It seems like Hybe is going full steam ahead with these BTS pop-ups and we’re all here for it. This time it’s an exhibition for the one and only Kim Taehyung aka V. And the ‘ARTSPACE: TYPE 1’ exhibition coincides with the release of his latest 224 page photo book ‘Type 1.’

A Proper Reservation System

Having just gone to the Monochrome Pop-Up, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the crowds, chaos and overall disorganization that comes with these events. Luckily, they an online reservations this time and I am so glad to report that it all went incredibly smoothly! Online reservations for the Seoul pop-up are mostly full, but if you’re interested, it doesn’t hurt to give it a look.

We arrived a bit before our reservation time, had no problem getting checked-in and ushered into the exhibit hall in an orderly fashion. They only let in a handful of people in at a time, so it never got overwhelmingly crowded nor did we feel rushed or pressured to leave. We were able to move through the pop-up at a leisurely pace without any issues. It is definitely one of the best organized BTS pop-ups I’ve been to lately.

Walking Through Tae’s Gallery

Unlike the Monochrome Pop-Up, this is an actual photo exhibit with four different spaces showcasing some of Tae’s best moments. You start at the entrance with the viewing of a projection slideshow and then are let into the first gallery room. The first two rooms are set up like traditional photo gallery spaces, but photo and video are not permitted.

The third space is a bit more interactive. There’s a large canvas on the wall where Army can leave special messages for V. Although there are a few more days left for the exhibit, there were hardly any empty spaces to write in. Even the sides were written on.

There’s a large viewing box sitting in the center of the room with several slots and holes to peek through and get a glimpse of a massive V collage. Off to the side are small photo stations where you can take a free sticker photo. I thought this was a really neat keepsake from the event, I just wish they had set it up somewhere with a nice background (or any background at all really).

The last space was by far my favorite. It was set up like darkroom, which I thought was a really imaginative way to display the photos. There were cameras, rolls of undeveloped film, easels, processing trays and plenty of photos hung on clothing-lines to “dry.” I think this part really captured the essence of the exhibit the best.

Type 1: Fully Stocked

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true pop-up without a store and merch at the end. If you haven’t already, you can purchase V’s ‘Type 1’ photo book. But I was more interested in their DIY keychain station. Here you can start with a fabric base and add on different charms. I found that these also paired really well with the film photo strip keychains. I got both the black and white film strips and will just mix and match the charms to suit whichever bag I put them on.

Surprisingly, the store was fully stocked and people didn’t have to Hulk-out to get the merch they wanted. They were even stocked up on ALL the freebies. For every 50,000 KRW you spend, you get a free random hologram photo ticket. There are 3 variations, but if you spent at least 150, 000 KRW you get all three with no repeats. And if you spend at least 200,000 KRW you get all three hologram photo tickets, plus a PVC mini-pouch and sticker set. Not bad, right?

All-in-all, it was a really nice exhibit, especially for Tae biases like myself. Everything was really well organized and didn’t take too long to get through. I do wish there was more wearble merch, but I’m happy with the fact that they had more that enough stock of everything they were selling. Definitely 10/10.

Global Schedule

If you aren’t going to be in Seoul for the V ‘ARTSPACE: TYPE 1’ Exhibition and Pop-Up Store, hopefully it will be coming to a location near you instead! Here are the details:

SEOUL (07/12 – 07/21)

Opening Hours: 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Address: Platform L (11 Eonju-ro 133-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

BANGKOK (07/12 – 07/19)

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Address: Q Stadium, M floor, Emquartier (693,695 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand 10110)

TAIPEI (07/12 – 07/21)

Opening Hours: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Address: Breeze Nan Shan Exhibition Center (3F, No. 17, Songzhi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110421, Taiwan (R.OC.))

VANCOUVER (07/12 – 07/21)