In a landmark event for the German luxury brand, MCM has launched a gallery space in Seoul in association with the German cultural organisation Goethe-Institut. The new
boutique is called Kunsthalle (the German word for art gallery). MCM’s chief visionary officer and chairperson Sung-Joo Kim
said the grand opening, which took place in early September, was a significant
event for the brand.
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| Seoul's BORN building houses MCM's new art-themed store |
“This is a momentous opening for us, as the Goethe-Institut
is internationally known for promoting German language and encouraging
international cultural exchanges and relations,” she said. “This partnership is
a wonderful way for us to celebrate our heritage, pride and tradition. The
boutique sits within the BORN building (Building Of Resurrection & Newness),
further symbolising MCM’s endeavour to constantly reinvent itself and forge new
milestones.”
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| Top and above: Models at the new Kunsthalle store opening |
To celebrate the store opening, Sung-Joo Kim hosted a party
for celebrities, VIPs and dignatories, including the German ambassador to Seoul,
Dr Rolf Theodor Schuster. Before guests discovered the location, three models
showcased the new collection in a specially arranged photoshoot, using
Kunsthalle as a spectacular backdrop.
Once inside the gallery, the guests admired the artwork on
display, while snacking on canapes. One guest said: “I love the light in the gallery, it is so
glowing and serene. The large open-plan space lends itself perfectly to this
type of gathering and the whole evening looks like a chic
vernissage.”
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| MCM's chief visionary officer with the Indonesian ambassador |
For dinner, MCM – founded in Munich, Bavaria in 1976 –
invited the guests onto the rooftop which was decorated in the blue and white
Bavarian flag for the occasion. There, guests were shown a short film before a
German dinner was served. A jazz duo and an opera group gave live performances while
the guests enjoyed their meal.
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| Actress Bitna Wang |
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| Actress Mi-hee Jang |
Jazz singer extraordinaire Heejung Yoon and daughter Sooyeon
Kim – a member of the K-pop group Bubble Sisters – dazzle the crowd with their
jazz performance.
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| An MCM-emblazoned bus tours Seoul's Gangnam district |
Throughout the day, an MCM bus drove around the fashionable Gangnam
district of Seoul.
“It is the best way to get around in style and it also fits
in perfectly with our Modern Mobility Project,” said Sung-Joo Kim.
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| VIP guests at the opening party |
Gilded curvatures
The boutique features gilded curvatures contrasting with
muted tones, conceived to evoke egg shells and nests in an avant-garde,
contemporary aesthetic. This concept is a homage to the cycle of creativity,
breaking and edifying new boundaries thus creating a constant flow, MCM said.
The first exhibition features the work of the Korean-American artist Nam June Paik. In the future, the boutique will curate the
works of famous artists both locally and abroad. Nam June Paik worked with a variety of media and is
considered to be the founder of video art. Paik is credited with an early usage
(1974) of the term "electronic super highway".
The main piece is titled “Oriental Painting”, which was
shown in Paik’s solo exhibition in Italy. Later it went to the Gallery of Raffael Vostell. The owner of the
gallery is the son of Wolf Vostell, the German artist and a friend of Nam June
Paik. In 1992, the painting became part of a private collection of contemporary
art in Bavaria – the birthplace of MCM.
MCM’s autumn/winter 14 Digital Soldier campaign uses the art
of Nam June Paik as a reference point.
