RM Curates“Between You And Me” Exhibition At SFMOMA

(MENAFN- USA Art News) K-Pop star RM of the group BTS has made his curatorial debut with“RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,” an exhibition which opened earlier this month at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). The 32-year-old South Korean musician collaborated with SFMOMA curatorial project manager América Castillo and assistant curator of painting and sculpture Hyoeun Kim on the project, which occupies the museum's seventh floor.

RM, an art collector and enthusiast for eight years, described the exhibition as“a pretty long introduction of myself.” His personal influence is evident throughout the show, from hundreds of self-written labels and a bilingual audio tour featuring his commentary to small drawings and handwritten notes in the galleries. Even standard museum directives, like“do not touch” messages, are presented as direct pleas from the co-curator, with bilingual notes urging,“Plz take it in with your eyes and heart” and“This art is precious to me. Please do not touch.”

The exhibition features nearly 180 pieces in eight themed rooms, including 142 works from RM's personal collection and 36 from SFMOMA's holdings. The display includes modern and contemporary Korean art, Western artists, Japanese pieces, and older Korean works, which RM stated are“all mixed together in harmony.” One artwork, a photograph by Han Youngsoo, was even borrowed from his parents' home. Several installation choices are notable, such as white hanging veils in the opening blue room behind a Roni Horn cylinder, a Jean-Michel Othoniel glass sculpture, and Yves Klein 's Éponge from the museum's collection. A trio of Ugo Rondinone bronze fish hangs over a passageway, nodding to a Korean tradition for good luck. A work by Yun Hyong-keun, Blue-Umber '79-C6, painted on hemp, is mounted over a wall cutout, allowing light to reveal its transparency.

RM admitted that identifying a single throughline for the exhibition was challenging, even naming one gallery“I don't know, but I like it.” Despite this, the show maintains a cohesive and thoughtful feel, imbued with the co-curator's personal passion. According to SFMOMA, advance ticket sales for the exhibition were six times higher than for previous shows, with over 50,000 ticket reservations and 7,500 visitors during its first week. This surge reflects growing Western interest in Korean art, partly driven by the Hallyu Wave and BTS's global popularity. The exhibition aims to elevate Korean art, moving beyond blockbuster names to highlight artists like Son Sangki, Choi Wook-kyung, and Suki Seokyeong Kang, potentially impacting contemporary artists.

RM's key questions during the exhibition's creation were,“Does it move me really?” and“Right now in 2026, does this artist and does this work still have something to tell us?” These personal reflections shaped galleries such as“Friendscape,” which showcases his fondness for animals and features sculptures and a ceramic painting by Chang Ucchin.

The exhibition encourages visitors to engage with art beyond an academic context, celebrating Korea's artistic and cultural strength and the art world's increasing openness to external voices. RM expressed his hope that attendees will realize“it's fun and joyful to come to an exhibition,” inviting them to relax, get lost in individual works, contemplate profound questions, and even take playful selfies with pieces like those by Nam June Paik. The exhibition,“RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,” is on view at 151 3rd St, San Francisco, California, through February 7, 2027.

We previously reported:

K-pop star RM, leader of BTS, curated“RM x SFMoMA: Between You and Me” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, featuring 178 works.

Source: Artnet News

MENAFN15102026005694012507ID1111816260