In Seoul's Seongbuk-dong, art finds a home in historic spaces

Oct 20, 2026

In Seongbuk-dong, a quiet neighborhood tucked beyond Seoul’s centuries-old city wall, traditional houses and secluded gardens have long drawn generations of modern and contemporary Korean artists, poets and architects seeking space to live, work and reflect. Painters Kim Whan-ki, known for his abstract works, and Lee Jung-seop, best known for his paintings of white oxen, were among them. So it is fitting, then, that Seongbuk Art Week is taking shape here. Opening Tuesday, the inaugural art week will turn the neighborhood and surrounding district into an interconnected museum, featuring more than 40 exhibitions and projects. Organized by Seongbuk District, the Seongbuk Cultural Foundation and the Seongbuk Museum of Art, the event will also explore how attachments to places can endure across generations. Home shared across generations At Seongbuk Museum of Art, a special exhibition brings together abstract ink painter Suh Se-ok and his son and installation artist Do Ho Suh, through their shared connection to the family’s Seongbuk-dong hanok, or traditional Korean house. For the elder Suh

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