An exhibition co-curated by a K-pop superstar isn’t the kind of show most art critics rush to review. But I couldn’t resist. Call it curiosity, or perhaps a little FOMO. Even my preparation for writing this review felt different: Instead of poring over essays by art historians and curators, I scrolled through fan-made reels, virtual walkthroughs, and videos featuring excerpts from RM’s audio guide. By the time I arrived, the show already felt strangely familiar.

The numbers alone make it a sensation. Since “RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me” opened in San Francisco last month, more than 66,000 tickets have sold, advance sales ran six times higher than for any previous San Francisco Museum of Modern Art exhibition, and merchandise vanished within hours. In Korea, the show has become a major cultural story. Yet when I pitched this review, the art press had given the exhibition surprisingly little critical attention. Everyone was counting the crowds. Who was looking at the walls?