WYSIWYG Studio Collaborates with Sticky Monster Lab on Media Art Project in Seoul City

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] Comprehensive content group WYSIWYG Studio is presenting a unique media art project that combines IP characters and VFX technology, following ‘Gwanghwa Era’ and ‘DDP Seoul Light’.

WYSIWYG Studio announced on the 24th that it will carry out a media art project centered in Seoul in collaboration with the famous domestic artist group ‘Sticky Monster Lab,’ which has secured a strong fan base through cute designs, unique emotional direction, numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, and collaborations with global companies such as Nike.

This project, broadcast on the giant transparent LED screens of smart bus stops installed at major locations in Seoul such as Hongdae Entrance, Hapjeong, and Sungnyemun, is scheduled to be screened every evening from this month until May. The smart bus stop construction project, which Seoul City is piloting at eight major locations, is expected to expand throughout Seoul, raising expectations for WYSIWYG Studio’s follow-up media art production and promotional effects.

Previously, WYSIWYG showcased a large-scale media art project based on artist collaboration at Gwanghwamun and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park from December last year to February this year.

‘DDP Seoul Light,’ which ended on February 20, was a large-scale light show on the outer wall of DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) under the auspices of the Seoul Design Foundation. It is a representative media art event of Seoul City that projects mapping videos on the vast and organic front of the architectural structure.

The main video , featuring Seoul National University Professor Park Je-sung, a leading domestic media artist, applied various technologies such as motion capture and AI (artificial intelligence) visualization. It portrayed the meaning of life in the metaverse world through five chapters and concluded successfully despite the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last winter.

At that time, One Million, which has the top-tier performance team in Korea including Lia Kim, also participated in ‘DDP Seoul Light’ to support the event. Following the main video, a permanent event started in January, where the media art , utilizing motion capture data of One Million artists, was screened for about two months alongside offline live performances, drawing enthusiastic responses from many citizens.

Among the eight projects of ‘Gwanghwa Era’ that began on the 25th of last month, is a project encompassing sculptural art, AR, and AI technology. AI analyzes posts on global SNS and visualizes them as thousands of colorful fruits, which are then implemented in AR on actual sculptures. Visitors can experience it directly in the front yard of the Korea Press Center, where sculptures designed by Seoul National University’s Sculpture Research Institute are installed, or leave posts via an app or webpage to view the AR Gwanghwa Water in real time. On-site experience also allows AR viewing of SM Entertainment’s SuperM character surrounding Gwanghwa Water.

A WYSIWYG Studio official said, “Recently, based on our own CG technology, we are conducting comprehensive collaborations across various cultural and artistic genres including ▲sculpture ▲video ▲performance ▲music ▲character, from planning to operation. We are building a media art collective brand that harmoniously realizes both popularity and artistry, in addition to holding the title of Korea’s top VFX company.”

He added, “Especially since we have subsidiaries in various content fields such as musicals, entertainment agencies, web novels, dramas, and films, there is a high possibility of conducting broader collaborative projects in the future. We pursue a balance of popularity and originality, cooperation and coexistence with artists, and the fusion of technology and art. Please look forward to WYSIWYG’s next steps, showcasing diverse media arts ranging from small, sentimental, charming videos to overwhelming large-scale projects.”