Artworks, Department Store Supporting Role to Leading Role

Shinsegae Department Store Main Branch 'Blossom Art Fair'.

Regular Special Exhibition Opens, Sales in Full Swing
Consultations for Multi-Million Won Artworks Flood in on Opening Day

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] As demand for 'art collecting' grows, artworks are becoming the main attraction in department stores. Department stores are organizing regular special exhibitions while expanding sales channels online.

On the 7th, Shinsegae Department Store's main branch announced it will hold the 'Blossom Art Fair.' This event, held for a month at the art wall between the luxury brand stores on the 3rd and 4th floors of the main building, is the second edition following this spring. Artworks are displayed in a space equivalent to about 3 to 4 stores. While previously artworks were only exhibited in parts of the department store and sold to select VIP customers, the department store explained that with the recent increase in 'artsumer (art+consumer)' customers, they have started holding full-scale special exhibitions.

This art fair features over 100 original paintings and edition works by renowned domestic and international artists representing the art world, including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Park Seo-bo, Ha Chong-hyun, and Quaya. Popular works are priced in the tens of millions of won, and from the opening day, on-site customers have been actively consulting to purchase, drawing significant interest.

Shinsegae Department Store previously received positive evaluations for success after creating spaces to exhibit and sell artworks throughout overseas designer fashion brand stores during the renewal of the 3rd floor at the Gangnam branch in August last year. Up to last month, about 500 artworks have been sold. A department store official said, "Recently, works by emerging artists, crafts, and objets have been gaining popularity among customers."

Online sales are also expanding. Starting from the 25th, Shinsegae will sell about 40 edition prints by Alex Katz, Julian Opie, Takashi Murakami, and others through SSG.com. In the first half of next year, they plan to newly launch the 'Shinsegae Art Space,' a mobile application service of Shinsegae Department Store.

Lotte Department Store has been actively exhibiting and selling artworks at major stores such as the main branch, Jamsil branch, and Dongtan branch since June, and continues sales through the 'Lotte Gallery' within the department store app. Last month, they established an Art Business Office within the organization and recruited external art experts as executives to further expand related business. Hyundai Department Store is also expanding offline art sales by holding the 'Art Museum' twice a year at the Pangyo branch, while selling works by Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, and others on the online mall The Hyundai.com.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.