Arttoken Wraps Up Seongsu Pop-Up With BAYC, STONROK, Expanding NFT Art Experience

• Arttoken said it has successfully wrapped up a Seongsu pop-up store created in collaboration with BAYC and STONROK.
• Arttoken said it handled the entire process for Anchor Drop collection-related merchandise, from planning and production to exhibition space design.
• Arttoken said it plans to build on the project with more collaborations that extend NFTs and digital IP into physical merchandise and offline spaces.

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Arttoken said on Oct. 16 that it had successfully concluded a pop-up store in Seoul’s Seongsu neighborhood held in collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club, or BAYC, the nonfungible token project of global Web3 company Yuga Labs, and South Korean artist STONROK.

The event was held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 in Seongsu, Seoul. It was part of BAYC’s touring pop-up series across six Asian cities — Shenzhen, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore. Yuga Labs Chief Executive Officer Michael Figge also visited the site.

BAYC is an NFT project launched by Yuga Labs in 2021. It has built a global community around 10,000 ape characters with distinct traits. The brand has since broadened the use of its intellectual property into fashion, fine art and cultural content.

The pop-up unveiled the third collection in BAYC’s artist collaboration program, Anchor Drop. STONROK, the first Korean artist to participate in the program, worked with Arttoken to design a rugby shirt and a five-panel cap. The products combined BAYC’s existing characters and brand concept with the artist’s signature style. They were offered as limited-edition items sold only at the venue.

Arttoken oversaw the project from planning to merchandise production and exhibition space design. It produced four items — T-shirts, rugby shirts, caps and keycaps — as well as on-site installations. All designs went through Yuga Labs’ final review and approval.

The company also prepared a food-and-beverage program for visitors. At Arttoken’s suggestion, specialty coffee brand NOTO, based in Seoul’s Yangjae-dong, joined the event. The roastery uses artificial intelligence to blend beans tailored to individual tastes. For the pop-up, it introduced a BAYC-themed coffee blend, allowing visitors to experience the brand through beverages as well.

The event drew not only members of the existing NFT community but also general visitors. According to Yuga Labs, more than 100 people visited the pop-up on opening day. About 30% were general consumers who came across the event while visiting Seongsu.

STONROK said the project focused on the possibility that people brought together by a shared interest in BAYC could exchange ideas and sensibilities through art. He said he hopes the work will serve as a starting point for people to share their own experiences and interpretations and begin new conversations. He added that he plans to broaden touchpoints with audiences through more collaborations while continuing to present his own work.

Lee Seung-jin, a director at Arttoken, said the project’s challenge was to preserve the identity of a global IP while adding the perspective of a Korean artist and turning that into a unified experience spanning merchandise, space and coffee. The project, he added, showed Arttoken can manage the full process in an integrated way, from artist IP verification to planning, production and on-site operations.

Arttoken said it plans to use the project as a springboard for more collaborations that extend the use of NFTs and digital IP into physical merchandise and offline spaces. It also plans to work with domestic and overseas artists and brands to connect art content with a broader range of consumer experiences.