BTS leader RM just made his art world debut in a big way. His personal collection is on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in a show calledRM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me, featuring over 170 works, most of them from his own collection, with a few additions from the museum. The exhibition highlights Korean artists from ancient times to the present, and RM curated it alongside two SFMOMA curators.
The fan response has been massive. Previews sold out, and ARMY members have traveled from as far as Zambia to see the show. One fan shared that it was her very first time visiting an art museum. The SFMOMA gift shop even stocked more inventory than ever before for any exhibition, bracing for the demand. Fans call the art-loving lifestyle“Namjooning,”a nod to RM’s real name, Kim Nam-joon, and it’s been building for nearly a decade.
RM said his guiding questions for the show were simple: does this work truly move me, and does it still have something to say in 2026? For a lot of fans, the answer is clearly yes. The exhibition is a rare crossover moment where K-pop fandom and the fine art world collide, and it’s bringing brand-new audiences through museum doors.
Would you visit an art museum because your favorite artist curated one?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
