BTS took over Las Vegas during their four-night concert last week, working closely with local hotels and businesses to create an experience for their fanbase, known as ARMY. The Arte Museum Las Vegas was one of the partners for the BTS THE CITY: ARIRANG project: ARTE MUSEUM X BTS THE CITY ARIRANG.
Beginning on May 20 and continuing until June 17, Arte Museum, known for its innovative spatial experiences using digital media technology by the design and art company, d’strict, collaborated with HYBE to feature an immersive experience of visual installations paired with selected tracks from BTS’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG.
“This project offers a unique environment where Arte Museum’s digital media meets the music of BTS,” said a d’strict representative in the museum’s press release. “As part of ‘THE CITY’ project in Las Vegas, we aim to provide a memorable visual and auditory experience for our global audience.”
As fans enter the Arte Museum, they will be greeted by the existing Waterfall Infinite room, which is stunning in its own right, with water flowing endlessly. With all the mirrors, the room felt endless, a wonderful introduction to what lay ahead. Though be careful of accidentally running into a mirror, as the room was smaller and darker than it appears. The Flower Rose room is another existing room – along with the Flower Hibiscus Seed, Flower Camellia Underwater, Giant Camella, and Star Raindrops. The rooms were so dazzling and calming, as flowers projected across the floor and along the faces of those in the room. It was just so beautiful and peaceful to have the sights and sounds of blooming flowers. For those who crave Instagram moments, the Star Raindrops was the best room, with ideal lighting that reflected the color of your choice off your face.
There was also the Starry Beach, which could be considered part of ARIRANG because it’s of the ocean/sea, which BTS highlights in their track, “SWIM.” It’s not part of the BTS exhibition, but it doesn’t make it any less fascinating or beautiful to be in that room. It’s so peaceful to watch and hear the waves crash, without ever getting wet. As someone who doesn’t like going into the water but enjoys the ocean’s ASMR, this room was lovely.
The heart of the exhibition, which the majority of attendees lined up for hours to attend, was the BTS ARIRANG portion, which took up about four rooms. The final big room that displayed five astonishing ARIRANG GARDEN visuals was worth it.
One of the rooms, the Live Sketchbook Night Safari ARIRANG, allowed attendees to draw whatever they wanted on the animal’s body, then have it scanned and projected on the wall. From time to time, a whale with the words “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG” would come flying into the display. It was great for ARMY to write messages of love to BTS, but also for kids to have a fun activity to do.
As we continued, a smaller room filled with crashing waves, like at Starry Beach, would end with the ARIRANG symbol before restarting. This represented the “ARIRANG WAVE” – “an eternal rhythm of connection.” It reads: In the continuous motion of towering waves that surge, shatter, and reform, this artwork evokes the Korean sensibility of repetition, flow, and continuity. The monumental glass tank, rendered through anamorphic illusion and integrated with the ARIRANG logo, symbolizes the enduring energy of connection and resonance that transcends time and emotion.”
In the final room before the ARIRANG Cafe, the ARIRANG GARDEN displayed five different visual imagery that went alongside BTS’s tracks, “No. 29,” “Body to Body,” “SWIM,” “2.0,” and “Into the Sun.” The room is filled with mirrors around the screens and lights, making it feel even grander. The entire ARIRANG GARDEN experience lasts 15:02 minutes.
As “No. 29” rang, a curtain appeared, wrapped around the entire room, with the members behind the veil. As the one-minute 38-second track played, the wind would blow over the curtain, revealing the images of the members – RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook – as they were scattered around the giant room. The track, which is the resonant chime of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok, blends with the room’s spatial stillness and imagery, setting the experience in motion.
“Body to Body,” which celebrates South Korean culture, plays aligning the sun and the moon to full harmony, reaching the symbolic color of ARIRANG. As it comes together – and the national folk song is played – figures begin to dance beautifully, reflecting the Obangsaek (the five traditional colors of South Korea).
With “SWIM,” it starts off with the ships shown from the music video, but then becomes an underwater adventure as the waves and sea animals – including BTS’s symbolic whales with their BTS THE CITY ARIRANG logo across them. The massive waves worked so well with the music, engulfing the space to create this fantasy world.
Of course, “2.0” is a bit of fun that showcases the entire music video in large format. The music video itself is an homage to South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 cult classic film, Oldboy. With the wide, immersive screens, one feels like they’re in the music video, watching it all go down.
The most emotional portion of this exhibition would have to be “Into the Sun,” as it is the conclusion of both the ARIRANG GARDEN and ARIRANG concert experiences. The song itself is a heartfelt anthem for the unbreakable, devoted connection between BTS and ARMY – “I’ll follow you into the Sun.” The images shown capture the unique landscapes of the three cities: Las Vegas, Busan, and New York, and the song’s theme of finding the light through the darkness. It serves as a reminder of the impact BTS, who hail from South Korea, have on the world – radiating hope and joy through their music. It is also just emotional to be reminded of the last song that was played before the concert ended.
But that’s not the last part of the exhibition. For those who bought the cafe add-on, there’s a little cafe where attendees can enjoy a purple latte on an interactive table. Anything can generate a cool light display on the table that shows the ARIRANG logo.
Overall, ARTE MUSEUM x BTS THE CITY ARIRANG experience was a great way to end the BTS concerts (or be reminded of the concerts) or for those who just want to experience BTS and their music. It should be seen and heard – and for those who have a connection with the music and group, it’s should be felt.
For more information on the Arte Museum Las Vegas or to purchase tickets, click here. The Arte Museum Las Vegas is located at 63 CityCenter (3716 S Las Vegas Blvd, Suite 208, Las Vegas, NV 89109). ARTE MUSEUM x BTS THE CITY ARIRANG will run from Wednesday, May 20, until Saturday, June 17. Time slots run from 10 am to 9 pm.
