As K-pop album sales continue to decline, exhibitions and pop-up shops have emerged as alternative revenue streams in the rapidly evolving entertainment industry. While many artists and agencies have joined this trend, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and BTS’s V are gaining attention for their more differentiated and artist-oriented approaches.
V recently published his photography book TYPE not on January 19 and announced a commemorative photography exhibition titled V TYPE 非: LOCATED IN SEOUL. The exhibition will run from January 20 to February 1 at Frieze House Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul. According to the organizers, V actively participated in every phase of the project, from photography to the publication of the photo book up to the planning of the exhibition itself.
Around the same time, Jennie also held a photography exhibition entitled JENNIE PHOTO SHOW ‘J2NNI5’which opened on January 16 and will run until January 29 at U-Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Like V, Jennie was directly involved in the publication of her photography book as well as in the planning and realization of the exhibition, enhancing its artistic value.
Opening temporary exhibitions and shops based on the intellectual property of idol groups or solo artists has become increasingly common. In the last year alone, major artists such as G-Dragon, IVE, aespa, SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids have participated in similar projects. Industry estimates suggest that more than 100 K-pop exhibitions and pop-up shops took place domestically and internationally last year.
Industry experts attribute this increase to declining album sales following the COVID-19 pandemic. An industry source noted this as album sales slowed in the 1920s, entertainment companies turned to exhibitions and pop-ups as more efficient profit-generating businesses. Another insider pointed this out Although photography exhibitions existed even before the pandemic, the scale of exhibition-related activities has increased significantly since then, especially because they can generate revenue without requiring the physical presence of artists.
However, concerns about oversaturation have also been raised. Critics support it many recent exhibitions prioritize the sale of merchandise over artistic expression, often featuring company-led photography zones and multimedia art tied to throwback concepts rather than content personally curated by the artists.
In this context, Jennie and V’s exhibitions are praised as significant departures from purely commercial projects. Rather than focusing solely on profit, their involvement reflects a sincere effort to share personal perspectives and explore new ways of communicating with fans, offering a reminder of how exhibitions can balance artistry and business in today’s K-pop landscape.
Sources: Tenasia
