The Seoul Metropolitan Government has opened a new museum in the northern part of the city, an area long considered to have been excluded from the capital’s main cultural events.

The northern Seoul branch of the Seoul Museum of Art opened to the public on Tuesday with the goal of bringing cultural benefits to residents.

“The new museum will focus on showing the public that it has its basis in the local community,” said Kim Hong-hee, director of the Seoul Museum of Art. 

The SeMA has two other branches: the main museum in Jung-gu and the southern branch in Gwanak-gu.

With three branches in full operation now, the museum has set a different focus for each. The main museum will mostly function as a venue that showcases Korean contemporary art; the southern branch as a living art and crafts museum; and the northern branch for showing community art.

For the main inaugural exhibition, the northern branch museum is showing some 140 major pieces from SeMA’s main collection, shedding light on the past, present and future of Korean contemporary art.

The exhibition features masterpieces in Korean modern and contemporary art that range from earlier paintings by Lee Ufan and Kim Whanki to notable installations and sculptures that extended the range of contemporary art. The exhibition “Scenes vs. Scenes” continues through Nov. 24 in the main exhibition halls on the first and second floors.

Another exhibition shows how the Seoul cityscape has changed with photographs, paintings, sculptures and video works. The exhibition named “SEOULscape,” which runs until Nov. 17, features works that trace the changing face of the city during the period of rapid economic development and nostalgic photos that recall the way citizens used to live.

The new museum has set aside space for a children’s museum which will show artworks intended to stimulate children’s senses and encourage their participation in art sessions.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)