When it comes to BTS, there is always more and more to unveil. Over and over again, they have proved to be more than just a boyband through breaking limits and stereotypes, taking part and responsibility in their creation, and speaking up against oppression.
In this Summer Series, we would like to dig deeper into the arts, whether it’s their inspiration or them as a muse. But first and foremost, welcome to the first blog of the Summer Series! Summer is a perfect time to dive into a pool and freshen our body; similarly, in this series, we’re going to dive into Arts in BTS to freshen our minds. Not only in the form of music, lyrics, and dance but also in paintings, books, sculptures, and many more. Let’s jump into it together!
BTS’ songs are known to have more than your average lyrics and music. To understand it, we need to see the bigger picture. If it’s a song with a music video, we have to pay attention to the video as well. ARMYs know not to focus only on the storytelling but also to pay attention to the hidden things such as paintings, sculptures, clothes, and much more.
Let’s take a look at the most famous one, the painting “The Fall of the Rebel Angels” by Pieter Bruegel.
This painting tells the story of Lucifer and other fallen angels being banished from heaven. It portrays the battle between evil and good, which is exactly what “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” are about. In addition, Lucifer’s fall was caused by Pride, one of the Seven Deadly Sins that also served as one of WINGS’ era main themes.
Moving on, we have “Svayambhu,” a door installation from a British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor.
Image credit: BTS Official Facebook & Tim McFarlane
In Sanskrit, “Svayambhu” means “self-made” or “auto-generated.” Kapoor elaborated more in his speech “It’s as if the building is some kind of...forgive the phrase, but shitting this thing. Pushing it out. Forcing it,” which gives another interpretation for the music video: behind the door lies dreams and happiness, but one must forcefully push themselves through it and thought they would be lost in the process. Though one may lose themself a little in the process, the “self-made” and “auto-generation” aspects would make one reach the deepest and intimate corner of themself.
It’s not a secret anymore that BTS’ theories and inspiration come from anything and everything, but most of the time it comes from books. First, we have “Demian” by Hermann Hesse, the major inspiration of the WINGS era. Exploring and sharing the message that people should not be so influenced by what is considered good and bad, BTS adopted this theme to portray the confusing journey of growing up into adulthood.
Moving on, we have “Into the Magic Shop” by James R. Doty. BTS hinted about this in the trailer of their “FAKE LOVE” Music Video, where the members were seen exchanging things that symbolize their fear with some things that symbolize positive attitude, emphasizing the meaning of Magic Shop from the book: “A Psychodramatic technique that exchanges fear for a positive attitude.” BTS then adapted this term into their song “Magic Shop,” serenading ARMYs about the “Magic Shop” in fans’ hearts where BTS lives and where ARMY can visit whenever they’re having a hard time.
The most recent one was the “Map of the Soul” book series by Murray Stein; the title of the series became the defining phrase of BTS’ Map of the Soul era. Depicting the next step of self-love by understanding various parts of ourselves such as Ego, Persona, and Shadow, BTS took this message seriously as it can be found in all the songs in this era’s albums. The extent to which they incorporated this message into their music once again shows that they are on another level.
Besides using art as their inspiration, BTS has also provided a platform and opportunity for artists to showcase their thoughts and feelings through their art. It’s called “CONNECT, BTS,” one of their major projects that was held during the promotion of their Map of the Soul era.
"CONNECT, BTS" - a global public art project which involved 22 artists spread across five cities: London, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Seoul, and New York. According to the "CONNECT, BTS" website, the project had been developed by international curators who "resonated with BTS' philosophy." An additional statement from the website suggests the project is about connecting people in a world where people often feel isolated and "alone with their devices."
Daehyung Lee, the curator of "CONNECT, BTS," described the project's goal as bridging the gaps of human connection - which was derived from the conversations between him, BTS members, and BigHit.
“When I had a very casual conversation with the BTS members and Big Hit [staff] (now HYBE), we shared the view of the role of art in our society and how in the future it should be different from the past,” Lee said.
This project aimed to provide a collective experience that brought a new mode of communication between art, music, and people! The project also intended to redefine the relationships between art and music, the material and immaterial, artists and their audiences, artists and artists, theory and practice - a collective curatorial practice by curators around the world who resonated with BTS’ philosophy. BTS in their launch video call stated, "We've been hearing so much about how this world doesn't need art, but we think this is a big challenge for all of us from different genres, we believe in the part of art that can help change the world."
As a result of this project, an e-book was also released. “It's the belief that diversity can create a world where differences do not render us apart but 'connect' us together through our uniqueness," the group said in a statement about the book that was released on Monday (March 29) in English and Korean. "We hope that you can be a part of "CONNECT, BTS" through this shared belief, and we hope that here is true inspiration awaiting our discovery.”
BTS and HYBE have always focused on how they can curate the best experience for their audience and take the best advantage of all the senses - from music to visual performance to smell. The HYBE Insight Museum focuses on smell by including the Euphoria area and spray which is aimed to smell like Euphoria, one of the famous songs of BTS sung by Jungkook. This showcase in the HYBE INSIGHT museum is accompanied by many other exhibits, now open for people to visit and experience different aspects of music.
From promoting art to exploring art, BTS has always been open to inspiration and have been vocal about how art and artists actually change the world and bring people together. There have been many instances of BTS mentioning their favorite artists and supporting art. V, a member of the group, has mentioned several well-known painters he is inspired by, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gustav Klimt. RM, the leader of the group, has been known to visit a lot of museums and galleries around the world. He has also been named ‘art sponsor of the year’ based on his generous donations.
BTS not only gain inspiration from art and literature but are also an inspiration to a lot of different artists around the globe. While BTS base their art on different muses, they have also become a muse to a lot of different artists, from young artists to well-established and globally renowned ones. Stay tuned with us on this series to learn more about these artists and their artworks inspired by BTS.
DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Yatri and Ram
Edited By: Aury
Checked By: Clare
Comments