COMPANY World Affair

The red-brick house below Namsan already looked unusual from the facade

If you walk a little uphill from Hoehyeon Station, a red-brick building appears. It is a complex cultural space called piknic, and this time the front of the building was covered with a bunch of folk-like forms that seemed to have jumped out of a fairy tale, so even from far away I thought, “Ah, that’s the place.” It is where the Helsinki-based design studio COMPANY is holding its solo exhibition, COMPANY World Affair — Searching for the Secret of Making the Whole World. COMPANY is a designer duo created in 2000 by Korean Aamu Song and Finnish Johan Olin. The studio has collaborated with brands such as Artek, Marimekko, and Hermès, but what the two have actually devoted the past 20 years to is a “secret project” in which they visit artisans in small towns around the world and make objects together.

What makes this exhibition special is that, unlike a typical design retrospective, it is not arranged chronologically or by series. Instead, it follows the journeys they took through Russia, Mexico, Japan, Peru, Pakistan, India, and Korea, telling the stories of the people behind each object. There is an installation with about 270 matryoshka dolls from Russia filling an entire room, a wall mural drawn by the artist, and even a telephone that plays stories about the project when you pick up the receiver. The exhibition runs from April 3 to September 6, 2026, and is closed on Mondays.

Buy tickets in advance, wear comfortable shoes — a foreign traveler’s day route

The first thing to secure is a ticket. Admission for adults is 15,000 won, and I booked in advance through Naver Reservation. You can also purchase tickets via 29CM or Kakao. On crowded weekend afternoons, there can be a wait to enter, so it feels more comfortable to reserve a specific time slot ahead of time. Viewing hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with last admission at 5:00 p.m. If you want to see everything at a relaxed pace, I recommend going in the morning or early afternoon.

The route is easy. After getting off at Hoehyeon Station on Line 4, take Exit 4, go straight up the left road to the end of the hill, then turn left again to reach the main entrance. It is said to be about a 3-minute walk, but because it is uphill it feels a little longer, so sneakers are a good choice. You can also use Exit 3. Valet parking is available, but since it is an urban hill, I strongly recommend public transportation.

The building is divided into an exhibition space on the lower floors and a cafe and dining area on the upper floors. After finishing the exhibition and going upstairs, the layout continues into a one-table cafe, a wine bar with more than 60 kinds of wine, and even French dining, making it perfect for a half-day outing. There was no need to prepare cash in advance when entering. Both reservations and payment were handled through apps and cards.

The sound of a wooden gong in Yeongcheon and a rooftop “human bird”

One especially welcome point for Korean visitors in this exhibition is that three new works created in collaboration with Korean artisans are being shown for the first time. Among them, a wooden gong made with an artisan whose family has carried on the craft for three generations in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, is installed together with its actual sound when struck, so this is not an exhibition to be seen only with the eyes but also heard through sound. Standing in front of it, I felt as if the time spent carving wood was resonating through sound, so I stayed there for quite a while.

On the long curved table, objects from around the world are lined up. There are “dance shoes” that overlay childhood memories onto traditional Finnish felt shoes, Pakistani woodcarvings, a “tree of life” inspired by Mexican crafts, and sculptures derived from Japanese kokeshi dolls. Each item comes with a deeply personal and warm story, so reading the explanations was a real pleasure. At the end of the route, on the 4th-floor rooftop, there is a work called “Human Bird.” It is said to embody a being that, after doing its duty, makes room for the next person, and seeing it on the rooftop with the Namsan view made it feel like the perfect place to end the exhibition.

Things that are easier to know in advance

This is not an exhibition with very dense English guidance. Still, because COMPANY itself is an international team moving between Finland and Korea, the main explanations are provided in English as well, and since the works are strongly centered on form and story, it is fairly easy to follow with your eyes and senses even without understanding the language. That said, if you want to learn more deeply about the stories behind each object, having a translation app will make the experience much richer.

Here are a few practical tips.

• Tickets: Advance booking available through Naver Reservation, 29CM, and Kakao; adult admission 15,000 won. Reservations are recommended for weekend afternoons
• Closed: Every Monday. Be sure to check the day to avoid a wasted trip
• Facilities: Lockers, umbrella storage, and a nursing room are available on the 1st floor of the main building, making it easy to store bags and umbrellas
• Clothing: Because of the uphill walk, wear comfortable shoes, and bring an outer layer in case of weather since there is rooftop viewing

If you are curious about the day’s operating hours or any program changes, I recommend checking the official page once more before heading out.

Who I would recommend this to

This exhibition is perfect for anyone who wants to slowly trace the time embedded in handmade objects amid things that are quickly consumed and forgotten. Travelers interested in design and crafts, or anyone wanting to spend a quiet half-day near Namsan, will not regret it. If you finish by viewing the exhibition, feeling the breeze on the rooftop, and having a glass of wine, your day in Seoul will stay with you for a long time.