BTS leader RM is stepping beyond music and into the museum world, bringing his personal art collection to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for a major exhibition opening Oct. 3.
Titled “RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me,” the exhibition will run through Feb. 7, 2027, marking the first museum exhibition devoted to RM’s personal art collection and SFMOMA’s first collaboration with a K-pop artist.
The exhibition brings together nearly 200 works, including roughly 140 pieces from RM’s collection alongside works from SFMOMA’s holdings. Many of the pieces from RM’s collection will be displayed in the United States for the first time.
RM Becomes Part of the Curatorial Process
The BTS star is not simply lending his collection to the museum.
RM, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, participated directly in planning and curating the exhibition alongside SFMOMA co-curators América Castillo and Hyoeun Kim.
He selected works, wrote exhibition texts and artwork descriptions in Korean and English, recorded bilingual audio guides and chose music to accompany visitors as they move through the galleries.
RM has described the exhibition as a personal introduction to himself through the art he has collected over the years.
His collection includes works by important Korean modern and contemporary artists, while SFMOMA’s holdings add internationally recognized names such as Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Georgia O’Keeffe and Nam June Paik.
Korean Art Takes Center Stage
The exhibition also highlights RM’s interest in bringing greater international attention to Korean artists.
Works by artists including Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rehyun, Chang Ucchin, Kim Yun-shin, Kwon Okyon and To Sangbong are featured, alongside works from SFMOMA’s collection.
The museum says the exhibition traces Korean art across centuries while placing Korean works in conversation with artists and movements from other parts of the world.
That combination gives the project a broader focus than a celebrity collection showcase. It is designed around connections between Korean and international art, as well as themes including nature, memory and human existence.
A New Chapter for RM
For RM, the project represents another extension of his long-standing interest in visual art.
SFMOMA said its interest in the BTS leader grew from his sustained engagement with contemporary art and his thoughtfully assembled collection. The museum described the collaboration as an opportunity to expand conversations around Korean and international art while welcoming audiences who may have encountered contemporary art through RM.
The exhibition also offers visitors a direct connection to RM’s perspective through his recorded audio guide, bilingual wall texts and curated gallery playlist.
With BTS’ leader moving from the stage into the galleries, “Between You and Me” offers fans and art audiences a rare look at the works that have shaped another part of RM’s creative life.
And as the exhibition opens in San Francisco, the bigger story may be how a global K-pop figure is helping introduce a wider audience to Korean art — one collection at a time.
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