Art Square

What Art Square does

Art Square (아트스퀘어) is a Seoul-based, multi-service art platform founded in 2015 and operated by (주)아트스퀘어앤컬쳐 (ArtSquare&Culture Co., Ltd.), led by representative director 최샘터 (Choe Saem-teor). The company pairs an offline gallery and showroom in Yongsan-gu (한강대로46길 11, B1) with an e-commerce storefront at art-square.co.kr built on the imweb Korean website-builder platform. Its product surface spans subscription art rental (작품렌탈) featuring 40+ Korean masters and contemporary artists, a vintage poster shop under the SINCE 1857 sub-brand (19th-century-inspired designs from 11,900 KRW), picture-frame gifts (그림화환) built on recycled-paper stands, offline Art Salon events combining art lectures with classical music at 20,000–40,000 KRW per ticket (capped at ~20 attendees), and the '예술한입' (Art Bite) weekly newsletter covering Korean auction results via Stibee (53+ issues published).\n\nThe business model is multi-stream with a recurring-revenue core. Art rental operates on a monthly subscription with a 90-day commitment, a 7-day exchange/return window, and early-termination fees of 50% of remaining contract value plus travel costs, with a purchase option at contract completion. This subscription is supplemented by one-time poster sales, transaction-fee event tickets, newsletter subscriptions, and B2B corporate art rental services for office interiors. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with two disclosed segments: individual art enthusiasts (primary, horizontal persona) and corporate clients (secondary, business unit). Distribution runs through the company's own e-commerce site, the Yongsan gallery/showroom, and organic social channels — Instagram (@artsquare_gallery), Naver Blog (blog.naver.com/art-square), KakaoTalk Channel (channel public ID: _UxexdYxd), and the newsletter. The technology stack is commoditized Korean consumer-internet infrastructure: Kakao OAuth and Naver OAuth for social login, Stibee for email, and imweb for storefront hosting; headcount is undisclosed, no public APIs or proprietary AI/ML capabilities are documented.\n\nThe company is privately held, appears bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, and operates only within the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea with no international expansion signals. Revenue and headcount are not publicly disclosed. Strategic content relationships with K Auction (케이옥션) and Seoul Auction (서울옥션) supply recurring newsletter content but do not constitute exclusive commercial partnerships, and recent strategic emphasis has been on product and sub-brand diversification (SINCE 1857, custom poster ordering, Christmas poster, ASQ services including CULTURE CLUB membership and ART LOUNGE) rather than geographic or vertical expansion.

Name

Art Square

Legal name

(주)아트스퀘어앤컬쳐

Website

https://art-square.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Art Square (Seoul, founded 2015) operates a multi-service art platform combining subscription art rental, vintage poster retail under the SINCE 1857 sub-brand, a physical gallery, and offline Art Salon events, serving individual art enthusiasts and corporate clients primarily in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Gallery Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectibles & Hobby Shows (MPAGAFAN), General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Art rental services
• Art gallery exhibitions
• Vintage poster sales
• Art newsletter content
• Corporate art services

Headquarters

HQ city

Yongsan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Art Rental (작품렌탈): Monthly rental fees for artworks, with a 90-day commitment period. Collectors curate and rent high-potential artworks and emerging artists' works to customers for space decoration. Members can exchange or return artworks within 7 days, and purchase options exist upon contract completion.
2. Vintage Poster Sales (빈티지 포스터): Sale of 19th-century style vintage poster reproductions under the SINCE 1857 brand. Products are made-to-order with 2-5 day production lead time. Shipping fee 3,500 KRW, free for orders over 30,000 KRW.
3. Art Salon Events (아트살롱): Paid offline cultural events combining art lectures with music performances. Examples: 20,000 KRW for Travel Label session, 40,000 KRW for String Quintet session. Includes after-session networking with gallery's collection.
4. Newsletter Subscription (예술한입): Art market newsletter providing auction results, artist spotlights, and exhibition recommendations. Delivered via Stibee platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Art Square is a multi-service art platform that curates and rents original artworks from a roster of 40+ Korean and international artists on a 90-day subscription basis, sells 19th-century-inspired vintage posters under its SINCE 1857 sub-brand, and operates a physical gallery plus ticketed Art Salon cultural events in Seoul. The company also publishes the '예술한입' (Art Bite) newsletter covering Korean auction results, artist features, and exhibition recommendations.

Product overview

Art Square operates a multi-service art platform consisting of picture frames (그림화환), a poster shop featuring the SINCE 1857 vintage brand, a gallery with exhibitions and artist programs, artwork rental services, offline art salon events, and an art newsletter (예술한입). The company also offers ASQ-branded membership and space rental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SINCE 1857: Vintage poster brand featuring posters from the 1800s to 1900s, modernly reinterpreted
• ART LOUNGE
• CULTURE CLUB

Products and services

• Art Rental Service (작품렌탈) Subscription-based artwork rental service offering collector-curated pieces from 40+ Korean masters (Lee Jungseop, Paik Nam June) and emerging contemporary artists on a 90-day commitment with exchange/return options within 7 days and purchase options upon contract completion.
• SINCE 1857 Vintage Poster Shop Direct-to-consumer online store selling made-to-order 19th-century-style vintage poster reproductions, with categories including Vintage Poster, Asia Poster, Antique Poster, Modern, and Christmas Poster; production lead time 2-5 days, shipping 3,500 KRW (free over 30,000 KRW), starting at 11,900 KRW per poster.
• Art Picture Frame (그림화환) Picture-frame product composed of a stand made from recycled paper and an artwork, marketed as a special gift. Includes a dedicated corporate service variant for business gifting.
• Art Salon Events (아트살롱) Ticketed offline cultural events combining art lectures with music performances (e.g., String Quintet at 40,000 KRW, Travel Label session at 20,000 KRW), with up to 20 attendees per event and after-session gallery tours and networking.
• Art Bite Newsletter (예술한입) Newsletter covering Korean auction results from K Auction and Seoul Auction, artist spotlights, exhibition recommendations, and column articles. Delivered via the Stibee platform with an archive of 53+ published issues.
• Gallery Exhibitions (갤러리) Physical exhibition programming including current and past exhibitions, curated portfolio exhibitions, traveling exhibitions, artist interviews, and guided gallery tours at the B1 gallery in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
• ASQ Services (CULTURE CLUB / ART LOUNGE / Space Rental) ASQ-branded membership and venue service bundle including CULTURE CLUB membership, ART LOUNGE space, and venue rental (공간대관) for private events.
• Corporate Art Rental (기업 전용 서비스) Dedicated art rental service for corporate clients requiring artwork for office interiors and corporate gifting, distinct from the individual consumer art rental offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ artists available through art rental service spanning established Korean masters to emerging contemporary artists

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kakao (카카오)coreTechnology or IntegrationKakao is used for social login authentication on the Art Square platform. Customers can sign in using their Kakao account (Kakao Sync). KakaoTalk Channel is also used for customer communication and support. Kakao channel public ID: _UxexdYxd.
• Naver (네이버)coreTechnology or IntegrationNaver is used for social login authentication on the Art Square platform. Customers can sign in using their Naver account. Art Square also maintains a Naver Blog (blog.naver.com/art-square) for content distribution.
• K Auction (케이옥션)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerK Auction is a major Korean art auction house. Art Square's newsletter '예술한입' regularly covers K Auction's weekly, premium, and major auction results. The newsletter includes auction result summaries, price ranges, and artist highlights from K Auction sales.
• Seoul Auction (서울옥션)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeoul Auction is a leading Korean art auction house. Art Square's newsletter regularly covers Seoul Auction's Live and Premium auction results, including their 171st Live Auction and monthly Premium auctions.
• String Quintet (스트링퀸텟)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration for Art Salon event held on July 9. String Quintet (a string quintet ensemble) performed during the art salon event at Art Square Gallery, combining classical music performance with art appreciation and gallery tours.
• Travel Label (트레블레이블)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel Label, a European guide tour specialist led by CEO Lee Yongyu, collaborated on the Art Salon event held on March 21. Lee Yongyu served as the host, presenting on art history topics (Jacques-Louis David). Travel Label is the operator of '90 Nights at the Museum' book series and former Korea Tour Guide Association.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Artnet: Long-running online art marketplace and auction database with strong Korean-market coverage. Comparable as a reference point for Art Square's auction-results newsletter content and as a competing discovery platform for collectors.
• K Auction: Major Korean art auction house whose weekly, premium, and major sales are regularly summarized in Art Square's newsletter. Comparable as a Korean art-market incumbent shaping collector demand, but operating an auction model versus Art Square's rental/retail.
• Seoul Auction: Korea's leading auction house running regular Live and Premium auctions. Comparable as a Korean art-market venue referenced in Art Square's newsletter coverage and operating in the same collector ecosystem, though at far larger scale and via auction rather than rental.
• Artsy: Global online art marketplace connecting collectors with galleries and auctions. Comparable as a digital channel for discovering and purchasing artworks from Korean and international artists that Art Square also lists, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• PKM Gallery: Established Seoul gallery focused on modern and contemporary Korean art. Comparable as a competing gallery space serving collectors and corporations interested in the same artists Art Square features in its rental catalog.
• Gallery Hyundai: One of Korea's longest-established commercial art galleries exhibiting modern and contemporary Korean masters. Directly comparable as a Seoul-based gallery representing many of the same blue-chip Korean artists (e.g., Paik Nam June, Lee Jungseop) that Art Square rents.
• Rise Art: UK-based online platform offering art rental and purchase from contemporary artists. Closest international functional comparable to Art Square's rental model with exchange mechanics, though operating in a different geography.
• Kukje Gallery: Prominent Seoul gallery with strong roster of Korean modern masters and international contemporary artists. Comparable as a competing exhibition venue for the same collector base and a potential benchmark for Art Square's gallery programming ambitions.

Emerging players

• Masterworks: US-based platform fractionalizing and reselling blue-chip artworks as investable assets. Comparable as an emerging player attempting to broaden access to fine-art investment, similar in spirit to Art Square's 'high-potential investment artworks' rental pitch.

Others

• MMCA (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea): Korea's national institution for modern and contemporary art, running exhibitions, education, and public programming. Comparable as a cultural authority that shapes Korean contemporary-art discourse referenced in Art Square's newsletter and exhibition recommendations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/artsquare_gallery
• Facebookfacebook.com/artsquarenculture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Art Square