The Power of BTS's RM: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Sets Ticket Sales Record with 66,000 Admissions... Rescues a Deficit-Stricken Museum [K-EYES]

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"Something We Have Never Experienced Before," Reports the UK's The Guardian

RM Participates as Curator with 142 Personal Collection Items Included

The exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in the United States, in which RM, leader of the group BTS, participated as a curator, is continuing to achieve record-breaking success, injecting vitality into the museum, which had previously faced financial difficulties.

On the 24th (local time), the British daily The Guardian highlighted the fervor surrounding "RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me" in an article titled "Unlike anything we've experienced."

According to The Guardian, the exhibition, which opened on the 3rd, has sold more than 66,000 tickets so far, with advance bookings six times higher than for any previous exhibition in the museum's history. Exhibition souvenirs at the museum's retail store and online store sold out within three hours. Shane Salvata, head of the museum's retail store, said, "This is something we have never experienced before, and it is likely that we will never experience it again."

The exhibition features 142 items from RM's personal collection and 36 works from SFMOMA's holdings. It includes paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, and even cel animations from the Pokémon anime. Yun Hyeong-geun's "Umbra-Blue" was hung side by side with Mark Rothko's "No. 24," and an audio guide recorded directly by RM, along with a playlist, was also provided. One exhibition room was named "I don't know, but I like it."

At a press event before the opening, RM humbly stated, "Few things show a person as honestly as a collection gathered over a long period of time," adding, "I have not formally studied art history, nor am I a curator. It might be a mess."

He further added, "Sometimes an outsider can bring in a fresh breeze." He also revealed, "I started with pure intentions, but I did not know that because of that purity, I would end up writing and erasing exhibition descriptions hundreds of times."

The Guardian assessed, "While his fame overwhelms the exhibition, the collection and curation themselves are no small feat." It also reported that among Korean gallery professionals, RM is called a "doctor" due to his deep knowledge.

The exhibition has been a boon for SFMOMA. The museum laid off 7.5% of its staff amid a $5 million deficit last year, but it has seen a definite financial turnaround since the opening of RM's exhibition. On opening day, hundreds of fans lined up in front of the museum, and one fan held a sign that read, "I came from London to see RM." There was also a fan who gifted hand-made bookmarks and keychains to reporters, thanking them for writing the article.

Overseas fans were also unable to hide their surprise at the numbers. Fans posted on X (formerly Twitter), "To sell 66,000 tickets for an art exhibition? Even K-pop concerts can't achieve these numbers," and "The power of an artist is measured not by the cheers of fans, but by how far their influence reaches beyond their own field. That is exactly the RM effect."

Curator America Castillo, who first planned this exhibition, made the proposal to RM two years ago, while he was serving in the military. Castillo said, "People are crying right before our eyes in the exhibition space. It is something we did not expect at all, and a beautiful surprise."

The exhibition will continue until February 7, 2027.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original