Korean Art 1960-80 opened in Gallery 3 at National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea as a sequel to Korean Art 1910-1960 held in Gallery 5. While the two exhibitions share the same exhibition concept and context, Korean Art 1960-80 presents major works from the museum collection that represents the period from around 1960s to 1980s.
The most important historical events of this time period were the April 19th and May 16th military coups. These events stirred hostility between the military dictatorship government of the period and the democratic supporters. This time period also saw development in the country through New Community Movement and its effects in the emergence of capitalism. Most importantly, art saw transition from 'modern' to 'contemporary', and this actively set the stage for the multiple simultaneous contemporary art practices in Korea.
There was a movement against the inflexible National Art Exhibition in the 1960s. The abstract art of Informal Movement of late 50s came into full bloom, and from mid-60s, the uniform standardized trend diversified into geometric abstraction, conceptual art and experimental art. As a reflection of materialistic civilization, metals started to be used in sculpture, portraying organic forms that propose life and natural principles. The 70s saw the rise of trend in monochromatic painting. A special corner titled Self Portraits and Studios in the exhibition invites the audience to mediate on self portraits that reflect the artists' ego, and scenes of studios that shaped them.
