Four days at COEX starting July 21
New works, art toys, and NFTs to be unveiled
'Urban Break,' which spread by word of mouth last summer as a 'hip and hot exhibition' and drew 40,000 visitors even at the height of the 2021 pandemic, is back.
'Urban Break 2022' will be held over four days from July 21 to 24 in Hall B of COEX in Seoul, and plans to strengthen its standing as Asia's largest urban & street art fair with an even more powerful artist lineup and program.
Urban Break is famous for collaborating each year with the most talked-about artists in the urban art and street culture scene at home and abroad. This year, some 450 artists will present their work across 120 booths, including 20 teams (40 people) painstakingly selected from among the artists who applied through an open call. In particular, new works being unveiled for the first time at Urban Break are being prepared, and visitors will encounter them in a diverse array of formats, including a △special exhibition, △live performances, △art toys, △NFTs, and △a large media wall.
This year, a large number of famous overseas artists who draw high interest every year are taking part. An Urban Break collaboration art toy by MATT GONDEK, who has gained such global renown that he is called 'the second KAWS,' will be unveiled simultaneously worldwide, and world-renowned artists including the graffiti artist BANKSY (BAKSY), D.FACE, INVADER, and ROBY DWI ANTONO have confirmed their participation.
Another highlight of Urban Break 2022 is a special exhibition that spotlights the expansiveness of art. Visitors can enjoy an art car special exhibition that is even hotter than last year, along with a special exhibition by four top-tier webtoon artists. In addition, an art toy special exhibition and a tattoo special exhibition that can be found only at Urban Break, as well as a meeting of the metaverse and NFTs, are in store. The participating artist lineup will be revealed in stages via the Urban Break Instagram (@urbanbreak_official).
Jang Won-cheol, CEO of Urban Break, said, "Urban Break 2022 places its emphasis on the expansiveness of art, presenting in new and diverse forms the works of artists who have richly adorned the world's urban art and street culture fields with their own conviction and individuality," adding, "In particular, following the establishment of NFT LAB last year, we are preparing to launch our own online commerce platform and NFT art platform, and this summer we plan to offer a new experience that connects the offline exhibition with the digital world."