Seoul transforms 'Runner Station' construction site into MZ Holin's 'attraction fence'
On April 20, the construction fence inside the Yeouinaru Station Runner Station, which has been transformed into a running spot, was transformed into a fun-filled "attraction fence" that goes beyond the safety of subway users.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that the construction site barrier on the first basement floor of Yeouinaru Station, which is being built as a runner station, will be filled with works by young artists popular among the MZ generation.
The exhibition space, also known as the 'Charm Fence,' was open from March 29 (Friday) to April 14 (Friday), when the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival began.
The Yeouinaru Station "Runner Station" is the first application of Seoul's "Subway Station Innovation Project," and will be created as a space where anyone who visits the Han River can enjoy running as a lifestyle sport more easily and comfortably.
On Saturday, April 20, the city unveiled the Yeouinaru Station Runner Station and held the Seoul Runners Festival, a festival for runners on the Han River.
The 'attraction fence' is designed to block the noise and dust from the construction site and provide citizens traveling to and from the subway with a sense of disconnection from the construction site.
It is also meaningful in that young artists are involved in designing the landscape of a public space such as a subway station, which opens the door to public design planning.
▲ Charm Fence (right side)
▲ Charm Fence (left side)
The 34-meter-wide and 3-meter-tall "Charm Fence" depicts "White Witch" and the artist's friend "Cat Tra" searching for local attractions, as well as Seoulites and tourists enjoying the 2024 Yeouido Spring Flower Festival together.
Artist CUNA, who was selected as one of the Seoul Design Festival's 12 Artists to Watch, and NEKOTTRA, an up-and-coming artist who has recently gained popularity among the MZ generation and teenagers on social media, collaborated on the exhibition.
CUNA is known for his works based on the concept that the representative character 'White Witch' visits Earth and travels around the world, and his works are popular for depicting world famous places with a fairytale sensibility and dreamy atmosphere.
Artist NEKOTTRA is known for his interactive content featuring a cat-themed character named Tra, who draws various cat faces that fans can choose from, and has gained over 6,000 followers and 4 million cumulative views in just one month of social media activity.
In particular, the work has a dynamic element that follows the movement of subway users getting off at Yeouinaru Station and heading for the exit, thus capturing the image of Yeouido as a 'running spot'.
Seoul's attractions, such as Lotte World 2 and Seoul Marina, are arranged like a hidden object hunt throughout the work to add interest and fun.
In the center of the work, Seoul's slogan, "SEOUL MY SOUL," is placed at the bottom for easy gaze, and the artists' representative characters, "White Witch," "Tra the Cat," and a dragon symbolizing the Year of the Blue Dragon, stand side by side.
"We created the attraction fence so that people who visit the Yeouinaru Station area for spring outings and running can forget their daily fatigue and feel the unique charm and fun of Seoul," said Choi In-gyu, Seoul Design Policy Officer. "We hope that they will have a lot of fun and enjoyable memories at this unique photo spot."
