The Leeum Museum of Art will launch a long-term public program entitled “Idea Museum: Ecological Turns” in conjunction with Chanel Culture Fund to explore diverse ways ecological issues can be made part of art institution practices, convening leading international and Korean artists, academics and designers, among others.

The three-year project will evolve around themes such as the climate crisis, sustainability, ecology, women, care and education through seminars, film screenings and workshops.

“Bringing together the brightest minds across art and science to address climate and sustainability at the Leeum Museum of Art is perfectly aligned with the mission of the Chanel Culture Fund -- to broaden voices across the arts, support innovators in advancing new ideas, and amplify the work of creative individuals and cultural institutions globally,” said Yana Peel, global head of arts and culture at Chanel.

The project will be inaugurated Dec. 1 with a symposium featuring a lecture entitled “Birth and Nature” by Italian historian and philosopher Emanuele Coccia, with Kim Hong-jung, a sociology professor at Seoul National University, as the discussant. Registration for the Dec. 1-3 symposium is available through the Leeum Museum of Art's official website.

Film screenings this year include: “The Undercurrent” by UK artist Rory Pilgrim, “Planet City” by Australian film director and architect Liam Young and “The Mermaids, or Aiden in Wonderland” by The Karrabing Film Collective.

In 2024, Leeum will unveil a comprehensive program featuring the works of Tomas Saraceno, an Argentina-born, Berlin-based artist who has been researching space, survival and coexistence for over two decades. The program aims to rethink how museums relate to their audiences, broaden their platforms and form new communities through seminars, talks and workshops.

"I would like to explore the current reality and the future through interdisciplinary collaboration, artistic experimentation and various forms of dialogue and gatherings. Through the newly introduced public program, I hope the Leeum Museum of Art becomes a place where diverse voices intersect,” said Helen Jungyeon Ku, head of research and public programs at Leeum Museum of Art, who curated the Idea Museum.