Lina Haelin Hwang, a curator and arts manager situated in New York City, has announced a collaboration between the Korean Association of New York Artists (KANA) and Korean Air. This partnership aims to strengthen cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration among contemporary Korean artists, both in New York City and Seoul, South Korea.
KANA, founded in 2012, is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Korean creatives in New York City and by enriching the city’s diverse cultural history. With a strong network of artists and a history of successful collaborations across various creative fields, KANA has positioned itself as a dynamic presence in the arts community.
Korean Air had reached out to KANA after recognizing its unique platform for communication and its strong collection of artists. Lina Hwang, who works with the Visual Arts team at the Korean Cultural Center New York and serves as the Project Management Team Manager and Curator at KANA, believes that the alignment of KANA’s extensive artist network and the creative execution capabilities with Korean Air’s cultural values led to this opportunity.
“Korean Air reached out after recognizing KANA’s dynamic presence as an art-focused organization in New York and our strong network with a diverse range of artists,” said Hwang. “They particularly appreciated KANA’s history of collaborating across various creative fields—including contemporary art, fashion, design, and visual arts—and successfully delivering innovative projects. I believe our extensive artist network and creative execution capabilities aligned well with Korean Air’s cultural values, leading to the opportunity to collaborate.”
South Korea’s forward-thinking technology landscape has formed a strong experimental spirit in the arts, with many Korean artists using new types of media to push the art of storytelling further. One such artist is Ahyoung Kim, who combines digital video, 3D animation, and sound to construct immersive fictional worlds. Her work uses technology not just as a medium but as a platform to invent alternative realities and provoke critical engagement.
When it comes to evolving technological trends, South Korea is at the forefront of building user-centered hybrid platforms that blend technology with exciting new experiences. Live commerce, AI-based content curation, and metaverse exhibitions are already well known in South Korea and are gaining significant momentum in the West. The Korean approach emphasizes emotional and aesthetic adaptability, which is known to have a strong influence on future global cultural and creative industries.
In terms of day-to-day work, Hwang relies on a combination of digital tools, including Google Workspace, KakaoTalk, Zoom, Canva, and Figma. These tools help her manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring a clear workflow and maintaining efficiency in today’s fast-paced environment.
“ I organize my work primarily through Google Workspace, where I manage all meeting schedules, collaboration files, and project histories in a centralized cloud system,” she said. “This allows for real-time access and updates.”
For team communication, she uses KakaoTalk for quick exchanges and Zoom for meetings, when needed. “For visual materials related to exhibition planning and promotional design, I rely on Canva and Figma,” she said. “By integrating these digital tools cohesively, I can manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining a clear workflow. In today’s fast-paced environment, a structured digital system is essential for efficiency and consistency.”
As a hub within the Korean community in New York, KANA connects creatives across fields such as art, design, food, and fashion. It offers a space for collaboration, co-creation, and growth through exhibitions, talks, and pop-up events. By building unions with external institutions, brands, and art professionals, KANA assists Korean creatives reach global platforms, nurturing a creative ecosystem rooted in shared identity and mutual support.
“Korea is at the forefront of building user-centered hybrid platforms that blend technology with everyday experiences,” said Hwang. “Trends such as live commerce, AI-based content curation, and metaverse exhibitions are already well established and continue to evolve in sophisticated ways. These developments go beyond technical innovation—they propose new formats for integrating daily life with cultural content.”
This also lends itself to the arts, she notes. “In the arts, we’re seeing more interactive AR-based works and hyper-personalized digital content, both of which are gaining traction in the West,” said Hwang. “What makes Korea’s approach unique is its focus not just on technological function, but on how these technologies are sensorially experienced. This emphasis on emotional and aesthetic usability is likely to have a strong influence on future global cultural and creative industries.”
Through its collaboration with Korean Air, KANA is positioned to continue its mission of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration among contemporary Korean artists, strengthening connections between the Korean creative communities in New York and Seoul.
