[Visit] Inspire's Iconic 'Pink Whale' Surpassed by Ambitious New Creation

New Digital Art Exhibition Hall Le Space Opens
Prepared for 2 Years, Largest in Korea with Approximately 2,000 Pyeong
Following Digital Street 'Aurora', Expected to Become a Hot Place
New 1,000-Seat Food Court Established...Improving Food Options

On the 2nd, at the Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon, hundreds of visitors of all ages flocked to 'Aurora,' a street known for digital entertainment, as 1 p.m. approached. They came to watch the digital art displayed precisely at the top and bottom of every hour and half-hour. Along the 150m-long and 25m-high ceiling and walls, LED screens show digital videos of marine creatures such as fish, rays, and jellyfish swimming for about three minutes. When the highlight of the content, the pink whale, appeared in its massive form filling the screen, visitors who were moving their phone cameras all exclaimed "Wow" in unison.

Visitors at Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort are enjoying the digital art Pink Whale on Aurora Street, taking commemorative photos with their mobile phones.

Aurora and the pink whale have been the signature attractions of Inspire since its soft opening in November last year. On the 1st, a new experiential space that surpasses these opened. 'Le Space,' the largest immersive media art exhibition hall in Korea, was created within Inspire Mall, covering 6,142㎡ (about 2,000 pyeong). Le Space is a word combining light (Lumiere), experience, and space. Hyundai Futurenet, an ICT specialist company affiliated with Hyundai Department Store Group that has established immersive content exhibition halls called 'Arte Museum' in Jeju, Yeosu, and Gangneung, participated in establishing this new digital art exhibition hall.

Upon entering the exhibition hall, a video and introduction unfold on the screen with the concept of a 'new galaxy space station,' as if boarding a transport ship. Then, under the theme 'Beyond the Cosmos,' 18 different contents are presented across 19 spaces. Each space is decorated with dazzling digital art on the ceiling, walls, and floor, inspired by motifs such as space, forests, the deep sea, blooming deserts, and new planets.

O Tae-yoon, head of the exhibition business team at Hyundai Futurenet, explained, "Le Space was designed from the construction stage of Inspire to maximize ceiling height and eliminate pillars so that beam projectors could be used on all six surfaces?top and bottom, front and back, left and right." He added, "It took about two years to secure the space and build the exhibition hall."

New digital content to follow the popularity of the pink killer whale in Aurora will be added around July, and Le Space plans to showcase new media art every two to three years. A visitor who came to Le Space with two young children said, "You can see a variety of dazzling videos of space, sea, flowers, and trees, and since the area is divided and decorated like a theme park, it seems like a good place for families to spend time."

One of the exhibition spaces of 'Le Space Inspire,' the 'Floral Desert.' Through the large window, you can encounter a beautiful desert where flowers bloom.
[Photo by Inspire]

'Le Space Inspire' exhibition space 'Imagine,' planned with the concept of 'Journey to the Unknown World' [Photo by Inspire]

The issue of 'lack of food spaces,' which visitors pointed out as a downside on online communities, has also been improved. Last month, a collaboration with Glow Seoul, a domestic space branding specialist company, resulted in the establishment of the massive international food court 'Oasis Gourmet Village.' Covering 3,500㎡ (about 1,076 pyeong) with a total of 1,000 seats, this food court houses dining brands including Glow Seoul’s flagship restaurants 'Oncheon Jip,' 'Umul Jip,' and 'Changchang,' as well as 'Dadami Bunsik,' 'Smoking Bun,' and 'Pizza Brooklyn.' Menu prices are around 15,000 KRW, relatively cheaper compared to the food and beverage outlets previously located in Inspire. On weekends, visitors flocked causing long wait times and considerable dissatisfaction among users, but the company expects this to help disperse demand.

Inspire has sequentially opened entertainment facilities including guest rooms, a multipurpose indoor performance hall, a foreigner-only casino, a water park, restaurants, a shopping mall, a digital art exhibition hall, an outdoor park, and an indoor sports theme park, completing over 90% of the framework as a complex resort. An Inspire official stated, "Since the soft opening about four months ago, the cumulative number of visitors has surpassed one million," and added, "We expect to easily achieve the annual visitor target of 3.5 million set for the first year of operation."