Surreal Spaces: Blurring the Lines of Art and Retail

IN SEOUL, IICOMBINED, the parent company of eyewear brand Gentle Monster and fragrance brand Tamburins, is reimagining what retail can, and should, be by focusing on artistic, one-of-a-kind experiences within its retail spaces.

Looking more like a modern art museum than a store, IICombined’s fourteen-floor headquarters and retail space, called Haus Nowhere and opened last September in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong area, commands attention with its surrealist art installations and unique visual merchandising. On its ground floor, a large sleeping dachshund installation, mechanized to appear to breathe, has recently become a viral sensation, encouraging tourists and locals alike to flock to Haus Nowhere to see it for themselves and snap a selfie. Guests will find art installations throughout the space, such as the robot figures in the Tamburins area, alongside display tables designed with a sci-fi aesthetic. 

Seoul’s Haus Nowhere headquarters, though the largest, is the fourth iteration of this experimental experience from IICombined. The company previously opened Haus Nowhere locations in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Seoul’s Dosan area. The spaces in Haus Nowhere are not just for IICombined’s retail brands – spaces in Haus Nowhere are leased to other retailers to display their brands. The fifth Haus Nowhere opened in Bangkok in December, with its own dachshund and sculptural installations, and is structured as a duplex space for Gentle Monster and Tamburins.  

In an age of FOMO (fear of missing out) and viral selfie spots, IICombined and its Haus Nowhere concept understand that physical retail is not dead, but rather, is evolving to create spaces that blur the lines between retail and art – and a giant dachshund is a great place to start. 

PHOTO GALLERY (3 IMAGES)
Photos: Haus Nowhere/IICombined