Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Han Sung Motor runs Dream Gream program to foster young artists
Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor, attends the 2023 Dream Gream launch ceremony at the Glad Hotel in Seoul, Feb. 21. Courtesy of Han Sung Motor
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Han Sung Motor has been operating Dream Gream, an art scholarship program for middle and high school students, with the Korea Mecenat Association since 2012.
It is the first corporate social responsibility (CSR) program among imported car dealership companies. The company's scholarship program provides young artists with mentoring classes in various art fields with renowned artists, allowing the recipients to pursue their dreams for up to six years until they graduate from high school.
“The domestic art scene is growing significantly and as the public's interest in art is steadily increasing, it shows that art is recognized as an important factor in daily life,” said Ulf Ausprung, CEO of Han Sung Motor.
“This year, we want to provide much more differentiated educational opportunities to students and mentors. We plan to focus on participating in various art fairs to allow students to directly experience the atmosphere of the industry first-hand, collaborate with famous artists and expand points of contact by communicating with the public.”
First, Dream Gream plans to participate in Plastic Art Seoul (PLAS) 2023, scheduled to take place at COEX in May. For this, Dream Gream plans to present media art classes with artist Yang Min-ha, who is a professor at the University of Seoul.
Dream Gream showcases ceramic art pieces titled “SKIN” at the 2018 Craft Trend Fair held at COEX in Seoul, Nov. 22, 2018. Courtesy of Han Sung Motor
In September, Dream Gream will participate in the Korea International Art Fair (KIAF) in Seoul, the largest international art fair in Asia, which has been officially sponsored by Han Sung Motor since 2017.
Lastly, in December, students will participate in the Seoul Design Festival (SDF), the largest design exhibition in Korea, to expand communication touchpoints with younger customers who are in their teens and 20s. This will mark the second time that Dream Gream has participated in SDF since 2019.
In addition, the company also plans to operate a new program to support the dreams of mentors. This year, Dream Gream mentors were selected to provide opportunities not only to college students majoring in art, but also to new artists and freelance artists by examining their dreams and potential as new artists. The company will operate two programs on a biennial basis to be a stepping stone for future designers and artists.
In order to provide an environment to build a professional exhibition experience, the company plans to organize the Dream Gream Mentor Biennale group exhibition.
The Dream Gream Mentor Biennale, which is scheduled to be held every odd-numbered year, will match selected mentors with renowned artists and then hold an exhibition seminar. Through this, the mentors can strengthen their capabilities as artists without giving up on their creative dreams.
They can also gain much-needed know-how and experience, such as creating and managing portfolios, through collaboration with the invited artists.
Furthermore, as a program to motivate mentors, the company plans to provide an opportunity to visit one of the famous international art fairs, such as Art Basel, Venice Biennale, Whitney Biennale or Tokyo's Design Festa, every even-numbered year. This will allow the mentors to gain diverse experience in the broader world and expand their creative dreams.