SEOUL, Aug 7, 2024 – Hyundai Card, Korea’s leading finance and technology company, announced that it will host the ‘2024 Hyundai Card DaVinci MOTEL’, September 27–29, in Seoul’s Itaewon district, a popular neighborhood known for its multicultural atmosphere. This annual ‘must see, must visit’ weekend event will bring unique K-culture experiences to Itaewon, the ‘Melting Pot of Korea’, where diverse races, cultures and generations coexist.

The ‘DaVinci MOTEL’ kicked off in 2019 as a cultural and intellectual festival that brings together luminaries from the music, arts and creative industries, academia, business and technology. The different sessions are conscientiously designed to inspire participants from all over the world through various programs, such as talks, concerts, plays, musical, stand-up comedy, exhibitions, pop-up stores, and street events.

Unlike most festivals that focus on a single topic like film or music, DaVinci MOTEL offers a convergence of subjects and unique opportunities to interact with trending icons across various disciplines. Still in its early years, DaVinci MOTEL has quickly become a key festival for participants, speakers and performers to discuss the latest trends and pressing issues.

The festival draws inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci — the Renaissance genius, who revolutionized art and science — and vintage California motor hotels from the 1960s where travelers rested during long drives, aiming to foster a combination of intellect and emotion.

Experience Korea’s latest trends and talents along with global luminaries

This year’s event will host 39 high-profile teams, featuring a mix of Korea’s celebrated K-pop artists, brand experts, scientists, historians and more, including a number of global luminaries.

Speakers traveling from overseas for the event include Korean-American actor Steven Yeun of ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Beef’ and ‘Minari’ fame, who will talk about his life as an actor. American postmodern painter David Salle and New York-based street and fashion photographer Daniel Arnold will share thoughts on their work and art. Tokyo-based fashion designer and co-founder of Ambush, Yoon Ahn will share on the brand’s never-ending collaborations with the most sought-after global brands. Moreover, singer and songwriter Johnny Stimson will be performing at this year’s DaVinci MOTEL.

A distinguishing feature of the DaVinci MOTEL is that the format of events is not limited to concerts or talks, rather it offers a unique offering of various performances such as stand-up comedy, musicals, original movie soundtrack listening sessions and more. This year, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), a long-time partner of Hyundai Card, will showcase performance art curated by MoMA’s Media & Performance curators.

In the K-pop lineup, top musicians such as RAIN, SUNMI, Jang Beom-jun, Zion.T, IDEOTAPE, QWER, as well as artists from the Korean musical ‘Red Book’ will perform. Rappers and music producers CHANGMO and The Quiett will also share a stage. Min Hee-jin, known for her work with NewJeans, will deliver a talk on K-pop branding. Back by popular demand, Hyundai Card’s Vice Chairman, Ted Chung will be hosting a session. This year he will be joined by Sang Yup Lee, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, to discuss ‘Attitude towards design, attitude in design.’

Experience NFTs both on-site and online

Following last year, all DaVinci MOTEL tickets will be issued as NFTs to prevent misuse, such as scalping and unauthorized transfers. Also to prevent unapproved reselling of the tickets, unique wallet addresses will be assigned to authenticated users of the KONKRIT app. This year, thanks to the updated global language and system patch application, KONKRIT app will allow overseas users to access and purchase DaVinci MOTEL NFT tickets.

Expanding the NFT experience, Hyundai Card will make NFC-enabled t-shirts and issue NFTs that could be used as coupons for pop-up stores and other Itaewon street stores during the festival. Replacing the original paper coupons, these coupon NFTs will eliminate the risk of losing or misplacing them.

Event details and ticket information

Hyundai Card will livestream the DaVinci MOTEL performances on YouTube, allowing off-site enjoyment of the event.

The event has expanded its collaborations with the Itaewon community, extending its reach beyond the center of the multicultural neighborhood. Visitors can enjoy additional events at around 20 stores and various street performances around the neighborhood. The festival will also feature collaborations with nine leading brands in fashion, lifestyle, beauty and F&B sectors, including E-mart, Olive Young and the London Bagel Museum. Pop-up brands, merchandising (MD) zones and service zones will enhance the DaVinci MOTEL’s festive atmosphere.

Starting this year, tickets will be available on the international version of KONKRIT. A three-day pass at $216 will allow access into all talks and performances. Tickets will go on sale 14th August, 12:00 KST.

Detailed information about the 2024 Hyundai Card DaVinci MOTEL can be found on the KONKRIT app and Hyundai Card’s official Instagram (@hyundaicard).