BLACKPINK anniversary puts Thai art show in spotlight
An Amazing Thailand exhibition in Seoul gained online attention after its sign appeared behind BLACKPINK’s 10th-anniversary fan event.
A sign promoting “Amazing Thailand: Masterpieces of Thai Art” became an unexpected backdrop to BLACKPINK’s 10th-anniversary event at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Saturday (August 8), bringing the Thai cultural exhibition fresh attention on social media.
Images from the event showed the exhibition sign behind the group, prompting online discussion about the Thai antiquities and artworks being displayed at the museum. Thai media reported that some fans began searching for information about the exhibition and saving the venue as a place to visit.
All four BLACKPINK members — Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — attended the anniversary meet-and-greet, which was held for 40 selected fans. The group also held a Weverse live broadcast before the event.
Shared venue creates an unexpected crossover
Available announcements indicate that the connection arose from the shared venue and timing rather than an organised collaboration between BLACKPINK and the Thai exhibition.
The group’s official anniversary partnership with the museum centred on the separate BLACKPINK Heritage Collection, created with MU:DS, the official merchandise brand of Korea’s national museums.
The seven-item collection was launched on August 8 and draws on motifs from an original pattern for an empress’s ceremonial robe held by the National Museum of Korea. Its designs combine BLACKPINK’s black-and-pink identity with pheasant and imperial plum-blossom motifs from the Korean Empire.
At the same time, the Thai exhibition had already been running elsewhere in the museum since June 23. Its signage therefore appeared naturally in photographs and videos produced during BLACKPINK’s anniversary programme.
The image attracted particular interest among Thai audiences because Lisa is Thai and serves as the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Amazing Thailand Ambassador, although her tourism role was not presented as part of the museum exhibition or anniversary event.
Thai masterpieces remain in Seoul until September
“Amazing Thailand: Masterpieces of Thai Art” is jointly organised by Thailand’s Fine Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture and the National Museum of Korea.
The exhibition brings more than 200 Thai antiquities and artworks to Seoul, presenting the development of Thai history, trade and art from prehistoric times to the present. Highlights include the Sukhothai Walking Buddha, a Hariphunchai silver-plated elephant, an Avalokiteshvara image from southern Thailand and an ancient Dhammachakka, or Wheel of the Law.
The exhibition is being staged in Special Exhibition Gallery 1 at the National Museum of Korea until September 6. A travelling presentation focusing mainly on Buddhist art is then scheduled to run at the Tongdosa Museum in South Gyeongsang Province from October 4 to December 4.
Online attention broadens cultural reach
The chance appearance of the Amazing Thailand sign placed Thai art, antiquities and history before BLACKPINK’s international fan base, including people who may not previously have searched for a Thai cultural exhibition.
Thai coverage framed the moment as an example of cultural soft power extending beyond food, music, film, fashion and tourism to encompass historical objects and traditional art.
The reports did not provide updated visitor figures showing whether the online attention had increased attendance. However, the images gave the exhibition wider visibility while BLACKPINK’s anniversary was receiving extensive attention from fans around the world.
Visitors can see the exhibition at the National Museum of Korea until September 6 before selected works move to the Tongdosa Museum for the October-to-December presentation.
