The exhibition aims to strengthen the retailer’s position as a cultural platform.

Shinsegae Duty Free has unveiled a new public media art exhibition that reimagines literary philosophy through digital visuals and music, reinforcing its position as a cultural platform within the urban landscape. 

The project, titled “K-Reflection Media Art Series 1: Eureka!”, is a collaborative public art initiative developed in partnership with the Youngin Museum of Literature and contemporary media artist HWI (Hwang Hwi).

The K-Reflection Media Art Series is Shinsegae Duty Free’s long-term public cultural initiative designed to bring together literature, art, and digital media through collaborations with respected cultural institutions. The series aims to reinterpret Korean literary and intellectual heritage in contemporary media formats.

“Eureka!” marks the fourth anniversary of the passing of one of Korea’s leading intellectuals and cultural critics, Lee O-young, and draws inspiration from his book Life Is Capital. The work translates moments of discovery and realisation – when insight turns into action – into an immersive audiovisual narrative.

The media art piece is currently being screened on the large-scale media façade at Shinsegae Duty Free’s Myeongdong Store. An expanded version of the work was also broadcast on the outdoor media screen at COEX K-POP Square in Samseong-dong, Seoul, extending the exhibition beyond traditional gallery spaces into the fabric of the city.

The project, titled “K-Reflection Media Art Series 1: Eureka!”, is as collaborative public art initiative developed in partnership with the Youngin Museum of Literature and contemporary media artist HWI (Hwang Hwi).

Developed by media artist HWI, the work explores cyclical structures of enlightenment and return, using metaphors such as the goldfish and the flying fish to symbolise the fleeting yet transformative “Eureka” moment. Known for blending electronic music, visual art and spatial storytelling, HWI has constructed a sensory experience where sound, image and narrative converge.

A defining feature of the project is its dual-platform presentation, connecting a commercial retail environment with public cultural channels. By linking the media façade in central Myeongdong with public broadcasting platforms supported by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and Gangnam Eyes at COEX, the project demonstrates how cultural content can move fluidly from exhibition spaces into everyday urban life.

A Shinsegae Duty Free spokesperson commented:  “Eureka! goes beyond media content. It is a public cultural art project that reinterprets the intellectual legacy of Korean literature through a contemporary lens. Through continued collaboration across art, literature and technology, we aim to expand the role of duty-free retail into a dynamic urban cultural platform.”

READ NEXT: Shinsegae Duty Free collaborates with najeonchilgi master Daehyun Sohn

READ NEXT: Shinsegae Duty Free launches Cartier fragrances at Incheon Airport

READ NEXT: Shinsegae Duty Free partners with Fliggy to reach young Asian travellers