[New York Diary] Samsung The Wall Arrives at Rockefeller Center, SK at Lincoln Center

K-Culture Takes Center Stage in New York
Korean Arts Week Showcases Art, Music, and Film
Major Korean Corporations Support Cultural Expansion

Across New York City, the so-called K-Culture is easily accessible. At Rockefeller Center, known as the "heart of New York," an exhibition featuring prominent Korean artists such as Park Seo-bo, Lee Bae, and Jin Myerson is in full swing, while at Lincoln Center, a lineup of events awaits, from outdoor performances by Crying Nut and Yerin Baek to a modern reinterpretation of the Jongmyo Jeryeak’s ‘Ilmu.’ All of these are part of the upcoming Korean Arts Week. Behind these events stand Korean corporations like Samsung Electronics and SK Group.

Park Seo-bo's representative work 'Myobeop No.060303' exhibited at Rockefeller Center

At the exhibition “Origin, Emergence, Return” featuring three Korean artists held at Rockefeller Center until the 23rd of this month, Cho Hyun Gallery chose to collaborate with Samsung Electronics. They showcased video art reinterpreting the masterwork of “monochrome painting” legend Park Seo-bo (Myobeop No.060303) on Samsung Electronics’ 146-inch 4K resolution “The Wall All-in-One.” Park, a pioneer of Korean abstract art, was also the first Korean artist to collaborate with Louis Vuitton last year, making headlines once again.

Park Seo-bo’s works featured in this New York exhibition number as many as 40 pieces. Spanning from 1985 to 2022, it is a rare opportunity to view both his early and latest works. Upon entering the exhibition space located in the basement (Link level) of Rockefeller Center, Park’s “Myobeop No.060303” is positioned prominently at the center front. Moving to the right, Samsung Electronics’ The Wall All-in-One is displayed like a canvas among other artworks.

This piece, indistinguishable from other artworks in size and installation height, is the video art titled “1 Of 0,” directed by Park Seo-bo’s grandson, Park Ji-hwan. Each digital zoom-in on Park’s masterpiece vividly reveals the unique texture of hanji paper and the changing autumn leaf colors as they reflect light on the Samsung screen. A gallery official explained, “It allows viewers to experience the artwork from new distances and perspectives through digital means,” adding, “The beauty is vividly conveyed through Samsung’s screen, and the audience response has been very positive.” It is known that Park’s team specifically chose Samsung Electronics’ The Wall as the screen for this video art to vividly deliver the intense colors and three-dimensional textures during its separate production for the New York exhibition.

The video art '1 Of 0,' a reinterpretation of artist Park Seo-bo's representative work (Myobeop No.060303), was unveiled through Samsung Electronics' The Wall screen.
[Image courtesy of Samsung Electronics]

That is not all. At Lincoln Center, the cultural and performance hub of Manhattan, SK Group’s butterfly-shaped Happiness Wings logo can be easily spotted every summer. This year, SK Group is again providing comprehensive support for the success of Korean Arts Week held throughout Lincoln Center. There are as many as 12 Korean cultural and artistic programs including performances, exhibitions, and films scheduled from the 19th to the 22nd. Lincoln Center stated, “As Korea rises as a global cultural hub, Korean Arts Week offers audiences rich opportunities for artistic diversity and cultural exchange,” and introduced sponsors such as SK E&S, SKC, SK On, SK Eco Engineering, Passkey, Key Capture Energy, EverCharge, and Korea Investment Bank.

During this period, a “Silent Disco” event where participants can dance joyfully while listening to K-pop music through headphones will be held around Lincoln Center, and director Bong Joon-ho’s representative film “The Host” will be screened. At the David H. Koch Theater, the main stage of New York City Ballet (NYCB), the Seoul City Dance Company’s “One Dance” (Ilmu·佾舞), produced by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, will be performed three times. The “K-Indie Music Night” hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in New York will feature Crying Nut and Yerin Baek performing on consecutive nights. There will also be a “Tribute to Korea” concert where audiences can hear arrangements of Arirang by Mozart, Beethoven, and orchestras.

SK Group’s major affiliates have provided financial support to present these Korean cultural performances to New Yorkers. They have also engaged in promotional marketing to ensure the event’s success. Since the beginning of this month, advertisements promoting Korean Arts Week and the Ilmu performance can be easily found on screens in Manhattan subway stations and city buses.

Every time the status of so-called “Culture Korea” is confirmed in New York, the world’s cultural and economic center, it inevitably brings a smile. Following the K-pop wave led by BTS, Korea’s soft power is now active on the global stage across classical music, art, film, and more. Applause is also due to the nation’s leading corporations running alongside behind the scenes.