by Calanit Atia
ARTE Museum Las Vegas, a Global Art and Technology Phenomenon, offers a one-of-a-kind immersive art experience that awakens all five senses, making it a must-see attraction.
The internationally renowned immersive digital art venue has officially opened its first exhibit in North America on the Las Vegas Strip. Spanning a $25 million, two-story, 30,000 square-foot space.
This Immersive Experience was created by d’strict, a world-class Korean digital design company founded in 2004 that has dazzled global audiences with installations such as “WAVE” in K-POP Square (2020), Seoul (2020), and “Whale #2” and “Waterfall-NYC” in Times Square, New York (2021).
ARTE Museum Las Vegas reinterprets nature and art as new media artworks. Each exhibition zone delves audiences into works of stunning beauty and powerful elements of nature. Using digital technology to blend reality, fantasy, and hyper-reality, viewers find themselves at the base of towering waterfalls and strolling along beaches, admiring the aurora borealis. There is a room with a vividly realistic depiction of the ocean that may cause a visitor to step back, thinking the water would reach them.
As audiences progress through the galleries, they are surrounded by blooming camellia flowers, undulating waves, verdant forest landscapes, tranquil star fields, and more. Beyond visual immersion, each zone incorporates sounds from nature, such as blowing wind, waterfalls, and crashing waves, along with unique fragrances, engaging all five senses to provide a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. This holistic viewing experience is the most defining characteristic of ARTE MUSEUM.
Highlight Features
One of ARTE MUSEUM LAS VEGAS’ most impressive features is the large-scale GARDEN exhibit, which includes a “Light of Las Vegas” zone. This new installation, custom-designed for the Las Vegas venue, captures the city’s enthralling landmarks and the natural beauty of Nevada’s canyons. The GARDEN exhibit also features the “Light of Masterpieces” zone, immersing audiences in the tranquil masterpieces of historically renowned western artists like Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Gustav Klimt. Additionally, a new exhibit titled “ARTE MUSEUM X PAINTINGS OF JOSEON” features works from the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea for 500 years between 1392 and 1897, marking a cultural renaissance.
Other popular exhibits include the LIVE SKETCHBOOK, encouraging individuals to draw their own animals on paper and scan them, bringing their creations to life on the walls amid the sights and sounds of a peaceful jungle.
The Story Behind ARTE MUSEUM
ARTE MUSEUM’s journey is as remarkable as its attractions. The story of determination and adaptation to client needs and evolving times started with its first launch in South Korea in 2020, expanding to major cities globally.
Exhibit City News sat with Sean Lee, CEO of d’strict to discuss the company’s journey.
Q: Tell us about the experience:
A: Our aim is to allow the audience to experience the various senses felt in nature rather than simply viewing colorful video works. We approach this by utilizing various media technologies, such as projection mapping, multi-image control, and sensor-based interaction, to make the entire space one cohesive piece of art. All content is created by our designers and motion designers. The result is an oasis of tranquility amid the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip, which serves as the perfect home for ARTE MUSEUM’s first exhibition in the Western Hemisphere.
Q: How did it all start?
A: d’strict is a design and art company that creates innovative spatial experiences by combining digital content with cutting-edge media technology. We started our business in 2004 as a web agency, initially providing B2B services to clients, including major conglomerates like Samsung Electronics. Over nearly two decades, we established ourselves as a renowned web agency in South Korea.
Recognizing technological advancements between 2008 and 2010, especially in digital media technologies like holographic displays, augmented reality, and projection mapping, our founding members and management team decided to pivot from traditional web services. We noticed that new visual interfaces allowed for interaction beyond keyboards and mice, utilizing touch, gestures, and sound.
Our management team decided to leverage these new technologies to create compelling digital content in physical spaces. This strategic pivot transformed us from a web agency to a digital marketing agency focused on innovative spatial experiences.
Between 2009 and 2011, we shifted our business portfolio from web development to creating immersive show content, exhibition content, and event content for large companies. However, despite the successful pivot, our management team faced challenges in growing the company due to the project-based nature of B2B services, which did not guarantee stable revenue.
To address this, our management team decided to create our own content, owning the copyright and providing B2C services. This approach led to the creation of LIVE PARK, the world’s first indoor digital theme park, launched in December 2011 in South Korea. This 10,000 square-meter (107,640 square-foot) park, which required an investment of around $13 million, offered interactive exhibitions and games, allowing visitors to engage with various attractions and shows.
The LIVE PARK project was entirely developed by our design team, creating different rooms with various adventures. Visitors could create their own avatars by taking photos, which were stored on RFID bracelets, allowing them to interact with the attractions and exhibits.
Q: Was it a success?
A: LIVE PARK was creatively successful but commercial failure. At the time, people were not accustomed to interacting with digital experiences, and we lacked effective marketing tools like Instagram and Facebook. We closed the temporary exhibition after three months and faced further difficulties when our founder Mr. Cheng passed away.
Q: What was your next step?
A: Despite setbacks, we launched our second project, Play KPOP, in 2015. It created a very attractive hologram experience of performances by utilizing augmented reality and virtual reality. Unfortunately, this also faced commercial challenges due to a narrow target audience, and KPOP closed in 2019.
Even though we had failed twice in trying to introduce an attractive B2C business model to the market, our management team didn’t give up. In 2019, we began constructing ARTE MUSEUM on Jeju Island, which opened in 2020 during the pandemic. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, we saw significant number of visitors. Additionally, social media played a crucial role, as people could easily share their photos on Instagram and other social media platform.
This time we chose the theme of NATURE for its universal appeal. We finally got it right; we found the right theme and timing where people started to appreciate this kind of experience. The venue attracted many visitors, leading to our first commercial success.
Q: What is the future of ARTE MUSEUM?
A: d’strict has a long legacy in this industry. As you mentioned, the Art Museum did not happen immediately. We struggled for many years and were pioneers in this kind of experience. By introducing LIVE PARK in 2011, we started to imagine a new form of art experience, which eventually took shape as ARTE Museum.
Since the opening of the first ARTE Museum, we have welcomed over 6 million visitors worldwide. Our goal is to open approximately 20 locations globally by the end of 2027.
ARTE MUSEUM Locations
- Jeju (South Korea), 2020
- Yeosu (South Korea), 2021
- Gangneung (South Korea), 2021
- Hong Kong (ARTE M, a smaller, temporary showcase), 2022
- Chengdu (China), 2023
- Las Vegas, NV (USA), 2023
- Dubai (UAE), 2024
Upcoming ARTE MUSEUM Locations
- Busan (South Korea), 2024
- Shenzhen (China), 2025
- Santa Monica, CA (USA), 2025
- NYC, NY (USA), 2025
For more information please visit: lasvegas.ARTEmuseum.com, d’strict.com, and https://www.youtube.com/@d’strictholdings
Calanit Atia, an award-winning event planner and entrepreneur, is an Air Force Veteran and the Founder and President of A to Z Events, a Las Vegas DMC, Entertainment, and Booth Activity Agency. She can be contacted at 702-212-2500 or via email at Info@AtoZevents.com. Connect with her on www.twitter.com/CalanitAtia, www.linkedin.com/in/calanit, www.instagram.com/calanitatia
This story originally appeared in the Q3 2024 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 22. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q3_2024/22.
