An Interview with Carol Peregrino

Carol Peregrino

For many visitors, RM x SFMOMA: Between You & Me was an opportunity to encounter the personal art collection of RM, leader of BTS, and gain insight into the sensibility of an artist whose influence extends far beyond music. For others, it became something more unexpected: an invitation to reconsider their relationship with art, beauty, and their own sense of worth.

In this interview, we talk to Carol Peregrino (IG: bts_armyover40club) whose visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art began with a desire to understand RM more deeply. What she discovered, however, went beyond the boundaries of fandom. Through RM’s intimate relationship with art, she learned to embrace the emotional resonance of an artwork without feeling compelled to decipher its historical significance or intellectual complexity. His curatorial choices offered a glimpse into his way of seeing the world: attentive to both the vastness of human experience and the smallest details of everyday life.

The exhibition also prompted a profound reflection on imperfection and self-acceptance. Encountering artworks whose beauty lay in their irregularities and apparent flaws, Peregrino began to recognise a parallel with the human experience: our scars, vulnerabilities, and imperfections are not diminishments but integral parts of who we are. In this sense, RM’s collection transcends the artistic encounter, offering a mirror through which we can see how art continues to teach us about the world—and about ourselves.

In your recent article, you write that you had never really considered yourself an “art person” and that you visited the exhibition primarily because of RM. How did this experience change your relationship with art, and did it make you want to explore museums and artists beyond RM’s collection?

Art was never something I truly understood or felt connected to. I always believed that for a piece to be valuable, it needed to have a profound meaning or historical significance, and that made art intimidating to me. But RM changed that. Through his own love and appreciation for art, he opened a world I never thought I’d be interested in exploring. He helped me realize that art doesn’t always need a deeper explanation to be meaningful. Sometimes, its value lies simply in what it makes you feel and the personal connection you form with it. And I think that’s what makes RM’s influence on me so special. He didn’t just introduce me to art; he changed the way I experience it. Something I once found intimidating has now become something I want to understand and explore, all because of him.

You describe the exhibition as an opportunity to gain insight into RM’s way of seeing the world. Which artwork or curatorial choice helped you understand him in a new way, and what did it reveal about him that you had not fully appreciated before?

There were so many moments throughout the exhibition when I felt I was seeing the world through RM’s eyes. The Blue Water section especially stayed with me. I loved how he connected his childhood love for blue to something much bigger. The water that surrounds us, what we’re made of, and even the sadness we sometimes feel. He has this beautiful way of seeing the world from a broader perspective while still noticing the smallest, most personal emotions.

I also loved seeing his playful side through pieces like Friendscape, Home, and I Don’t Know, But I Like It. They reminded me that sometimes he simply loves something without needing to explain why.  And I had to laugh at his story about taking artwork from his parents’ home without asking. Those little personal stories made the exhibition feel even more special to me. As an ARMY, I came wanting to understand him better, and I felt like I got to see another side of him.  

You express particular pride in RM’s decision to foreground his Korean heritage and Korean artists. What did this aspect of the exhibition mean to you as a fan, and do you think RM’s international visibility can help introduce Korean modern art to audiences who might otherwise never encounter it?

I absolutely believe RM’s influence will bring greater visibility to Korean art and artists.

By placing them at the heart of his exhibition and sharing personal stories, like that of Kim Whanki, he is introducing their artistry to audiences who might never have discovered it otherwise. As an Asian woman, it makes me proud to see Asian artists celebrated, but what makes me even prouder as a BTS ARMY is seeing RM use his platform to honor his Korean heritage and share it with the world.

One of the most moving ideas in your article is that our imperfections and difficult experiences may be part of our own “art”. Was there a particular work or moment in the exhibition that inspired this reflection? How did the experience connect your personal response to art with your understanding of yourself?

There were pieces in the exhibition I honestly didn’t understand. Some were small, uneven, or imperfect, yet they were displayed so beautifully, sometimes alone in a dark room under a bright light. I remember looking at vases with visible blemishes and wondering what made them worthy of being in a museum. I was even confused at multiple pieces with random colors painted on them and I was not sure what made them art. What made them worthy to be put on display for others to see. Then it hit me: something doesn’t have to be perfect to be considered art.  

And perhaps the same is true for us. We carry flaws, scars, and experiences that may not always look beautiful to others, but they are part of our story and what makes us who we are.  We often judge ourselves too harshly, comparing ourselves to others and allowing these imperfections to diminish who we are.  Because of this, we find ourselves of no value, nothing to offer the world or others. But, what we may not realize is that while we are criticizing ourselves, someone else may be looking at us and finding inspiration in the very things we struggle to accept.  We may feel alone in the world, but someone may put us in a pedestal with bright light because of the beauty they see in us.  Just like that one small art piece in RM’s exhibition.  Our worth is not determined by the world’s standards of perfection. We just have to recognize that everything about us are what makes us beautiful. And, that was something I never expected RM’s Curation at SF MOMA to teach me.  

As someone experiencing this exhibition in the San Francisco area, how did RM x SFMOMA: Between You & Me compare with your expectations of a major museum exhibition? Do you think RM’s presence brought a different kind of audience into conversation with the local art scene, and could this encounter have a lasting impact?

RM brought many ARMY to SFMOMA, some of them came from different parts of the world. ARMY came to support him and see the world through his personal collection, but I think, like me, we left with something more; a newfound appreciation for art and a deeper understanding of ourselves. 

While waiting in line, I saw a Korean family spanning three generations, and I imagined how proud they must have felt seeing Korean artists celebrated in such a prestigious museum.

I don’t know what lasting impact this exhibition will have on the art world, but I believe its impact on the museum and its visitors is already meaningful. RM brought new audiences into a space they might once have found unfamiliar or intimidating, making art feel more accessible and personal.

As an ARMY in her 40s, that means so much to me. At an age when I thought I had already learned so much about life, BTS continues to teach me a lot of things about the world and about ME, first through their music and now through RM’s art.  I am very proud to be a BTS ARMY, not just because I love and fangirl over them, but because they continue to help me grow as a person through the lessons they teach me.  How many fans can truly say that about the artist they admire? 

• RMxSFMOMA: Between You & Me is open until Feb 7 2027 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Emanuela Borgatta Dunnett