The Grammy Museum will soon launch its first full-floor K-pop exhibit as part of its ongoing initiative to explore the music, culture, technology, fandom and business behind Korean pop music.
The museum , the South Korean entertainment company behind K-pop sensation BTS and countless other international acts, and its archivists, to provide attendees with an in-depth look at the company's roster and the ways in which they've evolved the K-pop landscape.
鈥淗ybe: We Believe in Music, A Grammy Museum Exhibit" runs from Aug. 2 to Sept. 15 at the museum in downtown Los Angeles.
The artifacts in the 4,000-square-foot exhibit have never been displayed before in a museum 鈥 with the exception of a few BTS wardrobe and costume items. The pieces represent 78 K-pop stars, known as idols, and include outfits worn in well-known concept photos and music videos like BTS's 鈥淵et to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment),鈥 鈥淢补别蝉迟谤辞,鈥 鈥淪ugar Rush Ride鈥 and the Gen Z K-pop girl group "贰补蝉测.鈥
Hybe's junior groups, known as rookie teams, will also be represented: BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, &TEAM, ILLIT and more.
Three books from Big Hit Entertainment founder Hitman Bang鈥檚 personal collection are included: Korean-language copies of Hermann Hesse鈥檚 鈥淒emian: The Story of Boyhood,鈥 which inspired BTS鈥 2016 album, 鈥淲ings鈥; Erich Fromm鈥檚 鈥淭he Art of Loving,鈥 which informed their ; and "Jung鈥檚 Map of the Soul鈥 by Murray Stein, which lead to their series. Big Hit Entertainment became Hybe in 2021.
鈥淭his is going to be one of the largest exhibits the museum鈥檚 ever curated,鈥 Grammy Museum President and CEO Michael Sticka told The Associated Press. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l take over the entire third floor of the museum.鈥
He says the exhibit celebrates the major music company's role in K-pop. 鈥淗ybe in particular, their impact on really the world of music is indisputable,鈥 he says.
鈥淭he goal from the beginning was to shine a light on the innovation of the company, like in the technology arena, in the music business beyond the world of K-pop,鈥 Grammy Museum curator Kelsey Goelz says.
Beyond the artifacts, the , such as a 鈥渞andom dance play鈥 in the museum's rotunda, where attendees can sing and dance to music from Hybe acts, and a Photoism booth, where they can pose for photos alongside their favorite acts. 鈥淲e鈥檙e even going to have a little fan area where fans can express what K-pop means to them, how they came about it and, like, leave their mark on the exhibit,鈥 Goelz says. 鈥淭his is the biggest and most in-depth K-pop exhibit we have ever done.鈥
There is also a permanent 鈥淢ono to Immersive鈥 interactive, where Grammy performances are remixed to demonstrate the evolution of recording technology, says Sticka. This time around, they've incorporated BTS's of their hit which will allow attendees to watch the performance and experience what it would sound like to listen to it using 1920s technology and so on, up to the modern day.
COO Tae-Ho Kim says he hopes the exhibit will appeal to K-pop and Hybe superfans, those who are curious about the music and excited to learn more. He says his company aims to introduce Hybe to visitors, as well as showcase 鈥渢he journey that we have taken in the global music industry and the global market.鈥
鈥淚 hope this exhibit will be a great chance for our rookie teams 鈥 the new teams, new artists 鈥 to be introduced to the American music fans,鈥 he added. 鈥淭his can be a very good momentum for their entrance into the American music market.鈥
