If you’re a long-time fan, you’ll know that RM has a huge love for art. He himself has described himself as an “avid collector,” not only collecting works by world-renowned art stars like KAWS and Takashi Murakami, but also by кσяєαn artists like Lee Dae Won and Kim Jong Hak.
Not only that, but recently, after being appointed as the global ambαѕѕador for the Samsung Art TV line, RM also confirmed at the Art Basel 2025 event in Basel that he is actively looking for a physical space to house his growing art collection – an idea he has hinted at in previous interviews.
He explained that the gallery would be a place to bridge East and West, past and present, the personal and the universal. “I want to bring it all together in one space,” he said. “Maybe I’ll name it ‘rkive’ – like my Instagram account. It won’t be easy, but I really want to try.”
That shows how much he loves art! And his fans are also fiercely supportive of RM’s pαѕѕion in many different ways.
ARMYs are the inspiration for RM to seek out and know about many diverse exhibitions, from the Philip Guston exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to the Baekja traditional wнιтe ceramic vase exhibition in кσяєα. It’s not uncommon for him to follow RM’s instructions and then delight fans by checking in at many different museums and exhibitions.
One of them is the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam – which used to be RM’s “dream” in 2021. At that time, a fan shared her visit to this art museum in the hope that it would be a good suggestion for him.
RM actually saw the post and commented: "One of my dream", showing his strong desire. The Rijksmuseum is known to be the largest museum in the Netherlands and is home to 8,000 works of art and national history including masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
Finally, after 5 years since then, RM has reached this painting paradise during his schedule to Western Europe. He shared a photo on his personal Instagram, adding a museum to his list of places he has been to.
Fans responded enthusiastically and shared their similar love for the Rijksmuseum:
- I went there a month ago and it’s actually so pretty
- One of my fav museums! I wonder if he felt the magnificence that had me holding my breath when walking into the main hall.
- he probably also checked out the stadium for their tour next year
- The painting RM shared a pic of is Rembrandt's famous masterpiece The Night Watch. It's currently undergoing a huge preservation & research initiative called #OperationNightWatch. It's a mαѕѕive, stunning group protrait that does fantastic things with light & shadow. @rijksmuseum
- I'm glad he had time to visit this museum
- For art lovers like RM, Rijksmuseum is a must-see place
- He visited the museum before starting his busy schedule from July. Congratulations on adding another museum to the list
- I really admire RM's sense of art, I wish one day I could visit this Van Gogh archive.
In addition to showcasing and promoting the art of painting as a K-pop superstar, RM has donated a total of 200 million won (US$153,905) to the National Cultural Heritage Administration of кσяєα and the Cultural Heritage Foundation Overseas in the past 2 years, in the hope of preserving and restoring кσяєαn cultural αѕѕets overseas.
RM has also regularly donated 100 million won (US$76,911) to the cultural arts sector every year on his birthday (September 12), since his donation to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in 2020.