'No boring art': Urban Break art fair promises unique programs for 2024

Urban Break 2024, an annual art fair for urban and street art, has streamlined its selection and added events this year to offer a more unique experience.

A behind-the-scenes still from dancer Lia Kim and fashion brand OWA-7HO's upcycling collaboration project [URBAN BREAK]

Urban Break 2024, an annual art fair for urban and street art, has streamlined its selection and added events this year to offer a more unique experience.

The event has reduced the number of participating art galleries in half for its fifth edition slated for July 11 to 14 at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

While other art fairs boast hosting dozens, or even hundreds, of gallery booths to connect potential customers to exclusive and trendy art, Urban Break is instead going all out on its performances and programs for ticket holders.

“Our motto is to not do boring art,” Jang Won-cheol, CEO of Urban Break, said during a press conference on Monday. It’s why the fair is collaborating with diverse fields, expanding the scope to fashion, technology and music.

Street dancer Lia Kim and fashion brand OWA-7HO — pronounced “owa-chill-ho” — will be featured together on an upcycling project using Kim’s old stage outfits. The brand’s process of turning them into new clothes, along with a special dance performance by Kim, has been made into a video.

Kim will also be present during the event to give live performances.

Another joint project is between American graffiti artist Jonone and singer-songwriter Hong Isaac. Art fuses with music as Jonone will be creating a new graffiti piece while Hong sings at the venue.

Urban Break is also collaborating with the Kimjunggi Museum, dedicated to commemorating the late artist Kim Jung-gi who died in 2022. With Kim being best known for drawing intricate, large-scale cartoons in one sitting without any sketches beforehand, five artists will give a live drawing performance in a similar style as an homage to Kim.

A behind-the-scenes still from American graffiti artist Jonone, right, and singer-songwriter Hong Isaac's art and music collaboration performance [URBAN BREAK]

For visitors willing to try out graffiti art for themselves, a 16 meter (42.6 feet) wide media art wall section allows just that.

Urban Break 2024 is showcasing Korea’s biggest Bearbrick collection, with over 3,000 original and special edition pieces of the famed bear art toy. The section will divide them into different themes, such as Peanuts, Disney, Nike, Batman, Star Wars, Van Gogh, Keith Haring and Christmas.

Artists that are renowned in the urban and street art scene abroad, including Jonone, Dulk, Coté Escrivá, Vance, Nicholas Blake, Deekay, Janine Daddo, Psychrome, Jason Keam, Yeka Haski and Theodoru, will visit the fair for meet and greets. Feeldog, the former K-pop idol of boy band Bigstar, is now active as a painter and will be a participating artist as well.

Regular admission for Urban Break 2024 is 25,000 won ($18) for adults.

“People called us crazy when we first launched Urban Break in 2020,” CEO Jang said. “The fact that we’re revealing this much content with just 25,000 won, the same as last year, is what makes us stand out.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]