This study proposes media art as a novel form of visual content utilizing advertising installations within subway station environments, which are frequently used by residents of the Seoul metropolitan area. The research was designed with the aim of de...
This study proposes media art as a novel form of visual content utilizing advertising installations within subway station environments, which are frequently used by residents of the Seoul metropolitan area. The research was designed with the aim of demonstrating that media art can elicit more positive emotional responses than conventional advertisements currently displayed in subway stations.
Seoul Metro, the most widely used mode of transportation in the metropolitan area, operates 11 lines and 489 trains, running 5,062 times per day. An analysis of public data provided by Seoul Metro reveals that out of 286 subway stations, only 86 are equipped with installed artworks, whereas more than twice that number lack such installations. In contrast, a significantly greater number of advertising installations are utilized in these station environments.
Given this context, there is a need to enhance these advertising facilities to serve as improved public infrastructure. Existing public media art displayed via digital advertisements is subject to the “Ordinance on the Management of Outdoor Advertisements and Promotion of the Outdoor Advertising Industry” by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. This regulation mandates that at least 20% of display time per hour must be allocated to public-purpose content. Furthermore, specific methods for displaying such public-purpose advertisements must comply with guidelines set by the head of the department overseeing promotional affairs, based on input from local district offices.
Despite these developments, there remains a lack of research on media art in indoor subway station settings, where advertising is exposed at a closer range than outdoor media. This study aims to determine whether media art can elicit more positive emotional responses compared to the advertisements that currently dominate visual content in subway stations.
To proceed, the study first identified the types of visual content currently displayed on advertising installations. Based on this, three types of content were selected for comparison: commercial advertisements, public media art, and autonomous creative media art. A literature review was conducted, and a comparative experimental design was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of each content type.
A total of 18 visual stimuli were prepared—six for each category. Evaluation criteria included flow, perceived restorativeness, and entertainment gratifications. The visual stimuli for advertisements and public media art were selected via YouTube, while autonomous creative media art was produced using 3D graphics software. These were composited into videos filmed in subway stations.
A total of 36 participants (19 male, 17 female) viewed the stimuli and completed a survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0, applying reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses.
The experimental results are as follows:
A significant difference in flow was found between commercial advertisements and public media art.
There was no significant difference in the "fun" factor of entertainment gratification across content types.
A significant difference was observed in the “lasting impression” factor between advertisements and both public and autonomous creative media art.
Through the literature review and experimental findings, the study confirms that public media art shown in subway stations can induce greater flow than advertisements. Furthermore, both public and autonomous creative media art left a more lasting impression than advertisements.
This research investigates how advertising and media art within subway environments affect passengers’ experiences in terms of flow, perceived restorativeness, and entertainment gratification. The results serve as foundational research for developing public facilities that can evoke positive emotional responses through the continued advancement of media art utilizing advertising infrastructure.