Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art

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Discovering Sculpture and Art in Nature. Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Kim Seok-yoon, a Jeju native and architect working in Jeju, is located within the 'Jeoji Culture Artists' Village' in Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City. Around 1999, a group of people gathered to expand the base of art in the Jeju area, leading to the creation of the 'Jeoji Culture Artists' Village.' Following a design competition in 2005, the 'Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art' was built in 2007 according to Kim Seok-yoon's design. Unlike other places in Jeju, known for tourism, this village has a unique atmosphere with its large scale and numerous museums and artists' studios gathered together. Despite being a tourist hotspot, it hasn’t commercialized like other places; instead, it's a community of artists nestled in nature, making it feel somewhat untouched. The building's exterior caught my eye immediately; from afar, it appeared to be made of wood, but upon closer inspection, it was basalt. Jeju basalt was processed into slabs and used as the building's external material, but not densely packed. Instead, one layer was placed, and the next was spaced out, allowing half of it to appear empty. This unconventional method of using stone, akin to bricklaying, felt novel. Spaces between the stones provided a sense of openness, with landscapes or people visible behind the wall, giving a comparatively light feeling to the typically heavy stone material. The entrance to the museum is reached via a long ramp, leading to two plan exhibition rooms operating as special exhibitions and one as a permanent exhibition. Unlike typical, boring museum layouts, the planning and special exhibition rooms offer a vertical movement experience that is engaging. The permanent exhibition room is structurally independent, easily accessible from the entrance hall. Exiting the exhibitions, visitors find themselves connected to a backyard lawn sculpture park. Besides, there are spaces for a one-pyeong museum, art shop, and cafe outside, allowing for relaxation after viewing the exhibitions.