The state-run museum will increase its free rental program from seven to twelve institutions this year

Artworks from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea were rented for free to the Gimpo Community Rehabilitation Center from Sept. 9, 2024, to Sept. 8, 2025. (MMCA)
Artworks from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea were rented for free to the Gimpo Community Rehabilitation Center from Sept. 9, 2024, to Sept. 8, 2025. (MMCA)

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, is expanding its collection-sharing initiative to reach marginalized groups through its free rental program.

This year, the state-run museum will increase the number of participating institutions from 7 to 12. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, with applicants required to submit requests at least one month in advance of the desired rental date.

“We expanded the free-rental program this year to offer broader chances to people who are less exposed to art. As a state museum, we will put more effort into reducing the number of people marginalized in the art scene,” said MMCA Director Kim Sung-hee.

Institutes eligible for the free-rental program include welfare centers for the handicapped or senior citizens, youth support centers and rural areas that are less exposed to art, according to the museum.

Transport fees are waived for institutes or centers receiving artwork, and the museum offers free brochures for the rented pieces.

The first institute to borrow art from the state museum this year was a local welfare center for the disabled in Gunpo City in Gyeonggi Province with 13 artworks provided for a year until Feb. 4, 2026, according to the museum.


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