London, UK: Luxury automotive brand, Genesis, is to be one of the headline sponsors of the V&A’s latest exhibition. Hallyu! The Korean Wave opens in September 2022, the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea.
The announcement comes just over a year after the brand launched in the UK, successfully disrupting the market by offering premium, Korean-designed cars with a luxury experience. As a key champion of art and culture, a leader in design, and a unique ‘distinctly Korean’ service offering that focuses on the concept of time, Genesis is the perfect partner to support this first major exhibition on Korean culture.
The brand’s sleek exterior and interior designs are specifically built around the South Korean architectural concepts, ‘the beauty of white space’ and the joy of a minimalistic, well-planned area. As a result, Genesis cars are designed in the simplest, most thought out way to ensure the look, feel, and reality of maximum space. A thematic that will be encountered within the exhibition space as a shared principle with many Korean artists.
Dominique Boesch, director at Genesis Motor Europe, said: “Building on our successful partnerships with Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Genesis Scottish Open, our new relationship with the V&A further affirms our commitment to the UK, to Europe and to our customers. Celebrating Korean culture with one of the world’s finest art and design institutions is both hugely exciting for a new such brand such as Genesis but is in perfect synergy with our focus on design excellence.”
From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition will invite visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as ‘hallyu’ – meaning ‘Korean Wave’. Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave will explore the makings of the Korean Wave through cinema, drama, music and fandoms, and underline its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. The exhibition will feature around 200 objects across four thematic sections – including some loans never seen in the UK before – alongside pop culture ephemera and digital displays. Highlights will include an immersive re-creation of Parasite’s bathroom set, and an array of iconic costumes and props seen in K-drama, film and music – including from hit Netflix series Squid Game, and outfits worn by different generations of K-pop idols, from PSY, to aespa and ATEEZ. It will also present monumental artworks, including by Nam June Paik, Ham Kyungah and Gwon Osang; around 20 high fashion looks by Tchai Kim, Miss Sohee and Minju Kim among others; as well as early examples of advertising and branding, including an original poster from the Seoul Olympics, and the first Korean branded cosmetic from the 1910s. In the exhibition, hallyu will also be used as a gateway to explore traditional and contemporary Korean culture by connecting historic objects with popular culture and socio-political events.
Rosalie Kim, curator of Hallyu! The Korean Wave, said: “South Korea has captivated the world over with hallyu, its vibrant and creative popular culture, which has transformed the country’s image from one devastated by the Korean War to that of a leading cultural powerhouse in the era of social media and digital culture today. This phenomenon has been amplified by tech-savvy and socially conscious global fanbases, further raising the profile and relevance of hallyu around the world, and we’re delighted to be bringing its energy and dynamism to the V&A this autumn in the first exhibition of its kind.”
Bringing to life the Korean culture of “sonnim”, Genesis treats customers as if they were guests in their own private homes, with Korean hospitality embedded in the Genesis ethos. The service USP is focused on saving time for its customers, time that could be well spent enjoying personal interests. This warm, and welcoming nature will be creatively brought to life through a programming series post the exhibition launch, celebrating Korean culture and the impact it has.
Notes to Editors
- The exhibition Hallyu! The Korean Wave runs from 24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023.
- Adult tickets £20, student and under-26 tickets £13. Tickets are on sale now at vam.ac.uk/kwave
- The exhibition has been curated for the V&A by Lead Curator Rosalie Kim and Project Curator Yoojin Choi.
- The exhibition will be accompanied by a new V&A publication edited by Rosalie Kim. RRP £30.
- The exhibition design team consists of Na Kim as Creative Lead, with Studio MUTT as 3D designers.
- The V&A has been collecting Korean art and design since 1888, and now holds one of the largest collections of contemporary Korean craft and design outside Korea, including graphic design, fashion and digital art. It was the first European institution to host the seminal exhibition the National Art Treasures of Korea in 1961, and opened London's first permanent gallery devoted to Korean arts in 1992.
About the V&A
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity, spanning 5000 years of human creativity. It was established in 1852 to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, its purpose is to champion creative industry, inspire the next generation, and spark everyone’s imagination.
About Genesis
Genesis brings premium cars with a luxury experience to Europe. The Korean brand has established itself as a true alternative within the premium segment. With a commitment to hospitality and great service, Genesis strives to build sincere relationships with customers and, above all, to respect the greatest luxury – their time. Embodying its unique design language ‘Athletic Elegance’, the brand continues to strengthen its range of vehicles and services across Europe having launched five premium luxury vehicles in 2021. Genesis will introduce three electric vehicles in 2022 and, from 2025, all-new Genesis vehicles will be pure electric as part of the brand’s vision for a sustainable future. Genesis will also pursue a goal to become carbon net zero by 2035.
For more information about Genesis and its definition of premium, please visit www.genesis.com.
