Installation view of 《2012 Henkel Inno Art Project - BOND THE MOMENT》 © Seoul Economic Daily

At Alternative Space LOOP near Hongik University in Seoul, a curated exhibition titled 《BOND THE MOMENT》 opened on the 29th of last month. Bringing together artists of different generations and disciplines — installation artist and Seoul National University painting professor Yoon Dongchun, performance artist Sungmin Hong, and graphic design duo Sulki and Min — the exhibition was organized as part of the Henkel Inno Art Project, a collaboration between Henkel, a household and industrial goods company, and LOOP.

However, nowhere in the exhibition or gallery space could visitors find Henkel’s CI, logo, or product imagery. Instead, the exhibition was structured around the overarching theme of “adhesion,” drawn from Henkel’s primary product line of adhesives.

Sulki and Min took inspiration from the colorful, rounded form of the adhesive brand Loctite, filling the exposed concrete walls of the exhibition space with vividly colored circles. Yet this was not mere decorative coloring; by arranging package numbers algorithmically, they explored “the order of patterns hidden within spaces and everyday commodities, and the ways these patterns influence one another.” Meanwhile, Sungmin Hong presented a performance centered on themes of separation and adhesion, and the division inherent in life itself.

Such strategies demonstrate how corporate “art marketing” is evolving. In the past, companies primarily sought to promote their brand image through overt exposure within artworks. Recently, however, there has been a shift toward a more understated approach — a “quiet pursuit of public value,” akin to luxury branding strategies that avoid explicit self-promotion.

The most basic and one-dimensional form of art marketing once involved inserting product-referential imagery directly into artworks. Increasingly, however, collaborations between artists and corporations have emerged, enhancing rarity and originality. A notable example is Louis Vuitton’s successful launch of its Multicolor line through a collaboration between designer Marc Jacobs and Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. In Korea, Lee Don Gi has participated in package design projects for Samsung Galaxy and Amorepacific’s HERA, while Hong Kyoungtack has contributed to the production of trekking poles for Kolon Sport.

Corporate branding through partnerships with artists has also become active: Absolut Vodka has emphasized iconic imagery through artist collaborations in its advertising, and BMW has produced its “Art Cars” over the past 37 years with a total of 17 artists ranging from Andy Warhol to Jeff Koons. In Korea, Mr. Pizza has worked with artists such as Sa Suk Won and Youngmin Kang on headquarters renovations and package design.

Looking ahead, future art marketing strategies are being proposed not in terms of immediate visible outcomes, but as long-term investment in the arts — fostering “co-growth” between art and business while realizing public value. Seo Jin-seok, director of Alternative Space LOOP and planner of the Henkel Inno Art Project, noted, “Until now, art marketing has largely involved applying artists’ talents to meet the objectives demanded by industry. Now, it is time for artistic value and experimentation to meet corporate mass appeal in order to realize ‘publicness.’”

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