How to read the small label beside a work
Titles, dates, materials, dimensions and exhibition vocabulary: turn a short label into useful clues.
01Save the artist and title separately
Identify the artist’s name and the artwork’s title first. An exhibition title may refer to the whole show rather than an individual object. Save both names if you want to find a work again. “Untitled” does not require you to conclude that a piece has no subject, meaning or intention.
02Distinguish making dates from exhibition dates
The date beside an artwork and the exhibition’s date range provide different information. Photography, film and installation labels may include several dates or a note about a later version. Read the words around the numbers. When a date is uncertain, preserve the qualification instead of turning it into an exact year.
03Connect materials and dimensions to experience
“Acrylic on canvas” describes paint on a canvas support. Check the measurement unit and whether height and width are identified. For a work with several components, overall dimensions may differ from those of each part. Use measurements and installation photographs together instead of inferring physical size from a thumbnail alone.
04Recognize a few exhibition terms
A solo exhibition centers on one artist; a group exhibition brings together several. A collection exhibition signals a display drawn from a collection. If an introductory text feels dense, select one or two recurring words and connect them to particular works. You do not need to master every term before entering the gallery.
05Keep translations beside the original
Names and titles can appear in different translations or romanizations. Save the Korean text alongside any supplied translation to make later searches easier. If automatic translation sounds odd, begin with verifiable details such as materials, dates and places. Distinguish associations prompted by a translation from statements the artist actually made.
06Practice with an invented label
Practice example: “Untitled, 2026 / Acrylic on canvas / 60 × 40 cm, height × width.” This does not describe an actual catalog work. It gives you a title, year, material and size, but not the artist’s intention or studio location. Separate what the label establishes from what still needs a question.
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