SeMA West Seoul Museum Review 2026: New Media Art & Free Admission

I recently visited the Seo-Seoul Museum of Art, which opened in March 2026, to check out a new exhibition!

This groundbreaking museum is Seoul's first public new media-specialized art museum, focusing on diverse creations rooted in media labs and digital platforms.

And let me tell you, getting there is half the fun – the route itself is absolutely stunning!

Just hop off at Geumcheon-gu Office Station, Exit 1, and you'll discover Geumnarae Central Park right behind the district office, boasting expansive, lush green lawns.

The Seo-Seoul Museum of Art is nestled right in the heart of this park, making it super easy to spot! :)

Good news for drivers: the second basement floor is a dedicated parking area, so parking is conveniently available!

The museum's operating hours are wonderfully flexible, meaning you can easily pop in for a visit even after work on a weekday.

Admission is free!

Designed by architect Kim Chan-joong with the captivating concept of a 'Museum of Everyday Life', the building itself is a masterpiece, looking incredibly cool from the outside in!

Step inside to the first floor, and you'll be greeted by an information desk and a cozy Ediya Cafe – perfect for a pre-exhibition coffee!

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Seo-Seoul Museum of Art Exhibition 1

<Kim Hee-cheon: Moles>

Kicking things off, the first exhibition to explore is 'Kim Hee-cheon: Moles' – a captivating media artist showcase running from August 20th to November 8th.

While there's a fantastic docent tour daily at 2 PM, I arrived a bit late in the afternoon and unfortunately missed out on joining it.

The main exhibition adventure truly begins on the first basement floor!

As you head down, you'll find convenient lockers right in front of Screen 1, where you can store your belongings absolutely free of charge!

My first stop was Screen 1, the initial exhibition space.

Just a heads-up: due to potentially graphic scenes and high light sensitivity, visitors under 15 should be accompanied by a guardian!

After reading the cautionary notice, I admit I entered with a slight sense of trepidation and curiosity.

But stepping into the first gallery, I was pleasantly surprised – and a little confused – by the incredibly peaceful (?) natural scenes that greeted me.

Three magnificent screens, each brimming with vibrant scenes of nature, showcased incredibly lively natural landscapes (and no, absolutely no disturbing scenes here!).

In the heart of the gallery, an AI-produced video artwork called <Marlin> unfolds, telling the compelling story of Chanjong, the nature documentary director behind those captivating works.

It's a rather lengthy piece, so I couldn't stay for the entire duration, but I can confirm that from the mid-point onwards, some truly intense and shocking scenes emerge...!

Beyond the intriguing storytelling, what really struck me was realizing just how far AI video quality has advanced – it's truly impressive!

As we made our way to the next exhibition space, we encountered the captivating <.dng> series – a collection of 100 photographs personally captured by the artist on their mobile phone.

The photos explored a diverse range of subjects, from breathtaking nature and intriguing artificial objects to captivating landscapes.

Through the artist's unique gaze, these images documented the flow of time and the serendipitous, often fragmented, experiences of life,

and they are said to brilliantly frame the intricate relationship between ourselves, living in the present moment, and the vast external world around us.

Moving on to Screen 2, the next exhibition area, we were greeted by a fascinating collection of three game-based new media artworks.

The first piece, <Double Foe>, was an auto-play game crafted using the Unity game engine,

and what made it truly fascinating was its bold attempt to expand the medium of gaming into an artistic concept for storytelling!

The second artwork, <Lemon>, captivated with its playful premise: a mole, previously spotted as an Easter egg in the artist's earlier works, secretly travels between two pieces.

Compared to some of the artist's previous creations, this one had a wonderfully cheerful and light mood, making it incredibly easy and enjoyable to experience.

The third piece, <Cutter 3>, was also an auto-play game built with Unity,

inviting you to indirectly experience a game world where time ceases to exist and all events unfold in an unending, continuous loop.

The final area, Screen 3, isn't home to permanent exhibitions,

it's a dynamic space where exhibition-related programs take place, offering things like multilingual exhibition readings and guided museum tours. It's all about enhancing your visit!

After exploring the captivating underground world of new media, stepping back out into the open and seeing that beautiful blue sky felt incredibly refreshing and welcoming! Haha.

While we rode the escalator down earlier,

the climb back up was a delightful journey. I took this path, slowly ascending the stairs, taking in the beauty of the sky and the surrounding architecture.

Something I hadn't noticed on the way in was a sign on the wall, invitingly stating: 'Those with ample time may also enter through here'!

Curiosity piqued, I followed the stairs and discovered they led to a stunning 2nd-floor rooftop garden!

Good to know: the rooftop garden's operating hours are the same as the museum's.

After soaking in the expansive views and admiring the sky from this magnificent rooftop garden for a little while, I made my way back down.

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Seosoul Museum of Art Exhibition 2

<Perhaps Something Even More Wonderful Awaits Us>

The journey continues with the next exhibition in Exhibition Room 3.

From the rooftop garden, you'll descend and head a little further inside, where you'll discover another entrance.

This is an exhibition by artist Lee Woosung, who has consistently observed everyday scenes and transformed stories from his own experiences into captivating paintings.

During the pandemic, the artist reminisced about a time long ago when they walked along the beautiful sea in New Zealand. They played the videos taken back then,

then, layered transparent OHP films over them, and drew each moment of the sea, one by one, culminating in a grand total of 1,969 paintings.

Adding another layer to this, the artist's long-time friend, pianist Eoh Jahye,

improvised piano pieces based on her impressions while viewing the artworks, gently flowing through the space.

Personally, I absolutely love it when artists merge inspirations from each other's works to create something entirely new!

The way to experience the exhibition was also quite intriguing,

You could take off your shoes and step onto a soft carpet,

lay transparent OHP films on a table, just as the artist did, and then create your own drawing, following your intuition, while appreciating the artworks.

Once your drawing was complete, you could neatly place it inside a transparent acrylic box, or even take it home with you if you wished :)

I chose to put mine in the box as a way to participate in the exhibition!

Carrying the beautiful piano melodies and the serene New Zealand sea scenery in my heart, and filled with a lasting impression, I stepped out of the museum,

only to discover a space called Miro Garden (Maze Garden) right in front of the museum. It was truly wonderful to see children playing there!

The museum itself isn't huge, so it doesn't take a long time to explore the exhibitions,

but true to its concept as 'An Everyday Museum', it's the kind of place you'd want to visit again, perhaps for a casual stroll, if you lived nearby.

The fact that many of the artworks and interactive experiences focused on the theme of new media were audience-participatory, and presented in a fresh format, was also really engaging.

Seoseoul Museum of Art was truly a place I'd love to visit again when the next exhibition opens :)

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Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), Seoseoul

Wellness Archive Index

An everyday museum offering lush green lawns, engaging hands-on exhibitions, and a unique new media concept.

Before the Trip (Expectation): ★★★

During the Trip (Experience): ★★★★

After the Trip (Memory): ★★★★

*What is the Wellness Archive Index?