The exhibition “Andy Warhol: Beginning Seoul” has arrived in Seoul after touring renowned museums in Italy, showcasing 153 works including drawings and silk-screen prints, as well as the artist’s personal belongings.

The event opened Feb. 26 at the Hyundai Seoul, the city’s biggest department store, newly built in the business district of Yeouido. 

“I think it is a meaningful exhibition for people as they can appreciate the master’s works owned by the foundation or collectors when we are all confined from traveling overseas,” Kim Chan-yong, a docent of the exhibition, told The Korea Herald. “Andy Warhol is known as the pioneer. His works seem to tell us that the time will come where we all become icons ourselves, which is actually happening today through social media like YouTube and Instagram. The exhibition is worth a visit to think about the world of our time.”

Born in 1928, Warhol became one of the most influential artists of the pop art movement of the 1960s, breaking down the barriers to fine art for the public. With his iconic “Campbell’s Soup” series, which he started in 1962 using silk-screen printing, he challenged the art world of his time with subjects and techniques that no one had ever dared to introduce. 

“In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” the artist once said.

The exhibition also presents a re-creation of Warhol’s Silver Factory, an art studio he opened in New York in 1962 that was decorated with silver foil. It went on to become a famous gathering place for artists, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons.

The 89,100-square-meter Hyundai Seoul opened Feb. 26 and has given retailers a boost amid suppressed consumer sentiment during the pandemic times. It features a nature-friendly theme, with almost half of its space allocated for rest areas.

The exhibition runs through June 27. Tickets cost 15,000 won ($13.25) for adults.


By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)