Conclusion

Art Museums
Their History, Present Situation and Vision:

the case of the Republic of Korea : through historical survey, the case studies of private art museums and the "Mo-am Collection"

  

 

Conclusion
Until now I have traced the origin, meaning, and its role of Museum by researching the history of museum, and have studied the history of Korean museums. The Latin word museum (Greek: mouseion) has had various meanings over the centuries. The term museum originated from the Greek word mouseion. Mouseion meant seat of the muses and designated a philosophical institution or a place of contemplation. The original meaning and function of the museum is somewhat different from those of the museum at present, even though the meaning and function of the museum, as it is understood today has retained some of its ancient connotations. In its classical sense, the museum represented a temple dedicated to the Muses, place to study, a social place, and a place for the storage of books and works of art. This explains that the “museum” does not have a fixed meaning and function. The meaning and function of the “museum” has been informed by the social, economical and political contexts of the day, and its meaning is still in motion and moving forward.

Korea experienced a unique and different history. Korea was invaded and dominated by Japan from 1910 to 1945. This unusual historical experience has influenced almost all internal and external aspects of Korean culture and commerce and this includes Korean art, and the formation of Korean art museums. Prior to the Japanese Invasion, Korea did not have any modern art museum. Even the concept and the term “museum” did not exist. only some archetypes of museum are found in the history of Korea. Several Korean museums, including the first modern Korean museum, the Lee (or Yi) Royal Family Museum, was built by Japan. However, the role of museums during the Japanese Invasion period was different from the role of original museums. The museums during the Japanese Invasion Period were built up for political reasons１０６.

During the research for the history of Korean museums, I have reviewed a number of preceding monographs, books, and other written documents. However, it was very hard for me to find an accurate written source. The preceding texts were confusing. one reason for this confusion is the discrepancy in the terms used by Korean scholars and students. As I pointed out in several cases in this thesis, diverse names and titles are still being used for the same thing. The other reason is that the other Korean authors did not describe and explain fully the history of Korean museums in the context of the history of Korea１０７.

In recent times, art museums in Korea have developed both in terms of quantity and quality. The history of modern Korean museums and art museums is relatively short. Most museums, art museums, and galleries were created in 1980s. However, despite their short histories, Korean museums and art museums are playing a significant role in Korea. Even though the situation is not so favorable for those art institutions, especially for private Korean museums and art museums, they are offering a variety of art events to the people in Korea. As I mentioned above, almost all private museums and art museums are suffering from financial difficulties in Korea. In order to resolve this major problem, they are getting together and seeking diverse ways to operate.

The Korean government plans to promote funding for Korean museums and art museums. The government is discussing this issue with the National Assembly of Korea. And, the government is seeking diverse support systems for museums and art museums in collaboration with many associations and academic groups. They are working well together. After interviewing government officers, I have realized they worked hard to understand the hardships and needs of private Korean museums and art museums.

The family members of the Mo-am collection, Korea, are trying to set up the Mo-am Academy on Korean art with its long history and tradition of the family. If the family members could successfully found the Mo-am Academy on Korean art the academy could offer a series of lectures, art exhibitions, and publications mainly based on the art collection. The members of the Mo-am collection plan to broaden their interests to contemporary art with their own aesthetic perspective and philosophy.

 

As time goes by, the situation and atmosphere of private Korean museums and art museums is getting better and better.

ⓒ 모암문고 www.moamcollection.org