It’s no secret that BTS‘s RM loves art. Whether it’s at home or abroad, RM spends his free time touring museums and galleries.
As both a museum-goer and a collector, RM is having a major impact on Korea’s art world. For instance, when RM lends pieces from his personal collection to galleries, fans flock to see them, generating interest in the exhibit.
“Horse” (1965), a sculpture owned by RM and created by Kwon Jin Kyu, is currently on display at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA). According to curator Han Hee Jean, the exhibit, “Kwon Jin Kyu Centennial: Angel of Atelier,” is visited by 1,300 people daily. The average is much higher than that of SeMA’s other exhibits.
Park Kyung Mee, founder and director of PKM Gallery, credits RM with making, “trips to art museums more enjoyable.” His genuine interest in art has inspired fans to visit the galleries he frequents, and it has rekindled the public’s interest in traditional art.
I didn’t think his interest and love for art was really genuine until I actually met him. Surprisingly, he was extremely serious [about art]. If RM didn’t do music, I think he probably would have gone to graduate school to study art history or theory.
— Gallery insider
For years, RM has shared his love for art on BTS’s Twitter and Weverse, but now that he has his own Instagram account, RM is posting more art than ever before, bringing awareness to artists that ARMYs might not have known about before.
One notable incident happened in 2019. The Busan Museum of Art’s exhibition “Space Lee Ufan” experienced a sudden spike in traffic after RM visited and posted this photo, jumping from 30-50 daily visitors to 210. Since then, RM has visited this particular gallery several times.
Whenever he drops by, we get more visitors and more attention on social media, getting comments from people saying they want to visit. But, from what I know, RM is the only celebrity who’s frequently come to our museum. Since we’re far from Seoul, we don’t get many celebrities, but RM has been very loyal. We’re grateful that whenever RM visits, more people become more interested in art.
— Gallery insider
He truly is a masterpiece!
