Hundreds of Los Angeles locals wrapped around the Hammer Museum for the opening of a highly anticipated exhibit on Saturday. Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s officially opened to the public on Sunday, but guests were welcomed into the free museum for a pre-party viewing and incredible musical performances to kick off the new gallery.
Patrons flooded into the museum’s stunning courtyard for a chance to catch a glimpse of the night’s musical guests. Members of dance crew PROWDMON- known for their appearance on Korea’s survival show Street Woman Fighter- started the night with a medley of original choreography and KPOP dance covers. The crowd was enthralled by the crew’s powerful dance style and cheered raucously with each new song.
After such a high-energy warmup, the night continued with iconic Korean rap group Dynamicduo. Rappers Choiza and Gaeko emerged in matching tan suits and plenty of swagger to heat up the chilly California evening. At this point, the crowd was practically on top of each other trying to get closer to the stage and the duo was all smiles as the fans shouted the words to every song back at them.
“AEAO” was the perfect opener to the short but forceful set- this group has been in the game for a long time and the fans showed plenty of love for every era represented in the setlist. Gaeko and Choiza spoke briefly between songs, pumping up the crowd with every ment before diving back into “Go Back” and “Ring My Bell”.
The duo invited PROWDMON back onstage to close things out with the smash hit “Smoke”- danced to perfection by the crew- and an encore of “Fireworks”. When the music faded out, the crowd dispersed into the museum to enjoy the new exhibitions. Wandering the halls of Only the Young was a fascinating tour through mixed-media works from nearly 80 Korean artists, all with unique perspectives and artistic visions.
The Hammer Museum is always free to the public and this exhibit will be on display until May 12- don’t miss your chance to view this and the rest of the amazing artwork on display at one of Los Angeles’ most fascinating museums.
Check out all the photos!
Concert photos by Olivia Khiel
Exhibit photos by Ashley Kruythoff
