Fostering 'K-Art'... LG Uplus Corp.'s 'The Gap Between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary' Transforms with AI

[Financial News] Why is a telecommunications company operating an art museum in the heart of Gangnam? LG Uplus Corp. is completely overhauling its flagship space, 'The Gap Between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary,' for the first time in six years and transforming it into a public-participatory art platform that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with culture and the arts. This is an attempt to move away from traditional flagship spaces that promote telecommunications services, create new touchpoints with customers by integrating AI into art appreciation, and connect the experiences gained there to the company's own digital services.
Joon-young Jang, Head of the Marketing Group at LG Uplus Corp., held a press conference at 'The Gap Between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary' in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 16th and said, "As a telecommunications company, LG Uplus Corp. has connected people with people, and now we aim to connect people with art based on technology," adding, "We determined that art is the realm where the most human creativity and potential can be revealed in the AI era."
Since opening in 2020, 'The Gap Between the Daily and the Extraordinary' has collaborated with 85 brands and attracted a cumulative 1.9 million visitors. Its primary role was to expand its reach to the MZ generation through pop-up stores and brand collaborations.
The complete overhaul, the first in six years, focused on changing the role of this space itself. It is transforming from a space that displays content from other brands into one where visitors can directly experience LG Uplus Corp.'s AI technology and brand philosophy. The medium chosen by LG Uplus Corp. is art.
"Young artists lack opportunities to showcase their work to the public even after creating it, and audiences often find art difficult even if they are interested," explained Joon-young Jang. "We will provide a stage for discovery and growth for artists, and an experience for audiences to easily understand and appreciate art through AI technology."
The core concept of the 'Art Garage' also reflects this vision. Unlike traditional galleries that exhibit finished works, it is a space where customers directly participate in the artist's experimentation and creative process. The inaugural exhibition, 'Circle of Growth,' features artists Erick Oh, Nam Min-ho, Sang-hee, and Kim Dong-ho, who explore the essence of humanity in the age of AI through their artworks.

Kim Da-rim, Head of Marketing Communications at LG Uplus Corp., stated, "It is not a gallery for hanging finished works, but an art garage where experimentation and process go hand in hand," adding, "We launched this project with the mindset that Korean K-Art should also start in a garage, just as Google and various innovative companies began in garages."
Another key pillar LG Uplus Corp. intends to experiment with in this space is AI. It is introducing 'AI ArtMate,' which provides artwork commentary tailored to visitors' tastes and creates personalized 'Art Reports' by analyzing their viewing history. Rather than simply introducing AI services, the goal is to lower the barrier to entry for users by enabling them to utilize AI during the actual art appreciation process.
The experience does not end with the offline phase. Next year, the plan is to integrate with LG Uplus Corp.'s integrated app 'U+ One' to connect the experience before and after the visit, and to consider applying immersive 'Spatial AI' that combines voice AI with smart glasses. The company is even envisioning a feature for purchasing artwork through U+ One. In essence, the flagship space is being utilized as a testing ground to apply new AI technologies and services to customers first.
At the same time, it continuously discovers emerging artists to secure content unique to 'The Gap.' It promotes competitions and exhibitions in collaboration with the Korea Arts Management Service and Gilstory, and plans to launch the 'The Gap Artist Group' audition in the first half of next year, where customers can directly support and vote for artists. It is also pursuing partnerships with local galleries.
"I believe that the era of K-Art will come following K-Pop and K-Food," said the manager, emphasizing, "We will continuously nurture the artists developed through The Gap to become a representative artist growth platform for South Korea."
[email protected] Choi Hye-rim Reporter