Kia is capturing the world’s attention by participating in the largest global design festival and promoting its design philosophy, ‘Opposites United’.
From April 15 (Monday) to April 21 (Sunday), Kia announced it will hold its second standalone exhibition at the ‘2024 Milan Design Week’, which lasts for a total of seven days, following last year’s participation.
This year marks the 62nd anniversary of ‘Milan Design Week’, the world’s leading design exhibition that showcases the latest cultural trends in architecture, fashion, automotive, IT, and more. It is composed of the furniture fair ‘Salone del Mobile’ and the out-of-fair exhibition ‘Fuorisalone’.
Kia will participate in Fuorisalone, operating a permanent exhibition program at the art gallery ‘Museo della Permanente’, located in the heart of Milan, Italy.
The exhibition space is designed with a total of five areas, from the lobby to the main exhibition space.
These include the Lobby (Hall of Harmonizing), which expresses courage and harmony breaking down boundaries; the Corridor (Passage of Footsteps), which is shaped by Kia’s cultural activities; the Room of Creative Risk-takers, for brave creative adventurers; the Room of Relentless Innovators, for tireless innovators; and the main space (Room of Culture Vanguard), showing the commitment to move forward inclusively as a cultural leader. Through this exhibition, visitors will experience Kia’s design philosophy firsthand.
Kia collaborated with four artists from different fields to reinterpret ‘Opposites United’ and express it through their artworks, filling the space with creativity. The creative approaches presented by these artists with diverse backgrounds expand the concept of ‘Opposites United’ while conveying the message that even differences can coexist harmoniously.
In addition to the ongoing exhibition, a variety of events, including forums and performances themed around design, will also take place.
A stage prepared on the second floor of the exhibition area will feature notable figures from various fields, including Karim Habib, Vice President of Global Design at Kia, who will engage with customers from around the world through daily evening forums.
After the forums, a diverse range of performances spanning electronic music and classical genres will continue late into the night, enhancing the evening atmosphere of Milan Design Week.
A Kia representative stated, “This exhibition is a collection of the creativity of artists active in various fields based on Kia’s design philosophy of ‘Opposites United’. Rather than focusing solely on our own voice, it reflects Kia’s bold steps towards embracing a wide spectrum for creative cultural formation.”
Since 2021, Kia has been consistently hosting exhibitions and events, not only at Milan Design Week but also at venues such as the Gwangju Biennale, Busan Motor Show, and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, to share its new design philosophy, ‘Opposites United’, which emphasizes the creative fusion of opposing concepts.
Furthermore, Kia’s new models, such as the EV6 and EV9, which reflect the ‘Opposites United’ philosophy, have been praised for elevating design completeness in both domestic and international markets.
By Jang Jae-Seong daedusj@autodiary.kr