A new exhibition titled "Presence in Absence: The Art of BTS Chapter 2" opens at Taxa Seoul on June 21, featuring 20 fan artists from around the world whose works celebrate the K-pop group BTS. Curated by Jieun Seo and Yvette Wohn of 25th Hour Collective, the show includes artworks created between 2022 and 2025, a period when BTS members were fulfilling mandatory military service, leading fans to channel their devotion into creative expression. The exhibition highlights diverse styles and media, from solo portraits to surreal scenes, reflecting the global reach of BTS fandom.
This exhibition matters because it challenges the stigma often attached to fan art, positioning it as a legitimate and significant form of artistic practice. Curator Yvette Wohn draws parallels between fan art and historical art movements, citing Van Gogh's admiration for Japanese prints and Jeff Koons's Hulk statues sold at Gagosian as examples of fan art accepted by the mainstream art world. The show also underscores the enduring global influence of Korean pop culture, following the success of the "Hallyu! The Korean Wave" exhibition at the V&A Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.