The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announced on March 26 that 《Dear Cinema: Difference and Repetition》, a regular program of MMCA Film and Video, will be held from April 26 to May 19 at the MMCA Film and Video Theater in Seoul.
MMCA Film and Video (MFV) is the museum’s cinema located on the basement level of MMCA Seoul. Through thematic film screenings, artist talks, and lectures, the program offers audiences opportunities to engage with contemporary cinematic trends.
Last year, MFV presented the regular programs 《The Big Sleep》 and 《Dear Cinema》. While 《The Big Sleep》 focused on forgotten masterpieces, restored works, and films deserving reappraisal, 《Dear Cinema》 introduced noteworthy films and video art from Korea and abroad. Each screening series was accompanied by lectures and discussions.
This year’s 《Dear Cinema》 is organized around two themes: “Difference and Repetition” and “The Old Images, Another Words.”
The first installment, 《Dear Cinema: Difference and Repetition》, presents films and video artworks produced in Korea since the 2000s, selected by critics Byun Sungchan, Yoo Un-Seong, and Jung Sera. The program examines the increasingly blurred terrain of contemporary moving-image art, where self-replicating works of similar form proliferate and recurring concerns and subject matters continually reappear.
Curated from the distinct perspectives of the three guest curators, the screening program reflects the current landscape of Korean independent documentary filmmaking, narrative cinema, and video art.
A “Curator Talk” featuring the three critics will be held at 2 p.m. on May 4 at the theater. The event will consist of conversations between each critic and an invited artist, followed by a roundtable discussion bringing all three critics together. Yoo Un-Seong will be joined by filmmaker Kim Hong-Joon, Byun Sungchan by artist Ahn Kearnhyung, and curator Jung Sera by the media art collective Moojin Brothers.
The three critics will then discuss the theme of this edition of 《Dear Cinema》, “Difference and Repetition.” Participation in the Curator Talk is available through advance registration on the museum’s website.
Filmmaker Kim Hong-Joon produced the video essay series 'My Korean Cinema' (2002–2006), which reflects on memories and impressions of Korean cinema. Director Ahn Kearnhyung created the documentary How to Stop Being Korean (2018), which examines contemporary Korean life through the phenomenon of pro–Taegukgi rallies and their historical roots in Korean nationalism.
Moojin Brothers will present three moving-image works previously shown primarily in exhibition contexts: The Trace of the Box - The Dialogue of the Night (2017), Now, Curiosity About the World (2018), and Soaring in Transition (2016).
On April 22, Moojin Brothers was named the recipient of the Han Nefkens Foundation – Buk SeMA Korean Video Art Production Award 2019, jointly organized by the Spain-based non-profit Han Nefkens Foundation and Buk-Seoul Museum of Art.
Following 《Dear Cinema: Difference and Repetition》, 《Dear Cinema: The Old Images, Another Words》 will be presented from late June through late July.
The program will introduce works by a number of emerging artists who have recently attracted international attention, including Spanish artist Laida Lertxundi, whose short films depict psychological landscapes shaped by feminist and political contexts, and Puerto Rican artist Beatriz Santiago Muñoz, known for her distinctive fusion of fiction and documentary.
Works by Duncan Campbell, previously introduced in the museum’s 2016 series 《Reconstruction of Story》, will also be screened.
