Bodyfriend Expands 'Massage Chair + Art' Collaborative Marketing

The Bodyfriend Namyangju showroom where the Hello Art with Jang Seil & Kim Kyungwon exhibition is being held.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Bodyfriend announced on the 22nd that it is actively expanding its ‘Art Collaboration’ that combines massage chair experiences with art.

Under the concept of ‘Our Neighborhood Art Museum,’ Bodyfriend is steadily carrying out the ‘Hello Art’ exhibition project, which transforms existing massage chair showrooms into art galleries. In addition, customer participation programs such as art classes conducted by artists and untact drawing contests have been prepared.

At the Bodyfriend Namyangju showroom, the fifth exhibition of the Hello Art project, ‘Hello Art with Jang Seil & Kim Kyungwon Exhibition,’ will be held until the end of October. Jang Seil and Kim Kyungwon are a married artist couple who vividly depict the hidden aspects of modern society through colorful hues and geometric expressions, focusing on animals as their theme. Notably, Jang Seil’s ‘Fortune Bear,’ installed at the Incheon Yeongjong Bridge rest area, is the largest steel sculpture in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. A miniature version of this work is installed at the entrance of the Namyangju showroom to welcome customers.

Moreover, throughout the showroom, visitors can enjoy Jang Seil’s ‘STANDARD ANIMAL’ series, which features magnificent animals adapted to their unique ecological environments. Kim Kyungwon excels at creating new forms by repeatedly depicting animals, leading to a shift in perspective on the subject. Representative works such as ‘Tiger Ascends’ and ‘Finally Became a Phoenix’ are on display. This exhibition features over 80 sculptures and paintings by the couple.

An installation artwork displayed inside the Bodyfriend massage chair store.

At the end of this month, the Daechi showroom in Seoul will host a Hello Art collaboration exhibition with artist Lee Dongwook, who gained fame for his 1,000 balloon artworks. The exhibition is highly anticipated as it will feature the first public unveiling of previously unreleased new works alongside a small props exhibition.

The art classes, where the artist personally meets customers as a docent to explain the works, have received enthusiastic responses. More than 100 customers have attended art classes held at showrooms where Hello Art exhibitions took place, including Ilsan, Haeundae, Cheongdam, and Songpa branches. These small, elite classes of about 10 participants allow customers to understand the artist’s worldview through lectures and engage in in-depth discussions about the works, resulting in high customer satisfaction.

The ‘2nd Kids Artist’ untact drawing contest, where participants draw Bodyfriend’s official character ‘Geumsoni,’ is also underway. After attending the Geumsoni docent tour and drawing class tailored to children’s perspectives at Bodyfriend’s Dogok headquarters, participants can upload their own artwork to Instagram from home. Awards will be given in July.

An installation artwork displayed outside the Bodyfriend massage chair store.

Jung Hyejeong, Head of the Bodyfriend Art Lab and curator who planned Hello Art, stated, “We plan to continue expanding Hello Art showrooms in the form of pop-up exhibitions and hold art classes where artists meet customers at least once a week. If customers desire, we are also considering expanding into ‘art business’ by selling artworks.”

Meanwhile, according to papers published in the American art media Artnet and the British medical journal BMJ, people who regularly enjoy cultural activities have a 31% lower risk of premature death compared to those who do not. Based on these research results, Bodyfriend operates ‘Artlab,’ a research institute dedicated to extending healthy lifespan by 10 years through customers’ participation in art and realizing a valuable art life.