Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

The Leeum Museum of Art, also known as Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, is a private art museum located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. Established in 2004 by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, it is widely regarded as one of South Korea's top three private art museums. The institution is distinguished by its dual focus on traditional Korean art and modern and contemporary art, housed across two main museum buildings, each designed by internationally renowned architects.

The Leeum Museum of Art opened in 2004 as a cultural initiative of the Samsung Foundation of Culture. Its creation formed part of broader efforts to elevate Seoul's standing as a major cultural metropolis, positioning the museum alongside other significant national institutions such as the National Museum of Korea and the National Theater. The museum's name, Leeum, reflects its identity as a Samsung Foundation project dedicated to art and Korean culture.

The museum's collection is divided between two principal buildings. Museum 1 (M1) is dedicated to traditional Korean art, preserving and displaying works that represent Korea's artistic heritage. Museum 2 (M2) houses modern and contemporary art by both Korean and international artists. The contemporary holdings include permanent exhibition spaces for major figures such as Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, and Donald Judd.

The Leeum's contemporary collection features prominent Western artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Permanent exhibition spaces are allocated to Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, and Donald Judd, reflecting the museum's commitment to major figures in modern and contemporary art history.

The Leeum complex comprises three interrelated buildings, each with a distinct architectural concept and architect. Museum 1, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, draws inspiration from Korean porcelain to create an appropriate setting for traditional Korean art. Museum 2, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, was the first building in the world to employ rusted stainless steel and glass, expressing what the museum describes as the cutting-edge quality of contemporary art. The third building, the Samsung Child Education & Culture Center, was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas of OMA using rare black concrete to create what has been described as a Black Box, a futuristic architectural space that appears to float. The complex sits at the foot of Namsan mountain, near the Han River, synthesizing nature and architecture according to its design philosophy.

The Leeum Museum of Art is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea, at the foot of Namsan near the Han River. It is operated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture and maintains an official website at www.leeumhoam.org/leeum. The museum continues to serve as a significant private cultural institution in South Korea's museum landscape, alongside the related Ho-Am Art Museum, also operated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture.