Curatorial Roundtable: Communicating the Value of Art

Speakers: Leonhard Bartolomeus, Kim Sunjung, and others

To communicate the value of art to society, it is essential not only to create an environment where everyone can freely experience artworks, but also to establish spaces where diverse perspectives intersect and new knowledge and dialogue can emerge. In this talk, three internationally renowned curators will explore the possibility of reimagining art as an open platform for knowledge through a roundtable discussion, while reflecting on the roles that exhibitions and art institutions play in society.
(Co-organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan)

Speakers:
Leonhard Bartolomeus (Curator, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM))
Kim Sunjung (Artistic Director, Art Sonje Center)
and others

Speaker’s Profiles
　

Leonhard Bartolomeus

Leonhard Bartolomeus is a curator at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM). After graduating from Jakarta Institute of the Arts, he joined ruangrupa (and later became part of Gudskul Ekosistem). Working with ruangrupa, he developed an interest in the intersection between art, education, and community engagement. This experience deeply influenced his later curatorial work, including projects with the collective Kolektif Kurator Kampung (2017–2021) and various YCAM programs such as KURIKULAB: Moving Class (2021), The Flavour of Power (2022), Speculative Library (2023), Iida Kaido Kikitori Art Project (2024), Dance Floor as Study Room (2024), PROJECT MRT: Natureless Solution (2025), as well as Roppongi Crossing 2025: What Passes Is Time. We Are Eternal. at Mori Art Museum.　
Bartolomeus considers himself a generalist and always tries to learn new things through workshops, lectures, exhibitions, and art projects that he participates in at various places.

Kim Sunjung

Sunjung Kim is the Artistic Director of Art Sonje Center, Seoul (since 2022), and serves on the boards of CIMAM and ICOM ASPAC. She previously served as President of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation (2017–2021), Chair of ICOM Korea (2023–2025), and Artistic Director of the ACC Archive & Research at the Asia Culture Center (2014–2015). Closely associated with Art Sonje Center since 1993, she has played a leading role in shaping its curatorial program. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the REAL DMZ PROJECT, an ongoing art and research initiative exploring the Korean Demilitarized Zone through the critical lens of contemporary art.