USC Pacific Asia Museum will host a new exhibition titled “Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry,” opening on February 14, 2026. The exhibition aims to explore the immigrant experience through mythology and art, running until September 6, 2026. A limited public preview of the installation in progress is scheduled from December 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
The exhibition is conceived by Los Angeles-based Korean American artist and muralist Dave Young Kim. It features a museum-wide immersive installation that combines masterworks from the museum’s collection with new technology and contemporary works by artists such as Dinh Q. Lê, Lily Honglei, Wendy Park, Momoko Schafer, Kyungmi Shin, Sanjay Vora, Lauren YS, and others.
Visitors will encounter about 100 objects drawn from USC PAM’s extensive collection—spanning over 5,000 years and representing regions including East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, and the Pacific Islands and their diasporas. These historical pieces are presented alongside new media installations and commissions from more than 20 contemporary artists.
The exhibition includes various environments for visitors to explore: a shadowy night crossing filled with demons; an immigrant’s first apartment; and a room featuring a gold Jin Chan frog that dispenses coins. Mythological figures such as dragons, cranes, guardian spirits, and shapeshifters appear throughout as metaphors for personal transformation and intergenerational legacy.
“Imagine stepping inside an illustrated book of poetry written by a cherished loved one,” said artistic director Kim. “Mythical Creatures is guided by verses on the walls that reflect the wisdom of an imagined, beloved elder—tender, unfolding, and finally given voice. This exhibition invites us into a conversation that was always meant for us, made possible by activating the Pacific Asia Museum’s remarkable collection and collaborating with an exceptional group of artists. Together, I believe we have given timeless stories a renewed life.”
Technology plays a significant role in creating immersive experiences within the galleries. Features include a wraparound video installation in a reconstructed airplane cabin and an AI-powered video interaction allowing visitors to take on the role of an immigrant. QR codes linked to a custom app offer deeper exploration of specific objects using artificial intelligence.
“Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry embodies a transformational shift in our direction at USC Pacific Asia Museum,” said Bethany Montagano, director of USC Museums. “centering artists, rethinking interpretation, and building exhibitions from the emotional and intellectual lives of our audiences outward. It also reflects our commitment to dismantling orientalist frameworks and approaching the collection not as a march through history, but as a living archive with the power to meet people where they are. I’m thrilled that we are able to present this incredibly bold and ambitious exhibition—one of the most expansive projects we’ve ever undertaken.”
A range of public programs—including workshops, panel discussions, film screenings—will accompany the exhibition. Details can be found at https://pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/.
Dave Young Kim is recognized for his work reflecting cultural memory and migration themes through murals created in partnership with local communities. His previous projects include exhibitions at institutions like USC Pacific Asia Museum (USC PAM), Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Berkeley Art Center, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery; recent works include large-scale murals both locally outside USC PAM and internationally in Korea.
USC Pacific Asia Museum remains unique among university museums in the United States for its focus on Asian arts and cultures since its opening in Pasadena’s Grace Nicholson Building in 1925.
