2021.06.18 GENESIS
Genesis - RE:CREATE
Genesis unveiled the G80 electrified model at the Sangam Cultural Stockpile Base. This place has changed from a symbol of industrialization to a place to enjoy the culture. What would the reason for introducing the brand's first electric car here? Here lies Genesis' answer to the sustainability of luxury brands.
In April, at the 2021 Shanghai International Motor Show, Genesis unveiled the brand's first electric car, the Electrified G80. In addition, the special exhibition ‘RE: CREATE’ was held from June 12 to 30 to introduce the Electrified G80 model to Korean consumers and announce its vision of electrification.
The RE: CREATE exhibition is held at the ‘Cultural Stockpile Base’, which was reborn as a complex cultural space from an oil storage base that symbolizes the industrialization era (located in Mapo-gu, Seoul). The oil depot was built in response to the oil crisis in the 1970s. At that time, five tanks stored 69.07 million liters of oil, enough for Seoul citizens to consume for about a month. It was also once a restricted area as a first-class security facility. However, it has now been transformed into a space where citizens can enjoy the culture together. In other words, the Cultural Stockpile Base is a cultural symbol that talks about the spirit of today's times along with the changes shown by the flow of the times.
‘Oil Tank Culture Park T4’ is a space that has been transformed into an exhibition hall by using the inside of an oil tank as it is. Genesis expressed the flow of values from an artistic point of view, changing from the era of fossil fuels to sustainable energy in a unique exhibition hall that shows the internal structure of tanks at the time of industrialization. The exhibition section, which is divided into five main sections, talks about the moments and inspirations from the moment the Electrified G80 was born through each object and artwork.
Genesis’ sustainability that creates new value from abandoned things
The first section begins with a huge lighting structure in the center that is immediately visible upon entering the exhibition hall. This symbolizes the transition from the era of internal combustion engines to the era of electric vehicles. The lights hanging down in the shape of a cylinder are reminiscent of a closed space that once contained about 4 tons of oil using steel and concrete. This exhibition visualized the core theme of 'rediscovery of value' by creating a different formative beauty each time depending on the viewing direction.
Is it possible to find value in waste materials thrown away in everyday life? You can find the answer in the second section. Upcycling artist Youngmin Kang found new value by taking inspiration from plastic waste, processing it, and sublimating it into a work of art. In the video shown between the works, you can see the process of upcycling plastic waste from the pipe factory into works of art. It completes the value of a virtuous cycle in which waste from everyday life is transformed into a material that speaks of art, gaining vitality, and enriching our lives through inspiration in works. This is also in line with the new value contained in the sustainability pursued by Genesis.
Genesis' vision for the future can be seen under the silhouette of the Electrified G80, which is decorated with a lenticular technique (a technique in which convex lenses are arranged so that different images can be seen depending on the viewing angle), adding an artistic sense. A collage made of eco-friendly interior materials used in vehicle interiors proves that upcycling can be sublimated into a new luxury. In addition, by exhibiting material samples that visitors can touch, they were able to more deeply empathize with the upcycling concept contained in the Electrified G80.
In the fourth exhibition hall that follows, you can enjoy the RE: CREATE LIFE video that introduces the meaning of this exhibition. In the video, Yoon Il-Hun, executive director of Genesis Design Office, and artist Youngmin Kang talk about the three values of space, resources, and production. Sustainability - in other words, Genesis' vision for a better future - is revealed through the oil storage tank that was a symbol of industrialization, the work of Youngmin Kang completed through waste resources as part of the 'Zero Project' and the first EV of Genesis, Electrified G80.
Inside Exhibition Hall: The Beginning of New Luxury, Electrified G80
If you go outside after finishing the RE: CREATE life video, you will face the full-fledged start of a new luxury called the Electrified G80. The storytelling in the previous four places is not a story of the distant future. The Electrified G80 contains the value of upcycling that was confirmed through the RE: CREATE exhibition. To see Genesis' commitment to sustainability, visitors can experience the 'forged wood' garnish made from recycled wood scraps generated while making furniture, and fabrics made from recycled PET materials.
Genesis presented a new level of luxury through the five sections in this complex cultural space, and finally the G80 electrified model. It is rare to unveil a new car through storytelling in which a place with a story and works of art are intertwined like this. So, how was the RE: CREATE exhibition born?
Exhibition manager explains RE: CREATE
Eunice Kwon, head of the Genesis domestic marketing team, who was in charge of planning RE: CREATE, answered various questions including the meaning of this exhibition. “The Electrified G80 is the Genesis brand's first electric car. For this important product that will mark the new start of the brand, we focused on Genesis' unique experience and story that is hard to find in other electric vehicles. It was about luxury, driving performance and sustainability,” she explained.
And about why she chose this place, she said, “I wanted to show a story in a place with a story. As we are transitioning from the internal combustion engine to the sustainable electrification era, the Cultural Stockpile Base, born in the oil age but reborn as a cultural symbol, was the best place to tell our story.”
She continued to talk about art objects. “We wanted to collaborate with an artist who could understand our philosophy. And I thought that the work of artist Youngmin Kang, who uses waste plastic, which others consider to be garbage, fits the upcycling concept of the interior of the Electrified G80.”
Eunice Kwon made a lot of effort to make the exhibition venue, the object, and the G80 electric model harmonized together. “Cultural Stockpile Base, upcycling objects, and Electrified G80 have one thing in common: ‘beauty’. And not made by exploiting new ones, but re-creating wastes alive. This is why the title of the exhibition is ‘RE:CREATE’. The exhibition was planned in consideration of the arrangement of objects and the flow of visitors so that the essence of these three elements, which were given new values through deep consideration, could be woven into one.” As she said, all the elements in the complex cultural space were clearly different in appearance and artistically harmonized.
With the unveiling of the Electrified G80, Genesis took a step further into a new area. “There are many things that are thrown away without finding their potential value around us. If it is discovered, evolution beyond change begins. What we paid attention to is luxury that reflects the spirit of the times. We wanted innovative luxury in which the customer participates, past the age of passive luxury displayed in an art gallery.” Eunice Kwon emphasized that Genesis is aiming for a new level of luxury.
She also talked about sustainability. “Sustainability in Genesis does not simply mean functional eco-friendliness. Rediscovering value and transforming the lives of our customers is true sustainability. It is for this reason that the ‘RE: CREATE’ exhibition focused on upcycling keywords.” As she said, the Electrified G80 was a medium that connects all the stories of this exhibition, delivering a new level of luxury.
Photography by Yoonsik-Kim
““Upcycling is adding new value to the past” Youngmin Kang, upcycling designer of the 1S1T team
Q. The unconventional looks of this work stand out. What message did you want to convey in your work?
I wanted to make people think that when they see an object, they can come up with a new result, rather than just thinking about the unique characteristics of the object. These chairs are made from waste from a pipe manufacturing plant. At that time, I could feel the indescribable beauty in the waste. So, I wanted to make the most of the texture and color of waste, which is difficult to feel in everyday life.
Q. You mainly make chairs that can be easily seen anywhere. Is there any special reason?
As an artist, when trying to express a certain message, I think the most powerful message is conveyed through the objects closest to me while I am awake; And these messages are most easily accepted. It is for this reason that the chair is mainly used as a medium to convey the message. Besides, I like the things called chairs.
Q. Electrified G80 uses wood garnish made from waste wood or eco-friendly fabrics extracted from recycled PET. What do you think about Genesis' attempts to use materials that are difficult to find in the automotive field?
In general, when releasing a newer model, automakers use advanced new or advanced materials to attract people; This is especially true for premium brands such as Genesis. However, as an upcycling artist, it is unconventional for the Genesis brand, which aims for luxury and premium, to deal with eco-friendly materials or apply upcycling elements through waste materials to actual vehicles, and I welcome this.
Q. What is the meaning of the title of the exhibition, ‘RE: CREATE’?
It literally means ‘re-creation’. Whereas the word ‘create’ refers to making something out of nothing, re-creation is to add new value to something that existed in the past. All the elements filling the exhibition hall are the same - the background of the works, the oil storage base, the works, and the meaning contained in the Electrified G80 are all the same. The expression RE: CREATE itself represents the entire exhibition.
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