Stephanie Seungmin Kim (curator)
Stephanie Seungmin Kim is a South Korean-born contemporary art curator, creative director, filmmaker, and author. She founded the Stephanie Kim Gallery in New York, ISKAI Contemporary Art in London, and Sleepers Summit Incorporation in Seoul. Her work includes transnational curation, cultural diplomacy, moving image media, and social advocacy.
Early life and education
Kim born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim completed her higher education in the United Kingdom. She obtained an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the Sotheby's Institute of Art, followed by a Master of Arts in the History of Art from University College London (UCL). She earned a PhD in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. Her doctoral research focused on the practice of curating contemporary art from South Korea since the 1990s, examining themes such as historical amnesia and logocentric narratives through media.
Career
Kim began her professional career in the public art sector and in cultural diplomacy. In 2006, she was involved in the inaugural "Korea Day" event at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. From 2007 to 2011, Kim served as the founding main curator of the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK), which operates under the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. During this period, she curated and managed over 30 exhibitions. Projects from this time included Present from the Past, Supervision, and Earth Alert: A Photographic Response to Climate Change. The Earth Alert exhibition later toured internationally, featuring thirteen photographers and traveling to locations including London, Seoul, and Copenhagen. Kim contributes a monthly column on art and finance titled "Kimseungmin" Curator's Art Money Market" to Hankook llbo The Korea Time. Her exhibitions and commentary have been covered by international media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, and KBS.
Independent curation and ISKAI art (2011–2020)
In 2011, Kim establish ISKAI Contemporary Art, a London-based curatorial research center and creative agency. Through this organisation, she engaged in large-scale international exhibitions and public commissions.
Kim directed projects for consecutive editions of the Liverpool Biennial City States exhibitions, including Media Landscape Far East (2010) and Terra Galaxia (2012). IN 2013, she curated A Soldier's Tale at Asia House in London, marking the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Korea, and also curated Crstallize at Old Billingsgate for the Korea Brand & Entertainment Expo (KBEE).
Kim later institutional projects included cultural programs organized in collaboration with international organisations such as UNESCO in Paris (2014) and the United Nations Convention to Cobat Desertification (UNCCD). In 2016, she was the chief curator for the 1st Jikji Korea International Festival in Cheongju, South Korea, where she curated the exhibition Jikji, the Golden Seed.
Moving image and filmmaking
In the late 2010s, Kim incorporated moving-image media into her curatorial frameworks through the concept of the "Curator's Film," intended to present historical archives and artists' works beyond text-based representation. Projects under this concept include Sleepers in Venice (2018), an art documentary and group exhibition held alongside the Venice Biennale, and Fragments (2019), a theoretical essay film addressing historical trauma and cultural amnesia in contemporary Korea. Fragments was selected for and received awards at several fim festivals, including the Moscow International Film Festival.
Gallery directorship and social advocacy
Kim expanded her commercial and private practice by establishing the Stephanie Kim Gallery in New York City and the Sleepers Summit agency in Seoul. Her recent museum and gallery projects curation includes:
• The Mom Man Exhibition (2022) was held at the SOMA Museum of Art in Seoul and explored the relationship between sports, human anatomy, and fine art.
• SoHo's Got Seoul (2024) was held at the Park West Gallery in New York and Featured cross-disciplinary South Korean artists in the context of contemporary.
• UNSEEN (2025) was exhibited at the LUME Studio in New York City and focused on human rights, highlighting systemic issues and personal testimonies of North Korean Women.