Shinsegae Duty Free has partnered with Korean artist Hong In-sook to unveil a new digital artwork across three locations in Seoul, celebrating Korea’s writing system, Hangul.
The installation, titled Annyeong on Hanji, forms part of the retailer’s K-Reflection cultural arts initiative and marks Hangul Day on 9 October.
The artwork transforms the Korean word ‘안녕’ (annyeong), a greeting associated with peace, happiness and wellbeing, into a visual landscape featuring blooming peonies, waterfalls and traditional Korean motifs.
Drawing on elements from more than 20 of Hong’s works, the installation incorporates pine trees, phoenixes, tigers, swallows and flowers to create a three-dimensional landscape.
Developed in collaboration with creative studio Studio Artech, the project uses digital animation and anamorphic techniques to bring Hong’s traditional paintings to life across large-scale media displays.
The artwork is being showcased at Shinsegae Duty Free’s Myeongdong store on the 10th floor until 30 November, alongside two outdoor locations in Seoul.
These include the LUUX digital signage installation at the Dong-A Media Center in Gwanghwamun, where it will run until 31 October, and the Artium exterior media display in Samseong-dong until 14 October.
To make the exhibition more accessible to international visitors, Shinsegae Duty Free has also partnered with culture-tech company DOSN to introduce a multilingual AI-powered digital guide.
Visitors can scan a QR code to access information about the artwork and artist through the nodnod.io platform, without downloading an app.
From 9 to 31 October, visitors will also be able to take photographs with the artwork as a digital backdrop using a QR code.
A Shinsegae Duty Free spokesperson said: “Through the Korean word Annyeong, we wanted to share a warm sentiment of wishing others peace and happiness, while giving both Seoul residents and international visitors an opportunity to experience the beauty of Hangul in a completely new way.
“We will continue to reinterpret Korean culture and art through new formats and develop public cultural projects that share these experiences with a wider audience.”
The installation follows previous K-Reflection projects, including Eureka!, inspired by the writings of Korean cultural scholar Lee O-young, and Tiger, Roar!, presented at Shinsegae Duty Free’s Myeongdong store in September.
Through the initiative, the retailer aims to promote Korean culture and heritage by combining art, storytelling and digital experiences.