Korean Modern Art Archives in Japan to be Digitized in Joint Project

A significant project to digitally archive Korean modern and contemporary art materials held in Japan is set to launch. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) announced a five-year collaboration with the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, starting in 2026 and concluding in 2030.

This joint academic exchange program will focus on investigating, digitizing, and translating Korean art archives located in Japan. Researchers will be exchanged between the institutions to survey collections, conduct joint research, build and share digital information, and organize international symposiums. The collaboration is based on an agreement signed on July 7.

The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, a national research institution under Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, holds extensive collections of literature, photographs, records, artworks, and artist materials related to Japanese art history. Notably, it possesses materials from first-generation Korean modern artists like Ko Hui-dong, Lee In-seong, Lee Jung-seob, and Yoo Young-guk, who studied or worked in Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. The project aims to make these valuable resources accessible for future research and understanding of Korean art history and its cross-cultural connections.

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We will promote joint academic exchange projects for five years from 2026 to 2030.