DDP Brand Pavilion Opens Under the ‘DDP SEOUL.IZE’ Exhibition Concept

13 ‘DDP Goods’ Inspired by DDP Introduced

The Seoul Design Foundation (CEO Lee Kyung-don, hereinafter “the Foundation”) took part in Milan Design Week 2023 to promote the excellence of K-Design. The Foundation, which operates the DDP, presented a DDP Brand Pavilion under the exhibition concept ‘DDP SEOUL.IZE’ and introduced 13 goods created with the DDP as their motif.

Installed at the Superstudio in Milan’s Tortona district from April 17 to 23, the DDP Brand Pavilion ‘DDP SEOUL.IZE’ embodies the aspiration to turn the DDP — one of Seoul’s landmark attractions — into a trend-leading, world-class destination.

Milan Design Week is one of the world’s largest design festivals, drawing countless designers and industry figures from around the globe each year. The event takes place simultaneously at the Rho Fiera on the outskirts of Milan and at various downtown venues such as Lambrate, Tortona, and Brera.

This exhibition introduced 13 DDP goods jointly developed by emerging and senior designers using the DDP as their motif. A wide range of products was on display, from objets inspired by the building’s form to pen trays that capture the story of the DDP, which was once Dongdaemun Stadium.

Designer Sung Jung-gi’s ‘Beyond ddp series,’ featured in the exhibition, is a pen tray reminiscent of the old Dongdaemun Stadium track. It was made from concrete to evoke the exposed concrete that is one of the DDP’s construction techniques.

Other works introduced at the exhibition included the ‘Stack’ bookend (Kim Seul-gi/Yoo Ji-hye), inspired by the DDP’s sculptural staircase; the ‘Cup of Change’ (Park Young-du), whose lower part is modeled on the old Dongdaemun Stadium track and whose upper part takes the shape of the DDP’s current building; and ‘DD.Pium’ (Jung Young-jun), a flowerpot shaped like the DDP structure.

Inside the exhibition hall, visitors could enjoy the super-large projection mapping video show ‘Seoullight DDP.’ On view were artist Park Jae-sung’s <Lucid Dream: 5 Colors> (2021) and KIA Design’s <Opposites United> (2022).

‘Seoullight DDP’ is a super-large projection mapping show unfolding across the 222m-long façade. Except for 2020 due to COVID-19, the event has been held every December, presenting super-large media art in collaboration with leading media artists at home and abroad, such as Refik Anadol (2019, Seoul Haemong) and Park Jae-sung (2021, Lucid Dream). In 2022, it was carried out as an event to advance Korea’s media art and nurture next-generation artists, featuring ‘Seoullight DDP’ <DDP’s Encounter with the Universe, Rendezvous> by Enzyme, Beommin, and Giant Step, along with the <Universe–Backpacking> exhibition by next-generation media artists. The ‘Seoullight DDP’ video shown in Milan this time showcased the creativity of Korean media art and the technical prowess of projection mapping on the international stage.

Centered on the DDP, the Foundation carries out projects to advance Seoul’s design industry and expand its design culture. In particular, this year the DDP Design Brand Team took part in Milan Design Week with DDP goods, together with emerging and senior designers, to help domestic designers develop overseas markets after slumping activity during the pandemic.

Each year, the Foundation has young and senior designers collaborate to develop DDP brand products inspired by the DDP, and the finished products are exhibited and sold at the DDP Design Store. The DDP Design Store is a large shop located on the first floor of the DDP Design Lab, and it also operates an online store (www.ddpdesignstore.org).

Lee Kyung-don, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation, said, “At the heart of Seoul stands the DDP, a place of exchange where diverse cultures and arts meet to create new content. I hope the Milan Design Week 2023 exhibition serves as an opportunity to widely promote the excellence of K-Design and the DDP overseas,” adding, “We will do our utmost to support the development of overseas markets in order to promote the excellence of K-Design.”

▲ ‘Beyond ddp series pen tray’

▲ ‘Stack bookend’

▲ ‘Cup of Change’

▲ ‘DD.Pium flowerpot’

▲ A scene from ‘2022 Seoullight DDP’ <Opposites United>, a super-large projection mapping show unfolding across the 222m DDP façade. ⓒMediascope

▲ The ‘DDP Design Store’ inside the DDP, which sells DDP goods