This autumn, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) will transform into a colossal, illuminated stage as Seoul merges the legacies of modern art icons Nam June Paik and Yoo Youngkuk with 18th-century Korean poetry, dynamic live music, and cutting-edge laser design.

The Seoul Design Foundation said Thursday that Seoul Light DDP 2026 Fall will run from Sept. 3-13 under the theme “K-Original Light.” Each evening from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the free public spectacle will turn DDP’s iconic 222-meter curved facade into an expansive digital canvas.

At its core, the festival reimagines classic artistic expression through futuristic technology. A primary highlight, "The Break Point," draws inspiration from Paik’s pioneering video synthesizer experiments. By integrating real-time algorithmic rendering with live musical performances, the projected visuals dynamically morph in response to the sound waves echoing off the building. Meanwhile, Yoo’s "Finding the Mountain Within Me" translates the master painter's lifelong obsession with natural geometry into an evolving digital landscape contoured across DDP’s fluid architecture.

The exhibition also resurrects "Cheongguyeongeon," a seminal 1728 anthology of 580 Korean lyrics compiled by Kim Cheon-taek. Titled "Words That Shine at Night," this three-part visual piece converts traditional poetic verse and nature imagery into a sleek, contemporary light narrative. Adding another layer of intensity, media artist Yoon Je-ho introduces "Passing Through the Light of the Future, Echoes of Time" — a multisensory laser installation syncing traditional percussion, pulse-pounding electronic beats, artificial intelligence-generated graphics and fluid kinetic lighting.

Music serves as the living pulse of the event.

Electronic act IDIOTAPE will kick off opening night on Sept. 3, followed by a curated lineup featuring SION, HYPNOSIS THERAPY and DJ SOULSCAPE on select evenings. Rather than relying on static, prerecorded loops, these live sets directly feed into the media art engine, ensuring every performance yields a unique visual experience.

The visual feast builds on massive momentum. The foundation noted that Seoul Light DDP drew 1.92 million visitors in 2025 alone, including 87,000 on New Year’s Eve.

“With the world shining a spotlight on K-culture, Seoul must go beyond showcasing what has already been created and focus on building a launching pad for continuous creation,” said Cha Kang-heui, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation. “DDP is where groundbreaking art and technology make their debut and a global platform that drives cultural innovation worldwide.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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