What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘sustainability’?

For me, the weekly recycling routine was the first thing that came to mind. I also considered deliberately refusing single-use items when ordering delivery food or bringing a reusable shopping bag instead of plastic bags when grocery shopping.

Those passionate about the environment might be taking sustainability even further—using refill products or switching from regular shampoo to solid soap bars. While ‘sustainability’ has indeed woven itself into many people’s daily lives, it’s also true that the word still feels daunting and burdensome to some.

We know in our hearts that it’s necessary, but when it comes to taking action, we often find ourselves hesitating. Perhaps we’ve been accepting ‘sustainability’ as a rigid framework or a standard of righteousness. Or maybe we’ve kept it at arm’s length, as something that happens to other people—a cause we support from the sidelines rather than actively engage with.

This exhibition began with exactly these concerns.

We decided to break free from our conventional understanding of ‘sustainability’ and view it through a different lens, asking questions like “What if we thought about it this way?” and “Couldn’t this approach work too?”

When you listen to people who have been pursuing various sustainability initiatives, you discover practices born from completely unexpected ideas and the remarkable meanings they hold. Through this process, we naturally realize that ‘sustainability’ isn’t limited to just a few prescribed methods. What truly matters is practicing it in your way within your own life and circumstances, and continuing that practice consistently. When we do this, ‘sustainability’ expands in broader and more diverse directions.

We’re not suggesting that the approaches presented in this exhibition are superior to others. Rather than offering definitive answers or fixed directions, this exhibition focuses on the possibility that each person can interpret and sustain these values in their way. After all, sustainability isn’t just about practice—it’s also about the attitude with which we approach and continue it.

There are far more ways to practice ‘sustainability’ than we might think. Even when heading in the same direction, the form of practice can vary from person to person. Suppose you’ve ever asked yourself questions like “How can I practice sustainability?” or “Could this also be a form of sustainability?”. In that case, we hope this exhibition can provide a slight hint toward answering those questions. We hope it becomes an opportunity to start at least one small but meaningful practice in your daily life.

The <Sustainable is Beautiful: A New Perspective on Beauty> exhibition ran for about a month, starting February 27th at Amore Busan.

The two-floor exhibition space showcased various interpretations of sustainability through the different perspectives and languages of creators. In the video room at the exhibition’s starting point, visitors could watch a documentary that captured the new perspectives on sustainability and practical processes that artists and designers had discovered through their collaboration with Amorepacific. This darkened space, designed for immersive viewing, enables visitors to directly experience concerns we hadn’t previously noticed and creative solutions to address them.

In the video room, visitors can also see artist Haneul Kim’s stool made from discarded mask scraps. Under the theme of ‘Discarded Value,’ this work extends beyond simple recycling to explore how discarded resources can be leveraged to generate new value.

In the space following the video viewing, visitors can see how empty bottles destined for disposal can be reborn as artistic objects. The flake frames that preserve the texture and colors of the bottles, along with stacks of flake pieces, reveal unexpected beauty in waste materials we might have overlooked.

Going up one floor, visitors can appreciate bench and stool pieces created by combining concrete with bottle flakes. These works demonstrate that a design capable of being loved over time can be an essential method of practicing sustainability.

In the mirror room, toys that were once children’s companions are displayed in an infinitely reflecting space. This work awakens us to the irony that toys created to be loved by children can paradoxically become objects that pose the greatest threat to them. It prompts us to reflect on how our everyday consumption affects the environment and reconsider the items we consume.

In the center of the exhibition space, everyday materials commonly used and discarded—like paper, glass, and plastic—are displayed as works reborn through creative ideas. The exhibition is designed to show not only finished products but also intermediate processes, allowing visitors to feel the infinite possibilities of sustainable design.

In the final exhibition space, goods and accessories reinterpreted from discarded uniforms are on display. Through these goods and accessories made from old uniforms discarded due to design renewals, we come to see clothing not merely as consumer goods but as a possibility for creating new value.

The furniture by tuuk, made from corrugated cardboard, showcases another aspect of sustainable design that combines both practicality and beauty.

This exhibition introduces various perspectives and methods on ‘sustainability,’ beginning with the hope that each of us might find small opportunities for practice in our daily lives. It doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is practicing and upholding these values in our way, within our daily lives.
“How can I practice sustainability in my way?” This was the most fundamental question that came to mind while planning the exhibition.
If this exhibition has been able to plant this question in your hearts, I believe that alone makes it a meaningful experience. ‘Sustainability’ isn’t the practice of someone special—it’s a story we’re all creating together, including everyone reading this right now.

To share the campaign’s purpose with more customers, the exhibition is being held once more at the APMA Cabinet on the first floor of the Yongsan Headquarters from May 30 to July 27. At the APMA Cabinet, in addition to the works from the Busan exhibition, visitors can also see objects made from idle SCM equipment and cushions upcycled from discarded Amorepacific brand uniforms.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to artist Haneul Kim, CEO Junsung Park, artist Hyungjun Sim, designer Yukyoung Oh, CEOs Hyungseok Kang and Hyunwoo Cho, and all the Creative Center designers who provided diverse inspiration for sustainability through the CP Project, for profoundly empathizing with and participating in this exhibition.

[Exhibition Overview]
- Title: Sustainable is Beautiful (A New Perspective on Beauty)
- Period: May 30, 2025 - July 27, 2025
- Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11:00-19:00 / Closed Mondays
- Location: APMA CABINET (1F Amorepacific, 100 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
- Admission: Free