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Short-Form and Reels Expand into the Outdoor Sculpture Garden of Busan Museum of Art: Opening of “Digital Subculture”

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Busan Museum of Art (hereinafter referred to as the Museum) announced that it will hold the exhibition “Digital Subculture: Narratives and Stories in the Digital Age” as part of the international media art festival “2026 Loop Lab Busan” at the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden through June 28.

This exhibition is an extension of last year’s “Digital Subculture: Everyone is a Creator.” While the previous exhibition addressed the phenomenon of the universalization of creation—where technological advancement enables anyone to become an artist—this year focuses on the unique narrative methods formed by creators active on artificial intelligence (AI) and social networking services (SNS) platforms through digital media such as short-form videos and reels.

A key feature of this exhibition is that sensory video content, previously confined to smartphone screens, has expanded into the physical space of the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden. Visitors can experience the distinct worldviews of 13 artists who have been active on social networking services (SNS).

The works will also be broadcast on media walls at locations such as Busan City Hall, Haeundae Ucaro Building, and Busan Eurasia Platform, providing opportunities for citizens to encounter media art in their everyday spaces. In addition, the museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, the main venue of the event, will begin hosting the exhibition from April 23.

The exhibition suggests that short-form formats, characterized by compressed and fragmented structures, can move beyond merely condensing narratives to function as a new narrative form, departing from the traditional linear structure of video based on the flow of time.

By focusing on the process through which audiences independently interpret short videos, the exhibition provides a platform for discourse exploring narrative structures within the changing cognitive environment of the digital age.

Meanwhile, forums and artist talks linked to “2026 Loop Lab Busan” will be held from April 22 to April 25. Applications for these programs are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting today (the 17th) via the museum website (art.busan.go.kr).

Further details about the exhibition can be found on the museum website or the Loop Lab Busan website (looplabbusan.kr), and inquiries can be directed to the Busan Museum of Art Collection & Research Team (051-740-4249).

Seo Jin-seok, Director of Busan Museum of Art, stated, “While last year’s exhibition focused on changes in the creative environment, this year’s exhibition is meaningful in that it examines new narrative structures constructed by artists who have grown within environments shaped by artificial intelligence and social networking services,” adding, “The expansion of perception proposed by these artists will serve as an important indicator for predicting the future of media art.”