I came to ruin you: The Collecting Practices of K-pop Fandoms

K-pop fandom isn’t just about heightened visuals, diverse sounds, and complex choreographies—it’s a transcultural consumer practice. I came to ruin you: The Collecting Practices of K-pop Fandoms delves into this global phenomenon to explore how devoted fans curate and create their own spaces and identities through various artistic and community-based practices.

From photo cards to dance covers, lightsticks to fanart, I came to ruin you presents a rare view into K-pop fandoms as cross-cultural sites of exchange and knowledge mobilization. Through fan collections and contemporary artists’ work, the show unpacks the cultural significance of K-pop memorabilia—linking it to the collecting and display traditions of Korean chaekgeori paintings, fanzines and digital fandom practices.

Co-curated by Rea McNamara and Bo Shin, I came to ruin you: The Collecting Practices of K-pop Fandoms features the collections of Christine Kwong, Sam Mohan, Jo Saunders, Sin Tung Ng (Steffi), and Teodora Stojanovic alongside the work of Jiwon Choi and Lux Pyre.

Special thanks to the CIBC Fine Arts Graduate Student Award, York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design and Faculty of Graduate Studies.

OPENING RECEPTION + PHOTO CARD (PC) CREATION WORKSHOP: Monday, March 31, 4-7 PM (Click here to register)

EXHIBITION HOURS:

Mon, Mar 31, 11 AM - 1 PM

Tues, Apr 1, 11 AM - 4 PM

Weds, Apr 2, 11 AM - 4 PM

Thurs, Apr 3, 11 AM - 4 PM

Fri, Apr 4, 11 AM - 4 PM

York University's Special Projects Gallery is located in the main lobby of the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts at York University. Its address is 86 Fine Arts Rd.

The accessible entrance is via the south door of the Centre for Film and Theatre. A wide, unobstructed sidewalk with a slight incline leads to the two sets of entry double doors (68 inches wide total) which are separated by a vestibule, and come complete with automatic features. Once inside, the route to the Centre for Fine Arts and the Special Projects Gallery features 10 foot wide, laminate hallways, and two ramps for negotiating level changes between areas.

There are accessible washrooms in both the Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts and the Centre for Film and Theatre. Additionally, for those travelling via transit, the nearest subway station, York University, is fully accessible.

Host or Publisher Rea McNamara and Bo Shin