AK & Hongdae Launch Korea's Largest NFT Art Marketplace 'Hey! NFT'

AK&Hongdae Hey! NFT exterior view.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] AK Plaza announced on the 4th that it will open a large-scale art marketplace using NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) called 'Hey! NFT' at AK& Hongdae.

The space, presented through a collaboration between AK Plaza and the media art group 'iLab Media,' is a marketplace where visitors can view and purchase NFT art. iLab Media is a company that provides unique art exhibition spaces using advanced IT technology. Through this collaboration, AK Plaza plans to lead the offline popularization of NFT art by combining its long-standing offline industry experience with distribution know-how.

Located on the 3rd floor of AK& Hongdae, this approximately 710m2 (215 pyeong) space is the largest of its kind in Korea, offering a unique offline marketplace that combines NFT art exhibitions, purchases, and communication. In particular, NFT art, which is gaining attention as a new financial investment method among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), can be directly viewed, and visitors can communicate directly with artists and previous buyers. Additionally, the exhibition is free of charge, lowering the barrier to entry and allowing young people to freely visit, moving away from the exhibition culture that was once enjoyed by only a few.

The opening exhibition features the Camel series by actor and painter Yoon Song-ah, whose work attracted attention in the art world after being sold for 100 million won at the 'NFT Busan 2021' auction last year. Also on display are works by artist Hwang Jeong-bin, whose 'Chinchilla Masterpiece Series' was completely sold out to Chinese collectors last year, drawing significant attention. In addition, visitors can sequentially meet a total of 30 famous artists, including Kim Seok, who collaborated with a famous global sports brand to produce art that sold out; Kim Hyun-jung, noted for her unique colors and butterfly symbols; and Jang Yoon-sun, winner of the Grand Prize at the Korea Art Exhibition. The opening exhibition will run for two weeks, after which various NFT art pieces with different themes, artists, and works will be continuously showcased.

A representative from AK Plaza's Merchandise Headquarters said, “AK Plaza will continue to introduce NFT art by various artists and lead the popularization of NFT art.”