Connect BTS
BTS are now the biggest boyband in the world, they generate $4.65bn to the South Korean economy every year and have 21.9M Instagram followers and 23.6M Twitter followers. A week ago today they launched their new initiative ‘Connect BTS’ at Chucs Serpentine. Connect BTS is a series of major art projects that will take place in five cities on four continents – artists such as Antony Gormley and Tomas Saraceno will be taking part.
Jakob Kudsk Steensen’s Catharsis will run at Chucs Serpentine until 15th March. It shows a digital simulation of an ancient forest, viewers will see everything from trees’ underground roots to the view from the forest canopy high in the sky as it changes under the effects of sunlight and wind. It’s a rare chance to step into an installation that’s utterly transportive, sound has been sampled from American forests and the resulting experience is truly tranquil and immersive. Click here for a live-stream of the show.
The art world is a place concerned with its own longevity and thus, in recent years, has had to devise new ways to appeal to a broader audience. A partnership like this opens up potentially lucrative avenues for cross-disciplinary collaboration that can reach people around the globe. At Unit London we’re passionate about art’s ability to transcend cultural borders – as evidenced by our group show Beyond Borders – and therefore find this project fascinating. As BTS are sure to extensively document these events online, to their legion of fans known as the ‘army’, the potential outreach is enormous and exciting times certainly lie ahead…