Paradise City Hosts Pharrell Williams, G-Dragon For Art Week

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Paradise City, a luxury complex near Seoul's Incheon Airport, hosted music producer Pharrell Williams and K-pop star G-Dragon for its annual Paradise Art Night during Seoul Art Week 2024. This event, which coincides with Frieze Seoul, celebrates the fair and initiates a week of cultural programming.

Gambling is restricted to foreign visitors at Paradise City, but many South Koreans visit to experience the mall, a five-star hotel, restaurants, and a contemporary art collection integrated throughout the complex. This blend of art and entertainment, known as“art-tainment,” underscores the venue's connection to South Korea's cultural and artistic landscape.

This year's Art Week festivities included Williams co-hosting an event to promote his auction platform JOOPITER. During this, G-Dragon's collection, titled“Nothing but a 'G' Thang: The Art & Archive of G-Dragon,” was unveiled for sale. The collection comprises fashion items, contemporary artworks, design objects, memorabilia, and commissioned art. G-Dragon, a renowned K-pop figure and former member of BIGBANG, is celebrated for his profound interest in the arts and was among the first K-pop celebrities to publicly share his collection, popularizing art collecting in South Korea.

The same evening, Paradise Art Night marked the opening of“Wonder,” artist Josh Sperling's inaugural exhibition in South Korea. Organized by Perrotin, the show features works from Sperling's distinctive“Spiral” series and several“Squiggle” benches, creating an immersive, vibrant environment. Williams, accompanied by an entourage, arrived early to view the exhibition, joined by G-Dragon. The K-pop star drew a large crowd of excited fans hoping for photos. However, both celebrities departed shortly after a VIP gala dinner, disappointing many attendees who anticipated performances.

Following the exhibition opening and auction preview, most guests proceeded to Chroma Club for the afterparty. Designed by Amsterdam-based MVRDV, the club features architecture resembling a melting sun. Amidst this atmosphere, guests enjoyed a mix of food and drinks. Performers included K-rapper Simon Dominic and American rapper Pusha-T. Artist Daniel Arsham, the Perrotin team, and numerous Korean celebrities and influencers were also present.

Paradise City is a collaborative venture between Korea's Paradise Group, owned by collector Phillip Chun, and Japan's Sega Sammy, an entertainment and gaming corporation. The luxury complex, which opened in 2017, involved an initial investment of $1.7 billion. Its extensive art collection, featuring over 3,000 artworks with 280 displayed publicly and the remainder in private areas, showcases the decades-long collecting passion of Phillip Chun and his wife, Elizabeth Chun. The couple is recognized among ArtNews' top 200 collectors globally and reportedly possesses one of South Korea's most significant collections of contemporary and modern art.

Chun characterizes Paradise Art Space, the complex's main exhibition gallery, as“a hub of new Asian modern and contemporary art where Korean and global cultures are brought together.” With a net worth estimated by Forbes at approximately $765 million, Phillip Chun and his wife can acquire and commission art without financial constraint. The collection includes unique commissions by blue-chip artists created specifically for Paradise City, such as a series of gold and silver prison-cell-inspired canvases by Peter Halley in the hotel reception, a gold-and-flesh horse by Damien Hirst at the entrance, and a Yayoi Kusama pumpkin leading to the casino.

Hotel corridors display works by prominent Korean artists including Lee Bae, Park Seo-Bo, Kim Hodeuk, and Kim Tschang-Yeul, reflecting the Chuns' dedication to both the Korean art scene and contemporary art history. The indoor plaza, surrounded by restaurants, features sculptures by Jeff Koons, KAWS, and a gold canvas by Damien Hirst. Outdoor green spaces also host monumental sculptures, including Subodh Gupta's stainless-steel utensil installation, Ugo Rondinone's neon sign“Dog Days Are Over,” and Anish Kapoor's“C-Curve.”

Since 2018, Paradise Art Space has consistently hosted exhibitions curated by figures such as Seoul-based fashion designer Jung Kuho. The facility is currently showing the Josh Sperling exhibition. One potentially contentious element of the art experience is the“Paradise Walk,” described on the complex's website as“an exceptional experience that stimulates the visual and auditory senses at all times, with the traditional Korean five-color light.” This installation by the collective Wonder Medium bears a resemblance to James Turrell's works, prompting discussion over whether it is an homage or an imitation. Otherwise, Paradise City is seen as a successful“art-tainment” destination within the cultural landscape.

We previously reported:

The alternative Pavilion fair makes its Seoul debut, while Frieze Seoul emphasizes overlooked artistic practices with its“Beyond the Canon” approach.

Source: Observer Arts

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