Han Sung Motor collaborates with NFT artist at Kiaf Plus

Kiaf Seoul, the country’s largest art fair that kicked off on Friday, has garnered the most-ever attention this year for bringing Seoul’s version of the top 3 global art fair Frieze to Asia for the first time, as well as giving birth to the new art fair Kiaf Plus – a special art show dedicated to digital art and aspiring young artists.

South Korean imported car dealer Han Sung Motor is official sponsor of Kiaf Plus, in which 73 galleries from 11 countries with less than five years of experience are participating. The car dealer also opened an exhibition booth called Metabun_ny Burger Shop, in collaboration with non-fungible token artist Yeseul O.

Participating students at Han Sung Motor’s Dream Gream arts scholarship have worked with O to create NFT artwork inspired by “Metabunny,” bunny-like burger buns which have escaped to the metaverse world. Ten students created ten different augmented reality-based artworks, which can be viewed by scanning the QR code next to the image.

Han Sung Motor CEO Ulf Ausprung said the latest project has broadened Dream Gream students' creative artistic identity despite pandemic times, thanks to platforms like metaverse for digital arts.

“Han Sung Motor will continuously support students to give them creative experience, so they can challenge the new missions,” said Ausprung.

Lee Song-hyun, 17, who has worked with O, said he became interested in digital art through the latest project by Han Sung Motor.

“It was personally my first time working on digital art, and although it was relatively a new concept, I became interested in 3D arts and based on this experience, I want to become a versatile artist,” said Lee.

Han Sung Motor, who has been an official partner of Kiaf Seoul from 2017 to 2019, has been putting effort into expanding the art fair experience for the public by collaborating with artists through its arts scholarship program Dream Gream.

Dream Gream started in 2012 to support the artistic talents of selected middle and high school students by matching them with mentors such as university students majoring in art. This year marked the 10th year anniversary of the program.

For this year’s Kiaf Plus sponsorship, Han Sung Motor has also sponsored escort cars for guests. Han Sung Motor said part of the proceeds earned through the sales of digital artworks by Yeseul O and students will be donated to charitable causes.