Cover RM has spent years moving quietly through galleries, building a collection shaped by attention rather than noise. His SFMOMA curation brings that process into view, tracing how certain works, artists and ideas have come to define the RM art collection (Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)
RM has spent years moving quietly through galleries, building a collection shaped by attention rather than noise. His SFMOMA curation brings that process into view, tracing how certain works, artists and ideas have come to define the RM art collection (Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)
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Curious about what’s in the RM art collection? His SFMOMA curation reveals a clear, considered approach to modern and abstract art
When Kim Nam-joon of BTS was announced as a guest curator for San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the response moved beyond typical celebrity-art crossovers. For years, RM’s collecting habits have been documented through exhibition visits, catalogue purchases and the works occasionally seen in his studio and living spaces. The SFMOMA project brings a more structured view.
The exhibition, titled RM x SFMOMA, opens on October 3, 2026 and runs through February 7, 2027, marking the first time his collection will be presented at museum scale. The timing matters. It formalises years of informal visibility into a curated framework, where the RM art collection can be read not as fragments but as a coherent body of work shaped by sustained looking.
A focus on Korean modernism
A consistent throughline in the RM art collection is its attention to Korean modern and post-war abstraction. Works associated with Dansaekhwa have appeared repeatedly in reports of his acquisitions and visits.
Artists such as Park Seo-bo and Yun Hyong-keun are central to this context. Their practices emphasise repetition, restraint and material process. Park’s “Ecriture” series, for example, is built on the physical act of mark-making, while Yun’s compositions use layered pigments to create weight and depth. The presence of this lineage within the RM art collection suggests a preference for work that develops meaning through duration rather than immediate visual impact.
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Sculptural language and material clarity
The RM art collection also leans toward sculpture that foregrounds structure and balance. One of the most frequently cited artists in relation to his holdings is Roni Horn, whose glass works explore perception through subtle shifts in colour and light. These pieces often appear minimal at first glance but change as the viewer moves around them. This interest aligns with sculptural approaches found in museum collections such as SFMOMA’s, where material presence carries as much weight as concept.
Photography and observation
Photography occupies a quieter but still defined position in the RM art collection. Works by Hiroshi Sugimoto have been associated with his collecting, particularly images that deal with time, stillness and horizon lines. Sugimoto’s long-exposure seascapes reduce landscapes to tonal bands, flattening perspective while extending duration.
International abstraction in context
The SFMOMA curation also highlights how the collection sits within a wider international framework. References to artists such as Agnes Martin point to an affinity for grids, repetition and subtle variation. Martin’s work, known for its faint lines and measured compositions, operates on a similar register to Dansaekhwa painting, though developed independently. The juxtaposition of these practices within an institutional setting clarifies how the RM art collection connects Korean modernism to broader histories of abstraction without forcing direct equivalence.
Architecture, space and display
Another dimension of the RM’S art collection becomes clearer through curatorial framing. His known interest in architecture, including visits to sites designed by Tadao Ando, informs how works are placed and experienced. This spatial awareness is evident in the way pieces are often discussed in relation to their surroundings rather than as isolated objects. The SFMOMA project extends this approach by situating selected works within carefully structured sightlines, reinforcing the idea that viewing conditions are part of the work’s meaning.
What the SFMOMA exhibition reveals about the RM art collection
The collaboration with SFMOMA does not redefine the RM art collection so much as make its structure visible. By aligning his selections with institutional works, the project provides a reference point for understanding how his collecting fits within established art histories.
On view from October 2026 to February 2027, the exhibition consolidates that perspective into a single, time-bound presentation. The result is a clearer outline of a collection built on continuity. Across painting, sculpture and photography, the emphasis remains on works that unfold slowly, shaped by repetition, material and time.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
