Creative Ecology · Indicator 4
Diversity of scenes & experimental programming
What this indicator asks
How diverse and varied are Seoul’s scenes, including experimental and interdisciplinary work, and new formats and models?
50.0/ 100 · Seoul
A total of 44% of survey respondents in Seoul agree that new and experimental events happen often, though 30% disagree. LGBTQIA+ respondents agree more often: 62%, against 37% of other respondents.
A participant said the question is whether there are enough people to fill the alternative rooms, such as ACS and Cakeshop. Another said there are more than enough artists but not enough demand, and the reason marketing does not work lies in the structure of the scene.
Contra, a club above Cakeshop, pushed progressive house in 2016, when few Seoul spaces played it. A participant said:
“At that time that was considered an underground sound that was not commercial… you would have Bicep at Contra and it would be [half full]. This was 2016 and you just wonder why, but if that was currently it would be packed.”
One participant said venues “cannot see” what the others are doing, and proposed a platform or conference where they can meet and talk. Another proposed that promoters work together and pass knowledge on to newcomers.