Hammer Museum Gallery Opens with Dynamicduo and PROWDMON

Celebrating the opening of “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s,” the Hammer Museum held a special event in collaboration with CJ ENM on February 10th. Kicking off the Lunar New Year, the event was hosted by former RANIA member Alex Reid, and featured performances by Korean hip hop duo Dynamicduo and Street Woman Fighter dance crew PROWDMON’s Monika, Lip J, Minz, and Kayday.

The opening celebration event was also home to a cash bar, open galleries, complementary hors d’oeuvres, and free admission on a first-come, first-serve basis. The line for entry for the free event wrapped almost fully around the museum, emphasizing the popularity of the performing groups. The performances themselves kicked off at 9pm on the dot, with a brief introduction of each artist by MC Alex.

Things started off with a dance showcase by the attending PROWDMON members, dancing to songs such as CL’s “Doctor Pepper” and “Hello Bitches,” aespa’s “Next Level,” NewJeans‘ “OMG,” LE SSERAFIM’s “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s wife,” and “RUN RUN.” Soon after, the dance crew’s performance quickly transitioned into a hip hop performance by Choiza and Gaeko. The pair performed a variety of older and newer songs, including “AEAO” and “Ring My Bell,” and finished their set with a joint performance with PROWDMON for “Smoke” and “Fireworks.” With and without the dance crew, Dynamicduo’s stage presence and energy were through the figurative roof, as they bounced around on stage in pure ecstasy at being able to perform to such a passionate crowd.

Preview of the Hammer Museum’s new “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s” exhibit.

“Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s” was also open for a preview for attendees, as it opened to the public the following day. The gallery is the first of its kind in North America, and is aimed at exploring the groundbreaking shifts made by generations of artists after the Korean War. The exhibit features approximately eighty works of all types of art mediums, and will be on display to the public from February 11th to May 12th of this year. Prior to its appearance at the Hammer Museum, this exhibit was featured at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Special thank you to the team at the Hammer Museum for allowing us to attend. Make sure to check out performance photos on our Facebook page now!