RM and Selected Works of South Korean Visual Art at SFMOMA

Kim Namjoon, widely known as RM, is a singer, songwriter, and leader of BTS, the South Korean group that emerged in 2013 and became a major force in the global expansion of K-pop. Beyond his musical career, RM has developed a serious interest in visual art, particularly modern and contemporary Korean painting and sculpture. What began with museum visits during international tours gradually evolved into a substantial private collection, now presented at one of America's leading museums of modern art.

Between You and Me, which opened on October 3, 2026, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), brings together approximately 180 works from RM's personal collection and the museum's holdings. Described by the museum as one of the most extensive presentations of Korean modern art in the United States, the exhibition includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, calligraphy, and decorative arts.

Among the featured Korean artists are Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, and Lee Ungno, whose work reflects the historical experiences and cultural transformations of Korea. Their works appear alongside pieces from SFMOMA's own collection by internationally recognized artists, including Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, and Henri Matisse. These juxtapositions invite visitors to consider connections among different traditions of modern art and the place of Korean artists within an international art history.

RM collaborated with SFMOMA curators América Castillo and Hyoeun Kim in shaping the exhibition. His personal writings and recorded audio guide introduce visitors to his relationship with individual artworks. A collection originally formed through personal curiosity and aesthetic interests has thus become the basis for a public exploration of Korean and international art.

The response has been remarkable. According to an October 24 report in The Guardian, more than 66,000 tickets have been sold, and advance sales before the opening were six times higher than for any previous exhibition at the museum. BTS fans, collectively known as ARMY, have traveled from different cities and countries, from London to Zambia, to attend.

Why Such a Response?

The first reason lies with the collector himself. RM's interest in art is not a passing hobby. According to The Guardian, he has been collecting for about eight years, and Korean gallerists and dealers call him "bakhsa," or professor, for the depth of his knowledge. Over these years he has also supported art institutions. He funded art publications through the foundation of Korea's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, paid for the restoration of a Joseon-dynasty royal robe at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and narrated the audio guide for that museum's exhibition of Korean modern art. In June 2026 he became the first global ambassador of the National Museum of Korea. The Guardian describes his collection and curation as "formidable."

— RM، کیم نام‌جون از گروه بی‌تی‌اس، در برنامهٔ کارزار آگاهی از سرطان سینهٔ مجلهٔ W Korea در سئول، ۱۵ اکتبر ۲۰۲۵، عکس از TV10، CC BY 4.0، Wikimedia Commons ‖ RM (Kim Namjoon) of BTS at the W Korea breast cancer awareness campaign event in Seoul, 15 October 2025. Photo by TV10, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The second reason is the bond RM has built, over years, between his fans and museums. On concert tours he visits museums and shares photographs with millions of followers. ARTnews reported in 2022 that after his visit to the Chinati Foundation in Texas, the foundation's thank-you post drew 92,000 likes, compared with a few hundred for a typical post. Fans have even coined a word for this way of living, "Namjooning": walking in nature and visiting museums as RM does. NPR found that for many fans this was their first visit to an art museum, and that they wanted to understand why each work matters to him.

The third reason is the design of the exhibition itself. According to Mission Local, América Castillo wanted to welcome people who do not feel that art history speaks to them. Wall texts are written in RM's first-person voice rather than an authoritative curatorial tone, and one section is titled "I Don't Know, But I Like It." RM has called the show "a pretty long introduction of myself," and NPR reports that visitors read his openness about doubt as sincerity. The museum has also made entry free for visitors under 18 and introduced a pass for repeat visits.

The fourth reason is a wider context. In recent years American museums, from LACMA to the Guggenheim in New York, have mounted major exhibitions of Korean modern art, and San Francisco's Asian Art Museum is currently showing a Ha Chong-Hyun retrospective. RM's exhibition rides a wave that began before him. SFMOMA is the show's only American venue, and its opening coincided with BTS's 2026 world tour.

The response has also raised questions. The Guardian asks whether this success opens the door to more celebrity exhibitions, and suggests that ARMY's devotion may make it difficult to repeat. Mission Local asks more bluntly what it means to give curatorial authority to a celebrity without formal training, and answers: more sales. Curator Hyoeun Kim counters that RM was deeply involved in every aspect of the project for two years. The museum lists HYBE and BIGHIT MUSIC as partners and Samsung as a supporter. For an institution that had earlier cut staff amid a budget deficit, The Guardian calls the boost undeniable.

The exhibition raises an important question about the relationship between popular culture and the visual arts. Visitors who know RM primarily through music are encountering artists and artistic traditions that may previously have been unfamiliar to them. His international recognition has become a means of introducing a wider audience to an important part of Korea's artistic heritage. The lasting significance of this encounter, however, will depend on whether that initial curiosity develops into sustained engagement with art beyond the celebrity who brought visitors to the museum.

Between You and Me continues through February 7, 2027, offering a noteworthy example of collaboration between a contemporary cultural figure and an established art institution.

Sources: SFMOMA; The Guardian, Soo Youn, October 24, 2026; NPR, Chloe Veltman, October 7, 2026; Mission Local, Julie Zigoris, October 2, 2026; ARTnews, Delia Harrington, June 28, 2022; Korea JoongAng Daily; The Art Newspaper; wvnews.com