The exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art offers a distinctive chance to introduce Ron Mueck’s (b. 1958) work to the Korean audience. The exhibition is presented until 13th July 2025. This extensive exhibition spreads across two in Galleries of the MMCA Seoul (Gallery 5 and 6).

Kim Sunghee, Director of the MMCA, notes, “It is highly meaningful that the MMCA is presenting a comprehensive showcase of Ron Mueck’s oeuvre, with its consistent exploration of human body sculptures from the 1990s to the present. I hope this exhibition provides an opportunity to reflect on and experience the meaning of human life and death through the works of this master of contemporary sculpture.”

This exhibition offers an overview of Mueck’s major works, showcasing an artist who has continuously surprised audiences for over three decades thanks to its hyperrealism. Viewers can explore the evolution of Mueck’s work through this selection of sculptures from throughout his career, the exhibition also features a series of studio photographs and two films by Gautier Deblonde who has documented Mueck’s studio practice for over 25 years.

“Although I spend a lot of time on the surface, it’s the life inside I want to capture.” —Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck, born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1958 and based in the United Kingdom since 1986, has pushed boundaries of the sculptural medium with his innovative use of materials, techniques, and methods of expression, exploring the possibilities of modern figurative sculpture. His astonishingly sophisticated and lifelike works stem from close observations of humanity and philosophical reflection. Mueck’s work captures the inner emotions and existential experiences of modern life, such as loneliness, vulnerability, and anxiety.

–

Image: In Bed, 2005, mixed media, 162 × 650 × 395 cm. Collection Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.