Building on the concept of the “Portfolio of a Traveling Artist,” the long-running project TSMGO (The Show Must Go On) presents a new exhibition at Hillers, a multi-purpose cultural complex located in Hyeonnam-myeon, Yangyang-gun. Initiated in 2011, TSMGO is a mobile exhibition project organized by Total Museum of Contemporary Art. Under the slogan “The Show Must Go On,” the project has continued artistic practice beyond the constraints of time, place, and social circumstances—including the pandemic.

TSMGO begins by commissioning each artist to create a “portfolio suitcase.” This suitcase functions as a compact exhibition space encapsulating the artist’s worldview—more spatial than a catalogue or portfolio, yet more flexible than a large-scale work. Inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s La Boîte-en-valise, the project reinterprets and expands this historical reference within a contemporary context.
Exhibitions mediated through the suitcase are relatively free from the physical conditions typically required by conventional exhibition venues, proposing a new form of display that can unfold anywhere. Participating artists compile works, documentation, portfolios, or extracts of key scenes from their artistic universe to build their own suitcase. Once completed, each suitcase becomes a mobile exhibition that travels to meet audiences, enabling presentations outside the confines of the white cube—even within small spaces, remote regions, or under limited budgets.

This exhibition is particularly notable in that it is held in Hyeonnam-myeon, Yangyang-gun, where no dedicated contemporary art venue currently exists. TSMGO seeks to broaden local access to contemporary art and to support the development of regionally grounded artistic practice. The exhibition permeates the various facilities of Hillers (gallery, workspace, café, guestrooms, and greenhouse) and unfolds organically according to the visitors’ own “stay and movement,” rather than being confined to a single location. The suitcases are placed on desks, beside sofas, or among plants in the greenhouse—spaces embedded in everyday life—allowing audiences to encounter artworks through the familiar medium of a travel bag, whether in the midst of daily routines or along their personal itineraries.
The exhibition continually shifts as visitors open the suitcases, read accompanying materials, or take out and arrange works themselves, encouraging them to discover and experience the point at which art and everyday life converge.

Furthermore, the project holds the potential to expand beyond its current site to other regions, underscoring the message that art can reach anywhere. In addition to the exhibition, public programs such as artist talks and workshops will offer opportunities for direct engagement with participating artists, bringing art even closer to everyday life.

The Short History of TSMGO

• 2012 London, UK
  2013 Singapore
  2013 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
  2013 Venice, Italy
  2014 Seoul, South Korea (exhibition version)
  2014 Paris, France
  2015 Los Angeles, USA|
  2018 Warsaw, Poland (exhibition version)
  2020 Incheon, South Korea
  2023 Ontario, Canada
  2025 Ottawa, Canada (exhibition version)
  2025 Yangyang, South Korea (exhibition version)
  
  Dates 15 October (Wed) – 15 November (Sat), 2025

Venue Hillers(112-2 Bukjuk-ro, Hyeonnam-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea)

Participating Artists Kwon O-sang, Kim Do-kyun, Noh Suntag, Min Yeeun, Yun Suknam, Yang Junghwa, Lee Soonjong, Lee Yeeun, Jang Pa, Cho Youngjoo, Hong Yi-hyun-sook, Black Panther

Hosted and Organized by Hillers

Curated by Total Museum of Contemporary Art

Chief Curator Nathalie Boseul SHIN

Design Jung Jinyul

Supported by
Arts Management Support Center / Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism / Regional Exhibition Revitalization Program