SOOA LIM
In Conversation with Jonathan Goodman
May 29, 2026
Ti-Ri Ti-Ri Computer World , Seoul Children’s Museum, November. 2019 - October. 2024 Curated by Sooa Lim
Sooa Lim is a curator, cataloguer, and researcher from Korea. She was born in Cheongju and received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Korean National University of Arts. After working for several years at the Seoul Children’s Museum, she came to the United States to study the history of design and curatorial studies at Parsons School of Design in New York.
After graduating this past May, Lim began working as the Head Cataloguer and Curator at an auction house in Connecticut. She continues this work while developing curatorial projects in New York City.
One of the more notable aspects of Lim’s practice is her ability to move between different roles in the art world. Her work investigates the presence of Korean art in the United States. Lim's interests extend beyond technical skill toward a broader inquiry into how artists from foreign cultures establish themselves within the American art world.
Lim is herself part of this experience. She often asks, why artists from Korea come to the United States and remain after their education, and how they make sense of an art world that is often very different from their own. Because of her position, she is able to approach these questions with a strong degree of insight.
Today, New York is filled with artists from all over the world, yet it is not easy for them to survive, remain, and secure long-term opportunities. In this context, Lim hopes to remain in the United States and develop a curatorial practice that contributes to the diverse and active art environment of New York, while also introducing Korean aesthetic perspectives.
Her current work as a cataloguer has trained her to carefully describe the context and attributes of individual artworks. This allows her to focus on the meaning of each piece and bring that knowledge into her curatorial work with clarity and distinction.
There is a growing need for individuals like Lim who can interpret Korean art within a broader international framework. At a time when artistic styles may appear to merge globally, important cultural differences still remain. Lim’s ability to work in both Korean and English makes her particularly valuable in this regard, especially in contexts such as cataloguing, where precision and clarity are essential. Her work contributes to making these differences more visible to an American audience. As she continues to develop her career, it is likely that she will expand her practice across both institutional and independent curatorial contexts.
Jonathan Goodman: You were educated in design in Korea and in the history of design in New York. How has this experience shaped your artistic outlook?
Sooa Lim: My education in Korea and in the United States shaped my thinking in ways that feel quite different, but ultimately connected. In Korea, my training in design was grounded in discipline and attention to form, with a strong emphasis on precision and material. That way of seeing still stays with me.
When I studied at Parsons, the focus shifted. I became more interested in context, history, and the frameworks that surround art. It changed how I think about curating. I no longer see artworks as isolated objects, but as part of a broader conversation that unfolds across different systems.
JG: You are currently working at an auction house in Connecticut. What does your position require, and how does it influence your curatorial work?
SL: Working as a Head Cataloguer has significantly shaped how I think about artworks beyond exhibition contexts. My work involves detailed research, provenance tracking, and writing catalogue entries that place each object within both historical and market frameworks. In many ways, it feels like reconstructing a story.
In several cases, this kind of research has influenced how works are received. By clarifying attribution or expanding historical context, I’ve seen how a more precise narrative can increase both institutional interest and collector confidence.
At the same time, working in the U.S. auction environment has made me more aware of how artworks circulate. They move through networks of collectors, transactions, and market dynamics. I don’t see this as separate from curating, but as an extension of it.
JG: How has living in the United States affected your perspective, particularly as a woman and as a curator?
SL: Living in the United States has made me more aware of a different cultural rhythm, especially in how individual expression is encouraged. It gave me more space to think about my own position.
At the same time, I realized that this openness is not as simple as it first appears. There are still underlying frameworks that shape how artists are perceived, particularly for Asian artists. That awareness has influenced how I approach curating.
JG: Does your fluency in English change the way you look at culture?
SL: Working in both Korean and English has made me more aware of how language shapes understanding. Some ideas do not fully translate, especially those tied to cultural experience.
This has made me more attentive to nuance, not only to what is said, but also to what is difficult to express. In my work, I try to create contexts where meaning can expand through that tension.
JG: When you begin curating more regularly, what kind of work do you want to support?
SL:: I’m drawn to artistic practices that engage with complex cultural or historical conditions, but are not limited by them. I’m interested in work that remains open and allows for multiple readings.
For me, curating is not just about selecting works, but about creating relationships between them. It’s about building a structure where meaning can emerge through those connections.
JG: Is there a difference between the art market in Korea and in the United States?
SL: There are clear differences shaped by history and culture. In Korea, there is a strong classical tradition that still informs contemporary practices.
In the United States, the system is more directly connected to a global market structure. But what interests me most is how these systems intersect and influence each other.
JG: How do you view the relationship between art and the market?
SL:: I don’t really see the market and curatorial practice as separate. The market is one of the systems through which artworks circulate and gain visibility, whether we acknowledge it or not.
Because I’ve worked in both curatorial and auction contexts, I’ve become more aware of how these frameworks overlap. The way we understand art is shaped not only by exhibitions or institutions, but also by how it moves, who engages with it, and under what conditions it is valued. That connection is not always openly discussed, but it’s always there.
JG: You have already curated exhibitions. Can you describe projects that were particularly meaningful to you?
SL: One project that was important to me was Back to the Past: Archival Collection of Sungho Choi at Paris Koh Fine Arts. It worked with archival materials and documentation related to a Korean diasporic art community in New York, particularly around the Seoro Korean Cultural Network. Rather than focusing on finished works, the exhibition looked at traces of activity and how a community formed over time, bringing attention to a history that is not always visible within contemporary art discourse.
Another project was Tiri-tiri Computer World at the Seoul Children’s Museum in 2019. It was an interactive exhibition designed to develop problem-solving skills through hands-on experience. The project continued beyond its initial presentation and later became a traveling exhibition through 2024, reaching a broader public over time.
These two projects are quite different, but that difference was important for me. One focused on archival research and historical context, while the other was more about public engagement and education. Moving between these approaches helped me think about curating not as a fixed format, but as something that can adapt depending on the audience and the context.
JG: Do you feel the audience for Korean contemporary art is limited in New York?
SL: There is more visibility for Korean contemporary art than before, but I don’t think that always means full integration. In many cases, the work is still approached through certain expectations, especially around identity, and that can limit how it is understood.
I’ve been thinking about how to move beyond that kind of framing. It’s not about removing identity, but about not letting it be the only way to read the work. I’m more interested in creating contexts where the work can be approached more openly.
JG: The role of the curator has become more prominent. Is this also true in Korea?
SL: I think the role of the curator has become more visible, not only in the United States but also in Korea. But the situation is different depending on the context.
In some cases, curators are still closely tied to institutions, while in others the role is more flexible. What is important to me is that curating is not only about organizing exhibitions, but also about shaping how the work is understood.
JG: Why did you decide to become a curator?
SL: I was drawn to curating gradually. At first, I was focused on making, but over time I became more interested in what surrounds the work, how it is presented and how it is read.
That shift stayed with me. Curating became a way to work with those questions more directly. It connects research and context, but also shapes how meaning is formed. In that sense, it feels less like a role and more like a way of thinking.
JG: What are your future ambitions?
SL: I would like to continue working across research, curating, and institutional contexts, while keeping those areas connected. That movement between different environments has shaped how I understand art.
Going forward, I’m interested in developing projects that take time, especially those that bring together different cultural perspectives. I’m particularly interested in work that is not always visible within mainstream discourse, and in finding ways to give it a more sustained presence.