The Show Must Go On (TSMGO): A Traveling Artist’s Portfolio, An Exhibition That Unfolds Anywhere
The Show Must Go On (TSMGO) began in 2012 with a simple question: as international biennials and large-scale exhibitions continue to multiply, have our encounters become any more meaningful? While artworks travel across borders more frequently than ever, the depth of those encounters has often diminished. Opportunities for sustained dialogue between artists and curators, and between artists and audiences, have become increasingly rare. TSMGO emerged from this concern, seeking a modest yet flexible alternative.
The project begins by inviting participating artists to create a Portfolio Travel Case. Containing small-scale works, drawings, artist notes, and archival materials, each case functions as a compact exhibition that distills the artist’s practice. More tangible than a printed catalogue and considerably more portable than transporting large artworks, these travel cases have crossed borders to generate new encounters. Curators around the world opened the cases within their own spaces, responding with reflections and documentation that were then returned to Korea. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical mobility was severely restricted, the journey of the cases continued. Exhibitions unfolded not only in white-cube galleries but also in offices, on café tables, and in storage rooms. In this way, the title The Show Must Go On has evolved beyond a simple slogan, becoming a model for a new exhibition format that emphasizes mobility, continuity, dialogue, and the production of critical discourse.
Over the past decade, TSMGO has traveled through international cities including London, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Venice, Paris, Los Angeles, and Warsaw, while also expanding to regional destinations across Korea such as Yangyang and Geoje. What began as an international exchange project has gradually extended its reach throughout the country. By lowering the psychological barriers often associated with contemporary art and bringing exhibitions into everyday spaces beyond conventional art venues, TSMGO continues its journey as an exhibition that can unfold anywhere.
Each travel case bears visible traces of its journey. Created at different moments and traveling along distinct trajectories, the surfaces of the cases record years of movement and exchange. This exhibition serves as an interim archive of that ongoing journey. Through archival videos documenting projects in Korea and abroad, together with 100-second interviews featuring participating artists, visitors are invited to revisit the encounters and conversations accumulated over time. We hope these materials inspire visitors to imagine how each artist’s practice has been received in different contexts throughout its travels. Visitors are also encouraged to rearrange the works contained within the travel cases themselves, transforming the experience from passive viewing into active engagement and contributing yet another layer of narrative to the project’s continuing journey.
Facing Haeundae Beach, OKNP Busan overlooks the sea while sharing the vibrant energy of travelers passing by. As a crossroads for international artistic exchange, it provides an ideal setting for TSMGO. We invite visitors to explore the diverse histories contained within these traveling cases and to discover new points of connection with contemporary art. In doing so, this moment may become the very starting point for TSMGO’s next journey.
The short history of TSMGO
2012 London, UK
2013 Singapore
2013 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
2013 Venice, Italy
2014 Seoul, S. Korea (exhibition version)
2014 Paris, France
2015 L.A., USA
2018 Warsaw, Poland (exhibition version)
2020 Incheon, S.Korea
2023 Ontario, Canada
2025 Ottawa, Canada (exhibition version)
2025 Yang Yang, S.Korea(exhibition version)
2025 Geoje, S.Korea(exhibition version)
2026 Busan, S.Korea(exhibition version)
Exhibition Information
Dates 30 June – 2 August 2026 *Closed on Mondays
Venue OKNP Busan (4F, Grand Josun Busan, 292 Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea)
Participating Artists
Osang GWON, KDK, Suntak NOH, Ye-eun MIN, Yeonmi, Junghwa YANG, Soonjong LEE, Yeeun LEE, JangPa, Youngjoo CHO, Gun CHOI, Pixel KIM, Pil Seung, Hyunsook HONG LEE, Black Jaguar
Curated by Total Museum of Contemporary Art
Organized by OKNP Gallery Busan
Supported by
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) / Regional Exhibition Support Program
Credits
General Director Nathalie Boseul SHIN
Curators Minseon KIM, Hyunmin YUN
Coordinators Bansuk KIM, Seoyeon KIM, Chaeryung LEE
Exhibition Management OKNP Gallery Busan
Key Visual Design Jinyeol JEONG
Poster Design Damin RYU
Workshop Coordinators Boseong LEE, Seohee PARK
Photography & Video Rolling Studio
Media Equipment Kwangki LEE