We live in an age defined by boundaries. This exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reflects those boundaries: between East and West, Korea and America, the modern and the contemporary, and the personal and the universal. I don’t want to prescribe how these works should be seen; whether out of curiosity or study, all perspectives are welcome. My only hope is that this exhibition can be a small but sturdy bridge for many.

(RM)

A recent contemporary art collection emerged following an intense Stendhal syndrome moment, felt in the presence of the luminous qualities of late nineteenth-century French paintings. In numerous interviews given to international magazines and museum institutions, the collector has gradually articulated a vision of art distinguished by coherence, depth, and theoretical awareness. His collection, far from being a mere expression of individual taste or symbolic capital, takes shape as an extension of his intellectual and creative trajectory.

One of its central concerns lies in the function of art as a space of suspension and attention. On several occasions, he has emphasised how aesthetic experience can act as a form of resistance to the speed and saturation of the contemporary world. In an interview, he also remarked that observing a work of art means “learning to remain", to linger before something without the need to consume it immediately. This idea is clearly reflected in his collecting choices, which tend toward artists who privilege contemplation.

In this respect, the presence of Yun Hyong-keun in his collection is paradigmatic. He has repeatedly declared that he feels deeply moved by the almost ascetic dimension of Yun’s painting, in which broad, dark fields seem to absorb the gaze and invite silent meditation. In public conversations, he has observed that these works do not offer an immediate narrative but instead require a prolonged engagement, a disposition that stands in contrast to the logic of digital culture.

Similarly, his interest in Lee Ufan is tied to a reflection on “emptiness” and relationality. Lee’s works are never fully determined; rather, they come into being through their interaction with space and with the viewer. This semantic openness is understood as an invitation to conceive of art not as a closed object, but as a bilateral process.

On the Western side, his attraction to Jean-Michel Basquiat has often been framed in linguistic and expressive terms. The layering of words, signs, and symbols in Basquiat’s works evokes a similar tension: one capable of “thinking through visual language", breaking conventions and forging unexpected connections. The American artist’s graphic works within his collection, thus, become not only aesthetic objects but also instruments for reflecting on poetic practice.

A comparable discourse may be applied to Damien Hirst, interpreted through a dialectic of order and unease, particularly in the seriality of the spot paintings, which produce an apparently reassuring effect that nonetheless conceals a deeper tension tied to repetition and standardisation. Equally significant is his engagement with Takashi Murakami and KAWS, whose work challenges the hierarchies between high culture and popular culture, enabling them to reach diverse audiences.

As in any notable personal art path, a strong autobiographical element is present. Each artwork represents a specific moment in his life—a trace of his thoughts and emotions at a given time. In this sense, his collection and interests can be read as a visual diary, in which works function as markers of experiences and inner transformations. This conception aligns with a tradition of collecting understood as a narrative practice, where accumulation is subordinated to the construction of meaning.

It is a meaning he seeks to share with the public, not merely by displaying the works he owns but by offering personal interpretations and encouraging viewers to develop an autonomous gaze. In various interviews, he has stated that he does not wish to “explain” art definitively but rather to foster an open and curious approach. This stance reflects a conception of aesthetic education as a participatory process in which knowledge is not transmitted vertically but collectively constructed.

His taste, which places Korean and Western artists in dialogue, can be interpreted as an attempt to move beyond traditional dichotomies, proposing a transnational vision of culture. It underscores the importance of recognising local specificities without relinquishing a global perspective, highlighting how art can function as a space of mediation between these dimensions.

The collecting and curating practice of Kim Nam-joon (a.k.a. RM) thus stands out for its deep integration of practice and theoretical reflection, with choices consistently accompanied by a critical discourse that clarifies their motivations and implications.

A uniqueness we have long appreciated in his leading role in the Korean sensation BTS, and which—starting in October—he will share as curator of his own collection, exhibited for the first time at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

This exhibition invites reflection on time, perception, and cultural dialogue, encouraging audiences to slow down and reconsider relationship with art.