2023-11-30
Kim Sung-ho Reporter
ARSHEXA Submits Proposal to Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority
Plan to Develop a Multifaceted Cultural Facility Including a Gallery
A Vision for Professional Training and Creative Spaces
In Songdo International City, Incheon, there's growing anticipation about the potential construction of a multifaceted cultural and educational facility. This facility would integrate high-quality art storage and exhibition galleries, artist creative spaces, and specialized art distribution training institutions.
As a burgeoning urban area, this development is expected to captivate both Songdo residents and other Incheon citizens, addressing the current lack of diverse cultural and artistic amenities in Songdo International City.
The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZA) and the City of Incheon have disclosed that ARSHEXA recently submitted a detailed plan for this project to IFEZA.
Founded in South Korea in 2015, ARSHEXA is an art-focused enterprise. It has entered into an agreement with the Incheon International Airport Corporation to establish a major art museum within the airport premises.
The construction is slated to commence next year, aiming for a grand opening in the first half of 2026. The museum, occupying a 43,000-square-meter site west of Incheon International Airport, will span across 83,228 square meters from the basement to the fourth floor. Upon completion, it is anticipated to be the largest storage facility in the world in terms of area. A promotional pavilion is already in place at Incheon Airport.
The concept proposed for the Songdo Complex Cultural and Educational Facility is somewhat novel in Korea. The proposal includes developing a vast art collection on the Incheon Airport grounds.
Post-museum completion, the plan includes an "auction house" for art sales, diverse food and beverage establishments, and space for an expansive gallery. The envisioned Songdo facility aims to be a supporting structure for the proposed "art hub," with the large storage facility as its core.
ARSHEXA's proposal to IFEZA encompasses educational facilities for training professionals in art distribution, appraisal, and curation; work and residency spaces for both domestic and international artists; an open storage area for displaying collection pieces; and a shared gallery collaborating with smaller galleries in Incheon. This concept draws inspiration from the likes of the Barbican District in the UK and Boomans van Böningen in the Netherlands.
An ARSHEXA representative remarked, "This proposal has the potential to transform Incheon’s Songdo International City into an even more captivating and vibrant urban area."
/Kim Sung-ho Reporter ksh96@kyeongin.com
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