"Upcycled Works at a Glance"… 23.4 Lab Reexamines Environmental Values

Online Viewing and Purchase of Upcycled Works
Collaboration with Companies and Local Merchants... Creating Value
Targeting MZ Generation... "Strengthening Digital Content"

An upcycled artwork by artist Park Jin-yi. It utilizes discarded sock yarn from a factory as the material.

"We aim to connect young artists with consumers and contribute to the expansion of the upcycle market through collaborations with companies."

An online platform where anyone can easily appreciate and purchase upcycled works has opened. It is '23.4 Lab,' the corporate research institute of Donut Peach, a webtoon intellectual property (IP) development and production company. Established in January 2020, 23.4 Lab has the ambition to lead the popularization of the upcycle industry through selling upcycled works, exhibition planning, and collaborations with companies.

In an interview at the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center in Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi Province, Hyunjeong Lee, director of 23.4 Lab, explained the reason for its establishment: "Although interest in the environment is higher than ever due to climate change and other factors, I felt there was a severe lack of professional spaces and opportunities to consume eco-friendly content."

The brand name 23.4 refers to the tilt of the Earth's axis, which serves as the central axis allowing life on Earth to coexist. It targets the MZ generation, who value eco-friendliness, sustainability, and value-based consumption. Unlike recycling, upcycled art and design products maintain their original form, produce no carbon emissions, and are mostly handmade.

Artist Kim Ha-neul's stool. It is made from leftover fabrics or defective masks from a mask factory. Approximately 1,500 discarded masks are used to make one stool.

Last year, to promote sustainable fashion culture, they held a fashion exhibition titled "WE WEAR WE CARE" sponsored by the Korea Creative Content Agency. Sixteen eco-friendly fashion brands participated, and about 2,250 people viewed the exhibition both online and offline.

They also demonstrated the potential for coexistence with local communities and the creation of social value through upcycling. 23.4 Lab collected outdated hanbok fabrics and scrap cloth by visiting hanbok shops inside Gwangmyeong Market and created wedding dresses. Director Lee said, "I got the idea after hearing that hanbok shop merchants throw away fabric once a year by loading it onto trucks and paying for disposal." Additionally, they partnered with a global furniture company located in Gwangmyeong to refurbish returned furniture and donate it to local children's centers.

On the 23.4 Lab website, visitors can view high-quality works painstakingly crafted by artists, see price information, and purchase items online. Recently, they have been actively expanding their product lineup and selling eco-friendly DIY kits that allow easy experience of upcycled art. Director Lee said, "We created a kit that lets you make a water bottle bag using discarded sock yarn from factories," adding, "We plan to develop various kits and operate both online and offline classes."

Having used the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center as their office and exhibition space for the past two years, 23.4 Lab has established a new base near Gwangmyeong Station this year. They also plan to build a studio for shooting digital content such as interviews with upcycle artists and kit educational videos.

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