Amorepacific Seoul Guide 2025: Mark Bradford, Hours & Route

Meeting Autumn’s Quiet: A Half-Day at the Amorepacific Museum of Art (APMA)

APMA interior at Amorepacific HQ in Yongsan, Seoul with soft daylight and clean lines

APMA inside Amorepacific HQ — daylight, calm lines, and a hush at the door.

The air has changed. The sunshine is still bright, but there’s a thin coolness laid over it. My calendar is, as always, packed to the edges, and yet my mind keeps asking for white space. In the end I sent one simple message to a friend:

“Shall we see an exhibition today?”

Amorepacific headquarters exterior on Hangang-daero 100 in Yongsan, Seoul

A cube of calm on Hangang-daero 100.

Amorepacific Museum of Art lobby with natural light and stone surfaces in Yongsan

The lobby where the city noise drops away.

When our car pulled up on Hangang-daero 100, a square building stood there like one long, steady breath. Light falls between glass and stone, the voids are pared back, and the lobby speaks in a low voice. The moment you step inside, the city noise drops away—APMA has that effect every time. Perhaps because it’s a museum created by a beauty brand, it understands skin, light, surface and texture unusually well. It isn’t a place where photos come out merely “pretty”, but where they stay with you.

Sinyongsan Station Exit 1 signage and walkway near Amorepacific HQ

Closest door: Sinyongsan (Line 4), Exit 1.

Info:
(Opening hours: 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays; last entry recommended one hour before closing. Address: Hangang-daero 100.)

Sulwhasoo First Care, HERA cushion and Laneige lip balm flat lay for a museum day look

APMA-day kit — Sulwhasoo First Care, HERA cushion, LANEIGE lip balm.

My small routine: On an ordinary day I keep to my Olive Young basics, but on an exhibition day I add a touch of luxury. After cleansing, one pump of Sulwhasoo First Care to smooth the texture, then HERA cushion applied ultra-thin—so it doesn’t look heavy under gallery lights. A dab of LANEIGE lip balm for a soft, hydrated sheen; too much turns into shine rather than glow. (Hair) If I’ve worn a hat for ages, I finish at home with Ryo scalp tonic—it makes autumn root volume behave itself.

How the exhibition moved me: Mark Bradford, Keep Walking

APMA entrance title wall reading ‘Amorepacific Museum of Art Special Exhibition – Mark Bradford: Keep Walking

APMA — Title wall for Mark Bradford: Keep Walking.

Collage of exhibition views at Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul: glass entrance reading ‘Mark Bradford: Keep Walking,’ suspended globe-like spheres, a black-and-white cracked-wall room, a red abraded paper surface, and a close-up of multicoloured layered paper stripes

Installation view at APMA — a white, life-size prone figure sculpture on the floor; in the background a large illuminated mixed-media wall work from Mark Bradford’s Keep Walking exhibition.

Installation view — APMA, Mark Bradford: Keep Walking. A white, body-scale floor figure
anchors the room; Bradford’s layered paper work glows on the far wall.

I stopped in the first room. From a distance the works read like a cross-section of the city, pushing the walls outward; up close you see paper scratched, torn and layered back on itself, casting minute shadows as it breathes. Mark Bradford works with end papers from the salon, merchant posters, flyers and newsprint—social papers layered and abraded so the surface holds the memory of place.

Collage of exhibition views at Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul: glass entrance reading ‘Mark Bradford: Keep Walking,’ suspended globe-like spheres, a black-and-white cracked-wall room, a red abraded paper surface, and a close-up of multicoloured layered paper stripes.

APMA Seoul — highlights from Mark Bradford: Keep Walking: entrance graphic, suspended orbs,
cracked-grid room, scarlet abraded surface, and rainbow layered-paper stripes.

This Seoul presentation features around 40 works (painting, video and new pieces) and is the Seoul iteration of an international touring show that began at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. Dates 2025.8.1–2026.1.25; hours 10:00–18:00 (Mon closed); supported by Sulwhasoo. Key works include early pieces Blue (2005) and Niagara (2005), plus large-scale installations such as Float (2019), which you literally walk onto.

APMA gallery view of Mark Bradford’s works mounted on dark, marbled walls—large text-like collages glowing along the corridor; at right, a close-up of layered, abraded paper in pink, black and yellow letters

APMA — Mark Bradford’s layered “social paper” surfaces: corridor hang
and a close-up of the abraded collage.

First from afar: read the rhythms of roads, rivers and blocks—like opening a map.
Then up close: look for the slivers where ripped edges and sanding marks reveal another colour of paper—time to ask after the wellbeing of the surface.
Then one step back: the chatter in your head quietens. As the title suggests, if you simply keep walking, your breath evens out somewhere along the way.

Mark Bradford ‘Niagara’ (2005) video projection at APMA—figure in yellow shorts walking along a city sidewalk, framed by a white gallery doorway.

Video installation — Mark Bradford, Niagara (2005), at APMA. A steady
walking rhythm sets the tone of the show.

My friend said, “I speak less on days like this.” I knew what she meant. A good exhibition reduces words and increases looking. The spacing between works leaves you room to read the wall text, step back and tidy your thoughts. The light is kind for photos too—less glare, more calm; a way of lighting that feels more beauty-literate than museum-bright.

Why APMA feels especially restful

The building’s breath
Designed by David Chipperfield, the cube-like headquarters draws in light through generous voids, and the vast atrium connects lobby to galleries so the whole place seems to breathe in one tempo.
See–digest–rest on one level
The ground floor links the APMA Cabinet project space, museum shop, and apLAP archive. Exhibition → books → coffee in one flow, which means no routing stress.
Effortless access
It practically shares a threshold with Sinyongsan Station (Line 4). Even in the rain, your overground walk is short; no awkward U-turns for first-timers.

Innisfree No-Sebum mineral powder compact used for shine control

Shine control for gallery lights — Innisfree No-Sebum.

My beauty memo: If you worry about a shiny T-zone, dust the lightest touch of Innisfree No-Sebum just there. Most days my Olive Young picks do the job, but on exhibition days a little Amore texture-calming shows up nicely in photos.

Three moments where I truly paused

Up close to the surface: that fine line where sanding exposes a different layer of paper—before and after seeing it, you’re looking at the same work, but you are different.
In front of the video: when my breathing slipped into the tempo of the city-time on screen, the inner noise settled.
Just before the exit: a quick sweep back across the rooms and a question for myself: “What did I lay down today?”

How to get the most out of it (a viewing routine)

Enter right after opening or about 40 minutes before close—the flow is lighter.
For big works, go far → near → far again. Set yourself a soft timer (say three minutes each) and don’t rush.
Always check the camera icon; even when photos are allowed, flash is a no.
Matte shoes and a small bag help; lockers make the path even smoother.

Nearby picks that work for global readers too

Cafés (HQ ground floor & around): spacious seating and gentle light—ideal for noting down thoughts after the show. If it’s busy, step one block off the main route and you’ll find a quieter spot.
apLAP library: a compact archive of exhibition and design ephemera. Ten or twenty minutes is enough to seed ideas for your next trip; it’s like a little vitamin for idea fatigue.
Osulloc Tea House (Bukchon): a good way to close the day with tea rather than photos; words seem to arrive more easily. It’s about 15–20 minutes by taxi.
Meals (multinational & family-friendly): head towards Yongsan Station/IPARK Mall for a cluster of global dining options. Keep the day in one direction—exhibition → café → station—and your energy lasts longer.
Fine dining/cocktails: if you’ve time, move on to Hannam/Itaewon in the evening; the minimal mood from APMA plays well with a well-made drink.

Practical one-sheet

Location: Amorepacific HQ, 100 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Getting there: Line 4, Sinyongsan Station, Exit 1—around 1–3 minutes on foot
Hours: usually 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays (last entry ~1 hour before closing)
Suggested timing: exhibition 60–90 mins + lobby/shop 15 mins + café 30 mins = 2–3 hours
Booking: weekends/holidays—reserve ahead (walk-ins possible but queues happen)
Dress code tip: matte over high-gloss; neutral tones are kinder for both viewing and photos
Notes: respect individual photo guidelines; lockers recommended for backpacks/large umbrellas
Subject to change: hours/fees/photo rules can vary by show—check on the day
Current exhibition: Mark Bradford: Keep Walking (2025.8.1–2026.1.25, supported by Sulwhasoo)
Concurrent programme: the ground-floor APMA Cabinet often hosts seasonal projects (e.g. Takashi Murakami, 2025.9.2–10.11).

Mini route (weekend afternoon, KST)

14:30 Arrive at APMA → take five minutes in the lobby/atrium to settle your breathing
14:40 Tickets & entry → Keep Walking (about 70–90 mins)
16:10 Museum shop—catalogues & postcards (10–15 mins)
16:30 Coffee/tea at the HQ ground-floor café (20–30 mins)
17:10 apLAP library—scan a few keywords (10–20 mins)
17:30 Move on: dinner near Yongsan Station/IPARK Mall or tea at Osulloc Bukchon

Three lines I kept from today

“Surfaces tell the truth.” Like the colour peeking through a torn edge, feelings don’t stay hidden for long.
“Good exhibitions make you speak less.” With fewer words and more looking, the day finally falls into place.
“You feel better if you keep walking.” No grand resolve needed; just step out slowly and you’re already there.

Back home, I realised how precious it felt to spend unhurried time like this with a friend—to pause, properly, inside a busy life. It’s a kind of luck, really, that Seoul holds so many spaces and so much culture within reach. I want to keep enough room in my weeks to see more exhibitions—quietly, steadily.

FAQ

Is Amorepacific open on Mondays?: No. Amorepacific is usually closed on Mondays. Aim for Tue–Sun, 10:00–18:00 (last entry ~1 hour before close).
How long do I need to see the Mark Bradford show?: Plan for 60–90 minutes in the galleries, plus 15 minutes for the shop and 20–30 minutes for a café break (total 2–3 hours).
Which station is closest?: Sinyongsan Station (Line 4), Exit 1 — roughly 1–3 minutes on foot.

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