LG Uplus cultural space draws 1.9 million visitors in 6 years, relaunches as participatory art platform

A large installation made from 439 discarded mobile phones dominates the entrance of U+Ilsang Biilsang-ui Teum, LG Uplus's cultural complex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Visitors hear artwork commentary through "AI Art Mate," an AI-powered audio guide — a glimpse of how the space has evolved into a full customer experience destination.

LG Uplus on Wednesday completed the relaunch of U+Ilsang Biilsang-ui Teum, near Gangnam Station in Seoul, as a participatory art platform. The space has been reimagined around the concept of an "Art Garage," blending cultural arts with AI technology.

The venue now combines exhibitions, creative programming, community activities and AI-based visitor services into a single customer-facing arts platform. LG Uplus said it aims to give emerging artists room to grow while offering customers new ways to engage with culture and the arts.

The space first opened in 2020, when the spread of COVID-19 was driving a surge in contactless consumption. LG Uplus built the complex near Gangnam Station across seven floors — one below ground and six above.

Over the past six years, about 1.9 million people have visited the space, and 85 brands have used it to connect with customers. The venue helped shape Seoul's pop-up culture through events such as a Lego 90th anniversary pop-up and a pop-up tied to the Netflix drama series "Squid Game 2." LG Uplus said it took note of how arts consumption was rapidly expanding beyond niche audiences to younger generations and the general public.

The company concluded that artists, communities and programming could draw customers into active participation, and set about adding AI technology to develop the space into a full cultural arts platform.

The Art Garage concept at the heart of the revamped space draws on the idea of a small garage where big ideas take shape: a place where emerging artists with potential can experiment, meet customers and grow.

A defining feature is that the artists' own creative and growth process becomes part of the customer experience. Beyond viewing exhibitions, visitors can meet artists, attend talks and workshops, and purchase works — participating directly in the creative process.

The first floor is designed as a hands-on space where visitors can engage with art in an accessible and entertaining way. A "Shorts Runway" area, developed in collaboration with YouTube, lets visitors film themselves as the subject of their own short video. AI-based editing then shapes the footage into a finished YouTube Shorts clip.

The main exhibition experience begins on the sixth floor in a media art gallery, then flows down through exhibition spaces on the fifth and fourth floors, a participatory gallery on the third floor, an art shop on the second floor and an art lounge one floor below ground. The reopening exhibition, "Cycle of Growth," features artists Eric Oh, Nam Min-oh, Sanghee and Kim Do-eun.

LG Uplus has also introduced AI Art Mate, an AI-powered viewing companion, to the space. Visitors receive a personalized AI Art Mate at the second-floor reception after completing a short arts preference quiz. They can then ask conversational questions about individual works — covering artwork details, artist backgrounds and production context — as they move through the galleries. After their visit, an art report summarizes their preferred works and overall taste profile.

LG Uplus plans to deliver this information through smart glasses, removing the need for separate searches or manual input. The company said the goal is to deepen visitor immersion and create a virtuous cycle of cultural arts experiences.

In addition, LG Uplus plans to run a talent show in the first quarter of next year to identify and nurture promising emerging artists.

"U+Ilsang Biilsang-ui Teum is designed so that anyone can easily understand art and discover their own tastes and potential through AI technology," said Jang Jun-young, executive director of LG Uplus's marketing group. "We will continue developing it into a cultural arts platform where technology, art and people connect."