Art shows this week

An art museum disguised as a container box building, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art doesn’t have what looks like a proper roof. But starting this July, a structure will be installed in the courtyard of the museum. The winning project of the Young Architects Program (YAP) this year, “Roof Sentiment” is a 500kg structure composed of reed blinds by architect team SoA (Society of Architecture), Lee Chi-hoon and Kang Ye-rin. Resembling the grooves of corrugated cardboard bent in wave-like curves, the outdoor sculpture project will open Jul 1–Sep 30, with a whole bunch of summer-appropriate events happening throughout its lifespan.

Taking an office building constructed by architect Kim Swoo-geun in 1971, the space went under a transformation in 2014 to become the Contemporary Art Museum that it is today. As it was built by such respected architect, the original structure was left almost untouched—the building itself was preserved and treated as a piece of art. Although the building did take on an extension in 1977, it has low ceilings, narrow staircases, and windows of all shapes and sizes, as it was modeled after traditional building conventions. Inside the maze-like lair lies the well curated collection owned by domestic artist "Ci Kim" or Kim Chang-il, one of Seoul's most well-known art collectors. As the gallery is also equipped with a bakery, café, and restaurant completely incased in glass, you'll find plenty to occupy yourself with at Arario in Space, even if you are not very fond of fine art.