Combining the New with the Old : Collecting Contemporary Korean Art at the Victoria& Albert Museum

Combining the New with the Old : Collecting Contemporary Korean Art at the Victoria& Albert Museum

The Korean collection at the V &A is probably better known for its Koryo celadons and Choson ceramics than for its late 20th century artifacts. Yet, the museum began acquiring contemporary Korean art already in 1991 when preparing for the opening of the Samsung Gallery of Korean Art. Since that time the collection has been growing on a yearly basis, and now amounts to around 100 objects of varying media. The following will discuss to which extent these objects hold a significant place within the museum already extensive collection of historic pieces. Questions will also be raised as to whether is it possible to harmoniously unite a collection which not only consist of objects of diverse media and quality but also covers a wide time span, ranging from stonewares of the Three Kingdoms period to textiles of the late 20th century. In as much as the Victoria and Albert Museum is characterised by its great diversity of different collections. visitors often find the mixture of contemporary and historic objects confusing and many query the appropriateness of placing a contemporary object next to an archaeological one. Others argue that considering the strength of the historic collection it should be given priority over contemporary artefacts. Yet. while these opinions are highly valid it is important to address them within the context of the V &A Museum. This article aims to uncover some of the core issues within this debate by focusing on the following questions: Firstly. what are the purposes and airns of the V &A Museum? Secondly. how was the Korean collection shaped? Thirdly. which role does contemporary art play within the museum? Fourthly. what are the future aims of the museum and how may this affect the Korean collection?