land. Outside the museum is the relaxing sculpture garden which is complete with ponds, strolling paths and a breathtaking backdrop of mountains and sky. The surreal sculptures really stand out when framed by the natural beauty of the Mt. Cheonggyesan region. The most notable sculptures in the garden are the giant steel man who sings a haunting melody, the oversized scales in a triangular pile and a group of men pushing an orb. There are many other sculptures to marvel at weather permitting. Inside, you can find 6 galleries full of modern masterpieces. (The artworks can be of particular interest and inspiration to graphic designers.) When you first walk in, there's a notable installation artwork which consists of a circular tower of televisions which flicker strange images every few seconds. If I had to name to work, it would be called "Ode to MTV". Galleries 1 and 2 on the ground floor usually host special exhibitions from international and local guest artists.Generally, when the exhibitions first open, the artists are invited to talk or give a lecture on their works. Sometimes screenings of films from these countries will also be shown in the Grand Auditorium. Please refer to the website for upcoming guest exhibitions. Galleries 3-6 host all kinds of artwork from painting, to photography to "modern craft"-artwork which is constructed with metal wood and fabric. One of the highlights of the whole museum is a black and white painting by Korean artist Shin Hak Chul called "The History of Korea". This powerful work is a black and white collage in the shape of the Korean peninsula. The painting features a mass of people and the political struggles they went through to build the country. On the bottom are the impoverished people of some past dynasty, in the middle is a woman holding a picture of her dead son, on the top are people marching in a protest. It's a moving work which really makes you think of all the blood spilled to make Korea what it is today. Give yourself about 3 hours to tour the museum. If you wish to make a day trip out of it, you may want to consider combining the museum with a hike in the Gwacheon region. Click here to find out where the hikes are. ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE: PO BOX 427-080 Seoul Land Gil 209, San 58-1, Makkye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea 02)2188-6000 WEBSITE: http://www.moca.go.kr OPENING HOURS AND ADMISSION FEE: 9AM-6PM from March through October (opens untill 7PM on Sat. and Sun. and holidays) 9AM-5PM from November to February. *Visitors can enter the museum until one hour before closing. *The museum is closed on Mondays and during the New Year's Holidays. Admission is 700 won for adults, 300 for youth 19 and under TRANSPORTATION: Take a shuttle bus at Exit 4 of Seoul Grand Park Station of Subway Line No.4. This complimentary shuttle bus comes in every 20 minutes. The station is 20 minutes walking away from the museum. Back to museums main menu

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