Former South Korean entertainment artists are showing the world that “SoHo’s Got Seoul,” at a new art gallery installation in Manhattan’s shopping mecca.
Park West Gallery, located at 411 West Broadway, is hosting the first comprehensive exhibit of its kind, showcasing the phenomena of K-Pop by taking attendees behind the scenes of entertainers’ personal lives — including the fame, cyberbullying, expectations, and the battle to regain control of their image.
Compiled by world-renowned curator Dr. Stephanie Seunmgin Kim — who has worked with over 600 artists in 22 cities around the globe in varying artistic capacities over the past 20 years — the exhibit is open from Feb 1 to March 1. The five featured artists, Jae-Yong CHOI, KO Jun, Jian KWON (Solbi), Min-Woo LEE, and Jun SHIM (Negativ) are said to be the pioneers of K-Pop and have made contributions to the entertainment industry through music, acting, photography, and contemporary art.
As the ever-growing genre known as K-Pop has repeatedly shown, the arts have transcended language barriers bridging together communities with their music as a form of positive healing and inspiration. However, performers also say that fame comes with a steep price and these stars are using art to showcase how they differ from their public persona and the way in which painting can be used as a rebirthing process. It is this duality that inspired Dr. Kim to work with the K-Pop artists turned painters.
“I’ve always been interested in the intersection between art and entertainment. I thought because [K-Pop artists] are very close to the public, I found their expression very interesting and moving so it has many benefits having more exposure to the arts for the public,” Dr. Kim said.
The K-Pop industry has built itself on creating a product that provides fans a direct link to their favorite artists, making them feel as though they are experiencing their careers along with them. This form of…
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