Platoon Kunsthalle Transforms Gangnam Parking Lot into Hotbed of Subculture

Written by Ben Jackson
Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo and Koo Youngwan

To head east from Sinsa Station is to enter a world of expensive barbecue restaurants, net-clad rooftop golf driving ranges, banks and foreign car dealerships. Real estate prices here are not for the fainthearted; the eight-lane roads run thick with Bentleys, Equuses and speeding breakdown recovery vehicles. Last April, however, in the heart of an area where culture is measured primarily by the age and cost of imported whiskey, twenty-eight shipping containers and an international army of creatives came together to instantly create one of Seoul’s most vibrant subcultural spaces. Absolute Versatility

On a Saturday night in early December, Platoon Kunsthalle is packed with flea market vendors and shoppers. Music is pumping; an auctioneer with a microphone dangles a pair of wellington boots from one of the second floor galleries, prompting frantic bidding from down below. On the outdoor terrace across from him, a barbecue sells beefsteaks, sausages and makgeolli, while the bar downstairs pours Cass and Hoegaarden on tap and plenty of other things from bottles. Taking place on the first Saturday of every month (keep an eye on the website for occasional changes), the flea market is just one of a range of events that make full use of the versatility of Platoon Kunsthalle’s space. Two nights earlier saw another full house, with Kunsthalle divided into a large German carmaker’s corporate party and an opening event for the latest round of exhibitions in the four “Showcase” spaces (see below). The previous Saturday saw Seoul Culture Forum hold a seminar on the identity of the capital, featuring, among other things, a stunning presentation by artist Kang Hong-goo about the recent “landscape massacres” that took place during the demolition of entire villages for northern Seoul’s Eunpyeong New Town. And the Friday before that saw almost 1,000 partygoers turn up for the hip hop concert “Pump It Up!”

Creative Unit with a Mission

Established in Berlin in 2000, Platoon “runs diverse culture and communication projects” in cooperation with more than 3,000 “creatives” from a variety of professions. Seoul’s Platoon Kunsthalle opened in April 2009, providing “a space for subculture in Asia.” Emphasizing that it is not about entertainment, Kunsthalle instead aims to “provide a communication platform” dealing with any kind of subcultural genre. Along with its high-quality events, Kunsthalle’s provision of four “Showcase” exhibition spaces at the front of the building and its six-month artist-in-residency programs for Korean and international artists put it on the map in the Korean artistic community as a provider of much-needed working space. Platoon’s “political affairs” in Germany have included election videos that can probably be described as “not right-wing,” although everything is relative. It will be interesting to see if its future operations get it involved with the very different political scene in Korea.

Kunsthalle is clearly enjoying good times. Barely eight months after its opening, its wide variety of events draws healthy crowds and seems to work in its favor. In a city where fashions change so quickly, it will have to keep on its toes and maybe reinvent itself slightly at some point in the future, but these are early days, and there is no indication that its team lacks the capability to maintain Kunsthalle’s current popularity. The blank slate-esque, functional nature of the building is also one of its strengths—there are very few uses to which it cannot be turned, with its dark green containers, glass, stainless steel fittings, robust cushion furniture and asphalt floor.

Moreover, Kunsthalle obviously enjoys good connections, not least with the investor who lends it the plot on which it stands. “People can’t believe how we got this location,” says director Christoph Frank with a grin. A German who speaks fluent English, Frank spends his time “going back and forth” between Kunsthalle in Seoul and the Platoon headquarters in Berlin. Previous events at Kunsthalle have included a “Nam June Paik—Smithsonian fundraising event” with tickets priced at 150,000 won each, while corporate clients include Adidas Korea—there is a commercial sense at work here in addition to the promotion of subcultures such as street art.

Showcase Exhibitions

The artists exhibiting in Kunsthalle’s four Showcase spaces until Jan 13 are painter Kim Hyun Jung (www.hyunjungkim.com), the architecture and art project team Listen to the City (www.urbandrawings.blogspot.com), puppet maker Lee Soo Jin (blog.naver.com/dkfldktm22) and tattoo artist Novo (www.cyworld.com/coolboy0616). Speaking from an artist’s point of view, Listen to the City director Park Eunseon says, “The works of fashion and graffiti artists [Kunsthalle] has exhibited so far have been cute and trendy, but most of them haven’t gone far outside the styles of foreign artists. I think the important thing is for it to introduce original, good artists.”

The crowds at most of Kunsthalle’s events are overwhelmingly young, with those over 40 in the minority. The atmosphere is laid back, and the upper floors are full of smaller groups of people sitting in the smaller spaces and relaxing. SEOUL recommends subscribing to Kunsthalle’s mailing list via its website (below) and going to the next event that captures your fancy. It’s well worth the trip.

Nearby Attractions

Horim Art Center (currently closed for exhibition preparations; reopens Jan 7, 2010). Worth a look thanks to its striking new building, Horim Art Center’s next exhibition will feature antique metalwork pieces. www.horimartcenter.org. T. (02) 541-3525.

Eight-screen multiplex theater. www.icinecity.co.kr. T. 1644-0757.

Up-market art gallery with lounge space for eating and wine drinking. oroomgallery.com. T. (02) 518-6861.

Head north from the corner with Horim Art Center toward Dosan Park. This road has plenty of great places to eat and is a renowned spot for getting a good brunch.

More Information

www.kunsthalle.com
T. (02) 3447-1191

Getting There

Apgujeong Station, Line 3, Exit 3. 15 min walk.
Hakdong Station, Line 7, Exit 10. 10 min walk.
Sinsa Station, Line 3, Exit 1. Take bus No. 145 or 440 and get off at SC First Bank.

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