BTS RM Curates SFMOMA Show Bridging Korean, Western Art

BTS leader RM is expanding his artistic footprint beyond music, taking on a curatorial role in a major museum exhibition in the United States.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) announced that it will host “RM x SFMOMA” from October 3 through February 7, 2027. The institution’s exhibition initiates its first collaboration with a K‑pop artist and draws global attention to Korean art within an international context

A cross-cultural dialogue through 200 artworks

According to the museum, the exhibition will feature approximately 200 works, including pieces from RM’s personal collection alongside SFMOMA’s holdings. A significant number of Korean modern and contemporary artworks included in the show will be presented in the United States for the first time.

At its core, the exhibition explores the concept of “resonance” between Korean and Western art. Prominent Korean artists such as Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rae-hyun, Kwon Ok-yeon, Kim Yun-shin, Do Sang-bong, and Jang Uk-jin will display their works alongside Western masters including Kim Whanki, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Paul Klee.

By placing these works in a shared space, the exhibition aims to transcend geographical and temporal boundaries, highlighting universal aesthetic values that connect different cultures and eras.

RM, who has long been recognized for his interest in art and museum culture, described the exhibition as an exploration of boundaries. “We live in a time defined by borders,” he said. “I wanted to reflect the spaces between East and West, Korea and the United States, modern and contemporary, the individual and the universal.”

He added that he hopes the exhibition can serve as “a small but meaningful bridge” for visitors.

In parallel, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco will present a retrospective of Ha Chong-hyun from September 25 to January 25, 2027. This marks the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in North America.

RM’s participation in the SFMOMA exhibition further underscores the expanding role of K-pop artists as cultural ambassadors, bridging disciplines and introducing new audiences to the broader spectrum of Korean creativity.