The Journey and Vision of a Global Media Art Platform
Exploring the Potential of LED.ART with LED TOKYO,
a Leader in the Expanding Digital Signage Market
by CHI HUI JUNG, Executive Director, LED.ART Business Division
* Source: Kanban Keiei, Japan’s leading signage and display industry magazine
Since February 2024, LED.ART has officially launched its service in Japan. The platform is licensed by First System, in collaboration with its business partner Dentsu Inc. In this feature, Kanban Keiei magazine conducted exclusive interviews with two key players: UNIKA, the first major media company to broadcast LED.ART content in Japan, and LED TOKYO, a top manufacturer of LED vision displays and an early official agency partner.
As reported in previous issues, UNIKA described LED.ART as “digital art that harmonizes with cityscapes while enhancing media value,” while LED TOKYO called it “a platform that connects people around the world.”
This time, the spotlight turns to d’strict and CJ CGV, the creators and operators of LED.ART, to explore how the platform was born, how it evolved, and what future it envisions. We spoke with Hee-Jung Ji, Executive Director of LED.ART at d’strict.
WATERFALL by d'strict, Time Square, New York
The Origins of d’strict and CJ CGV
Founded in 2004, d’strict is a leading digital design and art company based in Seoul. Starting with web design and branding, it has evolved into a pioneer of spatial experiences that merge digital imagery with physical space. Its business operates under two pillars: Commercial Services, offering bespoke digital content for clients, and Art Services, providing original media art works.
By integrating planning, design, system development, software, and operations, d’strict delivers comprehensive creative solutions across diverse industries. The company is best known for its large-scale immersive projects, including the ARTE MUSEUM, ARTE KIDS PARK, and the global media art platform LED.ART, which bridges commercial design with artistic creation.
CJ CGV, established in 1999, is Korea’s first multiplex cinema operator and a leading global cultural content company. Beyond cinema, CJ CGV has continuously created next-generation cultural spaces that offer immersive experiences beyond traditional entertainment.
By combining spatial identity and branding with customized content, CJ CGV has become a global provider of meaningful spatial experiences. In January 2022, as the fusion of media and art deepened, CJ CGV launched the global media art platform LED.ART, offering media art services for public and commercial spaces.
LED.ART licenses visually captivating digital artworks and provides customized content for media screens around the world — merging cutting-edge digital imaging technology with artistic creativity to deliver immersive spatial experiences.
The Birth and Global Momentum of LED.ART
Two main factors drove the creation of LED.ART.
First, the global success of d’strict’s iconic work <WAVE> revealed that media art could transcend the boundaries of advertising and space to become a new cultural medium in itself.
Second, as large-format LED displays rapidly spread across urban centers, the demand for content with artistic value beyond advertising began to grow. From the start, LED.ART attracted inquiries from all over the world, giving the team strong confidence in its potential for global expansion.
WAVE by d'strict, K-pop Square, Seoul
Behind the Making of “WAVE”
<WAVE> was created to demonstrate that digital media could evolve from flat imagery into a three-dimensional spatial experience. The project applied the then-novel anamorphic technique to DOOH displays and was born from a desire to deliver a sense of nature’s grandeur and freedom to people confined indoors during the pandemic. To reproduce the movement of water as realistically as possible, the team employed a variety of programs and simulations, capturing every detail — from droplets sliding down glass to waves splashing and drying on concrete walls. Through repeated experiments, they determined the optimal viewing angle to maximize immersion and realism. The result was a breathtaking visual illusion — a massive wave surging within a concrete structure.
After its debut at Seoul’s COEX, WAVE went viral on social media worldwide, earning the nickname “The Wave of Quarantine.” Even today, it continues to be referenced in textbooks and academic papers as a landmark example of digital media art.
LED.ART’s Growth and Turning Points
In its early phase, LED.ART was mainly adopted for short-term projects in corporate lobbies or event venues. However, its ability to provide high-quality video content quickly and easily soon gained recognition.
A major turning point came with the Lotte Department Store Dongtan Project in Korea, where LED.ART transformed an entire retail environment into an immersive art space. Visitors could experience art as part of the architecture itself.
This success expanded LED.ART’s applications from lobbies and events to large commercial facilities, hospitals, airports, and DOOH (digital out-of-home) networks worldwide.
LOTTE DEPARTMENT STORE DONGTAN, KOREA
Collaboration Between d’strict and CJ CGV
By combining their respective strengths, d’strict and CJ CGV created a powerful synergy. d’strict leads content production, platform management, and social media promotion, while CJ CGV contributes its global operational expertise and network management to expand the platform’s physical and business presence.
Through consistent communication and regular strategy meetings, the partnership has deepened — uniting creativity and operational scale under a single ecosystem.
Connecting Artists and Spaces Worldwide
LED.ART was established as a platform to connect artists and spaces across the world. Many artists wish to present their work on large public displays so that people outside of galleries can experience their creations. They also hope that their art can generate fair and meaningful income. LED.ART fulfills these needs by exhibiting works in diverse urban spaces and creating new opportunities for artistic monetization.
Today, LED.ART proudly stands as one of the world’s leading B2B media art licensing platforms, trusted by both artists and clients alike. The platform’s accumulated expertise has strengthened this trust, ensuring each artwork is utilized effectively and meaningfully.
LED.ART also functions as both a portfolio platform and creative community, where artists can build visibility and connect with global audiences.
(LEFT) ANAM KOREA HOSPITAL, KOREA, (RIGHT) INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Vision: “MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE”
“MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE” is both the slogan and vision of LED.ART. The platform aims to become the world’s largest media art network — a place where people can encounter art in their daily lives.
LED.ART continues to evolve beyond a video art platform into a cultural network that connects people, spaces, and art. Its services are expanding from B2B to B2C, covering not only video content but also real-time and AI-generated art.
By 2030, LED.ART plans to secure over 5,000 artworks, expand its artist network threefold, and establish presence in 200 cities across 30 countries, including media walls, hotels, retail, and public spaces. The platform is also developing a global subscription model to make digital art more accessible.
CENTERFIELD, KOREA
Japan: A Market of Tradition and Transformation
“LED.ART is a new language that connects digital art and spatial experience,” says Executive Director Hee-Jung Ji. “Japan stands at a unique crossroads — where tradition and the future, technology and craftsmanship, and world-class art and design sensibilities coexist.
Within this dynamic environment, the demand for media art across various spaces will only continue to rise. We are confident that LED.ART can create new value and opportunities in the Japanese market.”
Conclusion
LED.ART represents a new paradigm where art, technology, and space converge. For artists, it offers both creative opportunities and revenue. For spaces, it provides identity and emotion. And for audiences, it transforms art into a part of everyday life.
This is the vision behind LED.ART — “MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE.” A world where media art is not confined to galleries or screens, but lives everywhere around us.
The Journey and Vision of a Global Media Art Platform
Exploring the Potential of LED.ART with LED TOKYO,
a Leader in the Expanding Digital Signage Market
by CHI HUI JUNG, Executive Director, LED.ART Business Division
* Source: Kanban Keiei, Japan’s leading signage and display industry magazine
Since February 2024, LED.ART has officially launched its service in Japan. The platform is licensed by First System, in collaboration with its business partner Dentsu Inc. In this feature, Kanban Keiei magazine conducted exclusive interviews with two key players: UNIKA, the first major media company to broadcast LED.ART content in Japan, and LED TOKYO, a top manufacturer of LED vision displays and an early official agency partner.
As reported in previous issues, UNIKA described LED.ART as “digital art that harmonizes with cityscapes while enhancing media value,” while LED TOKYO called it “a platform that connects people around the world.”
This time, the spotlight turns to d’strict and CJ CGV, the creators and operators of LED.ART, to explore how the platform was born, how it evolved, and what future it envisions. We spoke with Hee-Jung Ji, Executive Director of LED.ART at d’strict.
The Origins of d’strict and CJ CGV
Founded in 2004, d’strict is a leading digital design and art company based in Seoul. Starting with web design and branding, it has evolved into a pioneer of spatial experiences that merge digital imagery with physical space. Its business operates under two pillars: Commercial Services, offering bespoke digital content for clients, and Art Services, providing original media art works.
By integrating planning, design, system development, software, and operations, d’strict delivers comprehensive creative solutions across diverse industries. The company is best known for its large-scale immersive projects, including the ARTE MUSEUM, ARTE KIDS PARK, and the global media art platform LED.ART, which bridges commercial design with artistic creation.
CJ CGV, established in 1999, is Korea’s first multiplex cinema operator and a leading global cultural content company. Beyond cinema, CJ CGV has continuously created next-generation cultural spaces that offer immersive experiences beyond traditional entertainment.
By combining spatial identity and branding with customized content, CJ CGV has become a global provider of meaningful spatial experiences. In January 2022, as the fusion of media and art deepened, CJ CGV launched the global media art platform LED.ART, offering media art services for public and commercial spaces.
LED.ART licenses visually captivating digital artworks and provides customized content for media screens around the world — merging cutting-edge digital imaging technology with artistic creativity to deliver immersive spatial experiences.
The Birth and Global Momentum of LED.ART
Two main factors drove the creation of LED.ART.
First, the global success of d’strict’s iconic work <WAVE> revealed that media art could transcend the boundaries of advertising and space to become a new cultural medium in itself.
Second, as large-format LED displays rapidly spread across urban centers, the demand for content with artistic value beyond advertising began to grow. From the start, LED.ART attracted inquiries from all over the world, giving the team strong confidence in its potential for global expansion.
Behind the Making of “WAVE”
<WAVE> was created to demonstrate that digital media could evolve from flat imagery into a three-dimensional spatial experience. The project applied the then-novel anamorphic technique to DOOH displays and was born from a desire to deliver a sense of nature’s grandeur and freedom to people confined indoors during the pandemic. To reproduce the movement of water as realistically as possible, the team employed a variety of programs and simulations, capturing every detail — from droplets sliding down glass to waves splashing and drying on concrete walls. Through repeated experiments, they determined the optimal viewing angle to maximize immersion and realism. The result was a breathtaking visual illusion — a massive wave surging within a concrete structure.
After its debut at Seoul’s COEX, WAVE went viral on social media worldwide, earning the nickname “The Wave of Quarantine.” Even today, it continues to be referenced in textbooks and academic papers as a landmark example of digital media art.
LED.ART’s Growth and Turning Points
In its early phase, LED.ART was mainly adopted for short-term projects in corporate lobbies or event venues. However, its ability to provide high-quality video content quickly and easily soon gained recognition.
A major turning point came with the Lotte Department Store Dongtan Project in Korea, where LED.ART transformed an entire retail environment into an immersive art space. Visitors could experience art as part of the architecture itself.
This success expanded LED.ART’s applications from lobbies and events to large commercial facilities, hospitals, airports, and DOOH (digital out-of-home) networks worldwide.
Collaboration Between d’strict and CJ CGV
By combining their respective strengths, d’strict and CJ CGV created a powerful synergy. d’strict leads content production, platform management, and social media promotion, while CJ CGV contributes its global operational expertise and network management to expand the platform’s physical and business presence.
Through consistent communication and regular strategy meetings, the partnership has deepened — uniting creativity and operational scale under a single ecosystem.
Connecting Artists and Spaces Worldwide
LED.ART was established as a platform to connect artists and spaces across the world. Many artists wish to present their work on large public displays so that people outside of galleries can experience their creations. They also hope that their art can generate fair and meaningful income. LED.ART fulfills these needs by exhibiting works in diverse urban spaces and creating new opportunities for artistic monetization.
Today, LED.ART proudly stands as one of the world’s leading B2B media art licensing platforms, trusted by both artists and clients alike. The platform’s accumulated expertise has strengthened this trust, ensuring each artwork is utilized effectively and meaningfully.
LED.ART also functions as both a portfolio platform and creative community, where artists can build visibility and connect with global audiences.
Vision: “MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE”
“MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE” is both the slogan and vision of LED.ART. The platform aims to become the world’s largest media art network — a place where people can encounter art in their daily lives.
LED.ART continues to evolve beyond a video art platform into a cultural network that connects people, spaces, and art. Its services are expanding from B2B to B2C, covering not only video content but also real-time and AI-generated art.
By 2030, LED.ART plans to secure over 5,000 artworks, expand its artist network threefold, and establish presence in 200 cities across 30 countries, including media walls, hotels, retail, and public spaces. The platform is also developing a global subscription model to make digital art more accessible.
CENTERFIELD, KOREA
Japan: A Market of Tradition and Transformation
“LED.ART is a new language that connects digital art and spatial experience,” says Executive Director Hee-Jung Ji. “Japan stands at a unique crossroads — where tradition and the future, technology and craftsmanship, and world-class art and design sensibilities coexist.
Within this dynamic environment, the demand for media art across various spaces will only continue to rise. We are confident that LED.ART can create new value and opportunities in the Japanese market.”
Conclusion
LED.ART represents a new paradigm where art, technology, and space converge. For artists, it offers both creative opportunities and revenue. For spaces, it provides identity and emotion. And for audiences, it transforms art into a part of everyday life.
This is the vision behind LED.ART — “MEDIA ART EVERYWHERE.” A world where media art is not confined to galleries or screens, but lives everywhere around us.