J-Hope’s ‘And What?’ Solo Exhibition in Seoul

It’s been a while, but BTS has finally graced us with yet another exhibition! I’ve been to the V ‘ARTSPACE: TYPE 1’ Exhibition, Jimin’s “MUSE” Smeraldo Garden Pop-Up,  Jungkook’s ‘Golden: The Moments’ Exhibition and, of course, the BTS Monochrome Pop-Up just to name a few. However, this is the first one I’ve been to for J-Hope.

The Many Faces of J-Hope

J-Hope’s ‘And What?’ solo exhibition is designed to shine a light on J-Hope as an individual and all the many hats he wears: BTS member. Rapper. Singer-songwriter. Record producer. Dancer. Style icon. The point being that no one label can define him and it leaves us all eagerly waiting for his next move… and what?

Each ticket comes with a Mona Lisa photo card and a special random J-Hope photocard and since they are purchased for specific time slots, it’s really well organized. They let people enter each area little by little to prevent overcrowding and it makes the overall experience so smooth and enjoyable, especially when it comes to taking pictures.

The exhibition is divided into five sections — Pioneer, Dancer, Performer, Storyteller and Musician — each representing a different aspect of J-Hope as an artist. And the spaces are filled with collections of his performances and rehearsals, iconic outfits and accessories from his music videos and unique photo zones where you can take pictures of your personal Mang plushies. 

One of my favorite areas is the “Storyteller” zone where you can pick a colored plastic ball out of the “Hopepool” to read a special word or phrase that’s associated with J-Hope like song lyrics, his hometown Gwangju, or ARMY’s nickname for him, “Squirrel.” Then you get to pick a “line of hope” from the wall which is a bookmark with various lyrics from his songs and a colored beaded chain to tie it onto that you get to take home with you.

Of course there are also plenty of videos, listening stations and digital photo frames of him everywhere. There’s even a section at the end where you can write a personal message for J-Hope. The exhibit isn’t as big as JK’s Golden exhibit but it is so creative and definitely J-Hope coded. Totally worth the 35,000 KRW admission. 

So Much to Buy

And as if the experience wasn’t enough, the pop-up store at the end is probably the best experience I’ve ever had at one of these exhibits. I went at 10 AM and everything was in stock! Also just about every item is limited to one per person, to prevent people from scalping.

But the highlight of the pop-up store is definitely the plushie acorn charms. They have one exclusively for the exhibit, but they also have all the acorns from the other cities J-Hope’s performed in. My mom already got one from LA, so she was super excited to add the Seoul acorn to her collection. And to be honest, so was I. They’re so freaking cute!  

This exhibition runs through June 22 on the 17th floor of AK Plaza in the Hongdae area. So if you happen to be in Seoul, make sure to check it out. You won’t want to miss it. 

Where is ‘And What?’

The exhibition is located in the AK Plaza mall located just outside of Hondae Station on line no. 2, exit no. 4.

• Address:
  • 서울 마포구 양화로 188 (Naver Map)
  • 188 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Google Maps)