An Art Critic Bumped Into BTS’s RM And It's Quite Obvious What Kind Of Conversation They Had

A Twitter post gained attention after a user revealed that his colleague, who is an art critic, met BTS‘s RM while in Hannam-dong. This post garnered a lot of popularity as the art critic was also a huge fan of BTS and had written about them before as well. His article about BTS was published in the July issue of Art World magazine and received praise from many fans.

대학 선배이자 세마상을 2회 수상 했던 미술평론가가 한남동에서 우연히 남준을 마주쳤단다. ㅠㅠ 이 분은 내 또래 지인들 중 가장 열렬한 팬으로 프랑스 콘서트도 다녀왔고, 미술평론지에 방탄 이야길 쓰기도 했다. 이 날 만나서 현대 미술 이야기 나누었다고. 너무 깜짝 놀라 처음엔 꿈 이야기 pic.twitter.com/1u1NyzT06N

— bambam (@AwSX3lpV4bdwP9q) March 25, 2020

If you check his Instagram page, you could also see that he had bought tickets to their MAP OF THE SOUL tour and was sad that it was canceled, proving to be a true ARMY.

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태어나서 처음으로 방탄콘 티켓팅에 성공했는데 공연취소라니 이만희 당신을 절대 용서하지 않을 것이다. 신천지 당신들은 이제 정부가 아니라 ARMY와 싸워야 할 것이야.

A post shared by 문정현 (@ivan_anakia) on Feb 28, 2020 at 3:53am PST

His Instagram post gave in-depth details on his meeting with RM.

I was feeling stuffy from being at home all day so I decided to take a walk in Hannam-dong when I suddenly bumped into BTS’s RM. I was able to have a conversation for about ten minutes. I was just walking around listening to music when I looked up and saw a familiar-looking person wearing a mask in front of me. I asked if he was BTS’s RM and he said he was and so I was able to have a small conversation with him.

A lot my friends still don’t believe that I met such as world star and also wondered what kind of conversation I held with him and the reality is, we talked mostly about art. He revealed that he was sad that a lot of art museums were closed and so he was quite bored. I recommended him some art galleries that opened recently at Il Min Museum or Space Can and also asked if he knew of any in Eulji-ro. He said he didn’t and so I recommended him some more art spaces and he was surprised to see that there were a lot of smaller art spaces in the area. I also recommended one that was right by Hannam-dong but I’m not sure if he really went there. I also recommended him a propping exhibition but realized it ended the day before. We just spent most of the time talking about art-related things.

He was so immersed in talking about art that reality hit him halfway through the conversation that he was talking with world star RM.

I’ve noticed through BTS’s social media that RM was interested in modern art, and I always wished that if I ever met him in person I would recommend him some contemporary art. I am still shocked that this wish came true today. To be honest, when we first started talking, I talked to him like I was to an old friend, and then about halfway through, I realized that it was BTS’s RM I was talking to and started to stutter. He was also so tall in real life that I had to keep looking up to talk to him, making my neck hurt.
Anyway, it would’ve been hard to recommend each and every exhibit so I let him know some popular accounts that have information on art exhibits and was happy to have introduced him to more contemporary art and new art spaces. If we start to see RM visiting more minor and small art spaces, I hope that people will remember just a little bit that it was due to my efforts.

He also hoped that fans would understand that he didn’t mean any harm and was just so caught off guard by meeting him that he ended up having a conversation with him.

I was so busy recommending him art exhibits that I didn’t even introduce myself. I told him that I was an art critic and wrote about BTS before, but I would be really happy if he would remember me as a somewhat unique art critic named Moon Jung Hyun that won the Se-MA award twice and gave recommendations about contemporary art.

I wish I had a business card to give him but because I am a freelancer I didn’t have any made. It would be a lie to say that I was tempted to ask if he had some sort of private Instagram account. He did look very cautious though and I know I shouldn’t have started a conversation with him but I was just in so much shock that I just chatted with him. I apologize and hope that everyone understands this. Anyway, much love to you RM for riding Noah’s ark and creating new myths.

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오늘 집에만 있다가 답답해서 잠깐 한남동에 바람 쐬러 나갔다가 우연히 방탄소년단 김남준하고 길에서 마주쳐서 10분 정도 이야기를 나누게 되었다. 그냥 음악 들으면서 어슬렁거리다가 문득 고개를 들어보니 바로 앞에 마스크 낀 굉장히 낯익은 분이 서성이고 있어서 저 혹시 비티에스 김남준 아니에요 하고 나도 모르게 물으니 맞다고 하길래 반가운 마음에 서서 이야기를 좀 나누었다. ⠀ 주변 친구들이 어떻게 그런 대스타를 만났냐고 아예 믿지를 않거나 혹은 정말 마주쳤다면 무슨 대화를 나누었는지 굉장히 궁금해하는데 주제는 거의 다 미술이야기였다. 지금 미술관 문 닫은 곳들이 많아서 본인도 많이 심심한 상태라고 하시길래 최근에 전시를 연 일민미술관이나 스페이스켄 등등을 방문해보라고 추천해드리기도 했고, 을지로 쪽 공간들은 좀 아시냐고 물어보니 전혀 모르는 듯해서 공간 형부터 상업화랑 등등 지금 새로 열리고 있는 소규모의 을지로 신생공간들도 많이 알려드리니 아 이렇게 작은 전시공간들도 많이 있네요 하고 큰 관심을 보이기도 했다. 한남동 바로 옆에 어스바운드 전시도 보셨냐고 추천해드렸는데 실제 이동하시면서 방문했을지는 모르겠다. (나는 맨날 아마도예술공간이라는 명칭이 기억이 잘 안나서 전시명만 전했다.) 그리고 최근에 구청기와 식당에서 본 propping 전시까지 추천해드리다가 아 어제 끝났네요 라는 시시콜콜한 대화들까지 꽤 미술쪽 이야기를 서서 많이 나누게 되었다. ⠀ 그동안 방탄 계정에서 본 김남준은 근대미술쪽에만 관심이 치중되어보여서 언젠가 한번 마주치는 기적이 발생한다면 현대미술 쪽의 매력을 많이 알려드리고 싶었는데 실제 그런 일이 오늘 대낮에 일어나서 많이 얼떨떨한 상태다. 사실 처음 인사나눌때는 그냥 멋모르고 친한 친구 만난 것 마냥 막 대화를 나누다가 중반부터 아 맞다 이분 비티에스의 김남준이지 하고 갑자기 현실감이 급 몰려오는 동시에 살짝 쫄려지기 시작하면서 버벅대기도 했고 생각보다 실제 키가 너무 커서 계속 올려다보기에 목이 아프기도 했다. ⠀ 아무튼 일일이 길에서 다 소개해드리기도 그래서 아트바바라든지 오토기 같은 계정들 알려드리며 여기에 전시정보들 많이 올라오니 확인해보라고 알려드렸고 조금이라도 현대미술과 신생공간쪽에 대한 호기심을 유발한 것에 큰 보람을 느낀다. 만약 김남준이 이제부터 마이너한 미술공간들까지 방문하기 시작한다면 그 지분에 일조한 나의 노력(?)을 현대미술계쪽에서 조금이라도 알아주면 좋겠다. ⠀ 막상 현대미술쪽 전시들 소개해드리기 바빠서 정작 내 이름이나 소개는 제대로 하지도 못하고 그냥 미술비평하고 있고 작년에 미술세계에 방탄소년단에 대한 글도 적은 적이 있다고만 언급했는데 언젠가 세마평론상 2회를 수상했던 문정현이라는 무척 특이해보이는 비평가가 갑자기 길에서 굉장히 반가워하며 현대미술쪽 정보들을 막 알려주고 갔다는 것만 기억해주신다면 무척 기쁠 것 같다. ⠀ ⠀ 명함이라도 있으면 드리고 싶었는데 프리랜서 비평 일이라 만들어놓은 명함도 따로 없고 먼가 인스타 비밀계정 같은 것이 따로 있지 않을까 해서 물어보고 싶은 욕구도 없었다면 거짓말이지만 역시나 무척 조심스러워서 헤어질때는 사실 이렇게 길에서 알아보고 말을 건네면 안되는데 너무 놀라서 우연찮게 여쭤보게 된 점 죄송하다고 양해의 말씀도 정중히 드렸다. 아무튼 노아의 방주를 타고 새로운 건국신화를 창조 중이신 김남준님 격하게 사랑합니다.

A post shared by 문정현 (@ivan_anakia) on Mar 25, 2020 at 6:54am PDT

RM has always been a kind and respectful person towards everyone who comes up to meet him and it seems as if he gained some new insight about art as well. I guess the next time we see him at a contemporary art exhibit we will know why!