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BTS Art Revolution
Recently, a seven-member boy band from Korea called BTS has captivated the globe, forming the most massive and powerful fandom in history. The BTS phenomenon reaches far beyond the typical achievements of pop as Jiyoung Lee illustrates, the changes that have been shown by BTS and their fandom ARMY are not confined to the music industry, but symptomatically shows significant sociocultural changes and revolutionary mutations in art, as well as a Zeitgeist or the political unconscious of the present age.
Lee argues that BTS has made fissures in the oppressive hierarchical structure of existing society and analyzes the socio-critical implications of BTS’ lyrics as a kind of patricide on a social level. Their tendency toward horizontality is not limited to their message, but further inspires fans’ grassroots movements to bring about diverse sociocultural changes. Examining the relation between BTS and their fandom as well as BTS’ online-network-based art form through the concept of Gilles Deleuze, “Rhizome,” she further proposes novel concepts, “network-image” and “sharing value,” which are crucial to understanding the contemporary era’s art form based on the mobile network platform.
Lee argues that BTS has made fissures in the oppressive hierarchical structure of existing society and analyzes the socio-critical implications of BTS’ lyrics as a kind of patricide on a social level. Their tendency toward horizontality is not limited to their message, but further inspires fans’ grassroots movements to bring about diverse sociocultural changes. Examining the relation between BTS and their fandom as well as BTS’ online-network-based art form through the concept of Gilles Deleuze, “Rhizome,” she further proposes novel concepts, “network-image” and “sharing value,” which are crucial to understanding the contemporary era’s art form based on the mobile network platform.
- GenresNonfictionArtCultural
196 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2019
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608 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 18, 2019
This book truly surprised me as I thought it is a light reading book, like any other book that I have found. Why I have such a thought? Perhaps, it is because I literally thought the book is going to explain about Behind The Success and that is it. Pardon of my ignorance, this book offers more than that surprisingly!
The book offers you in depth discussion about their socio-critical lyrics, Behind The Story of MV and additional videos (e,g, concert DVD, online installation videos), and analysis of Behind The Strong Supporters called A.R.M.Y. BUT what made this book interesting is how the author use her “different angled” approach in writing this book, which is incorporating her doctorate study and her published work.
This proven through her writing where the author connects Gilles Deleuze’s rhizomatic system but in a logical manner and cleverly explained. Although this is my first time reading about philosophical ideas in terms of media art, I found it interesting and I must say I learned a lot about this so-called new world to me. Otherwise, I don’t bother to know about media theory and such.
Although the book is written that way and some might find that this book is somewhat heavy, I love this book whole-heartedly. In fact, I love how the language can be easily understood and digested and kudos not only must be given to writer but also to the translator team that managed to maintain the text as ‘user-friendly’. This made me happy while reading it especially English is my 2nd language. Before I end my review, I would like to share this excerpt taken from the book,
“…it remains difficult to proudly reveal to colleagues…that one is an active member of an idol fan club”
This phrase really hit me the most, because.. I am an Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth! But is not easy to reveal that openly, not at my working place. Hope one day, I can confess it openly and before that, perhaps I should let them read this book 1st so that they can open up their eyes and minds!
The book offers you in depth discussion about their socio-critical lyrics, Behind The Story of MV and additional videos (e,g, concert DVD, online installation videos), and analysis of Behind The Strong Supporters called A.R.M.Y. BUT what made this book interesting is how the author use her “different angled” approach in writing this book, which is incorporating her doctorate study and her published work.
This proven through her writing where the author connects Gilles Deleuze’s rhizomatic system but in a logical manner and cleverly explained. Although this is my first time reading about philosophical ideas in terms of media art, I found it interesting and I must say I learned a lot about this so-called new world to me. Otherwise, I don’t bother to know about media theory and such.
Although the book is written that way and some might find that this book is somewhat heavy, I love this book whole-heartedly. In fact, I love how the language can be easily understood and digested and kudos not only must be given to writer but also to the translator team that managed to maintain the text as ‘user-friendly’. This made me happy while reading it especially English is my 2nd language. Before I end my review, I would like to share this excerpt taken from the book,
“…it remains difficult to proudly reveal to colleagues…that one is an active member of an idol fan club”
This phrase really hit me the most, because.. I am an Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth! But is not easy to reveal that openly, not at my working place. Hope one day, I can confess it openly and before that, perhaps I should let them read this book 1st so that they can open up their eyes and minds!
August 12, 2019
The most interesting part about BTS Art Revolution was how the book started out with the most obvious place to for a material written about a musical act begins - lyrics and music videos. From there it progresses into a discussion of social frameworks and artform and elevates discussion to the levels of principles and platforms. It then closes it with the introduction of frameworks that apply itself to the concept surrounding BTS.
This is a classic depiction of the journey of an ARMY. It starts from the most obvious place - the music and it’s core elements. From there an ARMY will deep dive into the message, the impact of the message in their lives and will then expand into involvement in the community. From this involvement the level of engagement increases and the depth of understanding of who BTS really is not just for oneself but for others also increases.
The book is not an easy read as it tries to navigate the complex world of Philosophy and align it with the equally complex world that BTS has created. But it is a meaningful and worthy experience for those who are looking for alternative ways of understanding the BTS phenomenon.
This is a classic depiction of the journey of an ARMY. It starts from the most obvious place - the music and it’s core elements. From there an ARMY will deep dive into the message, the impact of the message in their lives and will then expand into involvement in the community. From this involvement the level of engagement increases and the depth of understanding of who BTS really is not just for oneself but for others also increases.
The book is not an easy read as it tries to navigate the complex world of Philosophy and align it with the equally complex world that BTS has created. But it is a meaningful and worthy experience for those who are looking for alternative ways of understanding the BTS phenomenon.
July 25, 2022
What a gem! This is an academic sociological explanation of the "BTS Phenomenon," which is something we all know exists and that we participate in, but our brilliant author has actually put into words. How she found the words, I do not know, but she is one incredibly smart ARMY! She has pinpointed and defined exactly how BTS and ARMY have a horizontal friendship, a beautiful phenomenon that exists nowhere else in the global music industry. I am proud to be a tiny participant, a proud ARMY mom, and super proud of the author for her contribution to the BTS fandom.
💜 Lee Jiyoung, FIGHTING! 💜
💜 Lee Jiyoung, FIGHTING! 💜
January 31, 2020
You may have heard of BTS, a seven members boy group from South Korea, that is taking over the world.
“BTS, Art Revolution: BTS meets Deleuze” is the only existing english-written book which analyzes BTS’ artistic production from an academic point of view, giving it value and meaning.
Not surprisingly, it is also the only book that, although not sold by BTS’ company, was publicized by Bighit with a tweet in the official account.
The author, Dr. Jiyoung Lee, aims to analyze the so-called "BTS phenomenon" as an indicator ("seismograph") of a new artistic and cultural revolution.
For Asian musicians which sing in non-english languages, entering the dominant US music market has been, until now, almost impossible; moreover, BTS was from a minor entertainment company that couldn’t use large-scale capital and media. Especially because of such a humble beginning, their global achievement can be seen as revolutionary, and not only in reference to the music market. “BTS phenomenon is deterritorializing from the domain of music and reterritorializing as symptoms of social and cultural changes” Dr. Lee states in the first part of her book.
In their lyrics and speeches, BTS addresses diverse types of structural oppression such as injustice, inequality, and mental issues. They encourage the underdogs of society to rise together against social injustice. “Because BTS’ diagnosis of reality and call for social change exceed boundaries of nations, fans from all around the world seem to strongly empathize with the lyrics” Dr. Lee writes. “For a fan, BTS is not just a subject of worship but friends whom the fans support, help and grow alongside; and comrades who together actualize the common goal to change the world.”
To explain the relationship between BTS and ARMY, Lee uses the Deleuzian concept of “rizhome”, and depict the BTS phenomenon as a “rizhomatic revolution”, characterized by a system of multiple, horizontal and acentered connections, which replaces the traditional vertical and centered hierarchy of society.
“In this relationship [between BTS and ARMY], the stars no longer rule over the fandom from the top of the hierarchy; instead, the stars and the fans share thoughts, collaborate, and exist alongside each other” Dr. Lee explains. “The revolutionary potential thus demonstrated by BTS-ARMY multiplicity is a symptom of the people’s political unconscious about the direction in which the world must move towards following deterritorialization from neoliberal oppression.”
In the second part of the book, Dr.Lee discusses changes in art over time, and proposes BTS as precursors of a new type of art.
From religious art, whose fundamental value was worship, to the art of reproduction based on photography and films, with its exhibition value, we come to a kind of art that takes place through the mobile network, and whose main value is "sharing".
Dr. Lee presents in detail all the features of BTS' artistic production, defining it as a “open cross-referential structure” that “induces partecipation of the spectator”.
In this sense, the limit between spectator and artist gets thinner, and the spectator, through the construction of analysis, reaction and remix videos, “partecipates in the process of art production via online network, continuously generating new meaning of the artwork”. “The spectator can thus be seen as an essential actor who constitutes the network of video series that leads to a network of meaning”.
All of this cannot be described by existing categories of art, and Dr. Lee proposes the new terms of “network-image”. She also explains the difference between BTS network-image and other experimental forms of art, such as the “Net Art” or the Guggenheim Museum’s Project.
In the Appendix, Dr.Lee introduces a more detailed theoretical explanation of the network-image, with a reference to the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Walter Benjamin. This section is more difficult to understand, and it’s in my opinion mainly aimed at specialists of the field.
I’m not an english speaker, but the book is well written, and I was able to understand everything. Despite the complexity of the subject, it explains all the concepts clearly - much more clearly than I tried to summarize myself in this review.
This is why I think “BTS, Art Revolution” is a book for everyone; for ARMY, for journalists, for researcher interested in art, music, philosophy or even marketing and politics... Lee analysis may inspire other artists to create new forms of network-image; and definitely it explains why BTS are so successful and how they gained a fandom with such a high level of loyalty and dedication.
In my opinion, every ARMY should read, support and publicize this book - even and most of all with the general public - as a significant work that ratifies the value of BTS’ artistic production from an academic point of view.
Jiyoung Lee is not only a scholar - an exceptional scholar with two MAs and two PhD-, but also an ARMY herself. So her book contains many insights about BTS work, about the relationship between the group and its fandom, and about the story of their achievement - which only an ARMY can fully know and understand; and satisfactorily explains them all to the "outsider" readers.
For a long time she has been promoting BTS as artists whose work is worthy of being studied in an academic setting, and she is very active on Twitter (you can follow her account @JeeLee06767883).
She appeared also in a lot of tv shows, interviews, and she has always represented ARMY and BTS work in the best possible way. So does her book.
“BTS, Art Revolution: BTS meets Deleuze” is exhibited in the Kpop museum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
“BTS, Art Revolution: BTS meets Deleuze” is the only existing english-written book which analyzes BTS’ artistic production from an academic point of view, giving it value and meaning.
Not surprisingly, it is also the only book that, although not sold by BTS’ company, was publicized by Bighit with a tweet in the official account.
The author, Dr. Jiyoung Lee, aims to analyze the so-called "BTS phenomenon" as an indicator ("seismograph") of a new artistic and cultural revolution.
For Asian musicians which sing in non-english languages, entering the dominant US music market has been, until now, almost impossible; moreover, BTS was from a minor entertainment company that couldn’t use large-scale capital and media. Especially because of such a humble beginning, their global achievement can be seen as revolutionary, and not only in reference to the music market. “BTS phenomenon is deterritorializing from the domain of music and reterritorializing as symptoms of social and cultural changes” Dr. Lee states in the first part of her book.
In their lyrics and speeches, BTS addresses diverse types of structural oppression such as injustice, inequality, and mental issues. They encourage the underdogs of society to rise together against social injustice. “Because BTS’ diagnosis of reality and call for social change exceed boundaries of nations, fans from all around the world seem to strongly empathize with the lyrics” Dr. Lee writes. “For a fan, BTS is not just a subject of worship but friends whom the fans support, help and grow alongside; and comrades who together actualize the common goal to change the world.”
To explain the relationship between BTS and ARMY, Lee uses the Deleuzian concept of “rizhome”, and depict the BTS phenomenon as a “rizhomatic revolution”, characterized by a system of multiple, horizontal and acentered connections, which replaces the traditional vertical and centered hierarchy of society.
“In this relationship [between BTS and ARMY], the stars no longer rule over the fandom from the top of the hierarchy; instead, the stars and the fans share thoughts, collaborate, and exist alongside each other” Dr. Lee explains. “The revolutionary potential thus demonstrated by BTS-ARMY multiplicity is a symptom of the people’s political unconscious about the direction in which the world must move towards following deterritorialization from neoliberal oppression.”
In the second part of the book, Dr.Lee discusses changes in art over time, and proposes BTS as precursors of a new type of art.
From religious art, whose fundamental value was worship, to the art of reproduction based on photography and films, with its exhibition value, we come to a kind of art that takes place through the mobile network, and whose main value is "sharing".
Dr. Lee presents in detail all the features of BTS' artistic production, defining it as a “open cross-referential structure” that “induces partecipation of the spectator”.
In this sense, the limit between spectator and artist gets thinner, and the spectator, through the construction of analysis, reaction and remix videos, “partecipates in the process of art production via online network, continuously generating new meaning of the artwork”. “The spectator can thus be seen as an essential actor who constitutes the network of video series that leads to a network of meaning”.
All of this cannot be described by existing categories of art, and Dr. Lee proposes the new terms of “network-image”. She also explains the difference between BTS network-image and other experimental forms of art, such as the “Net Art” or the Guggenheim Museum’s Project.
In the Appendix, Dr.Lee introduces a more detailed theoretical explanation of the network-image, with a reference to the theories of Gilles Deleuze and Walter Benjamin. This section is more difficult to understand, and it’s in my opinion mainly aimed at specialists of the field.
I’m not an english speaker, but the book is well written, and I was able to understand everything. Despite the complexity of the subject, it explains all the concepts clearly - much more clearly than I tried to summarize myself in this review.
This is why I think “BTS, Art Revolution” is a book for everyone; for ARMY, for journalists, for researcher interested in art, music, philosophy or even marketing and politics... Lee analysis may inspire other artists to create new forms of network-image; and definitely it explains why BTS are so successful and how they gained a fandom with such a high level of loyalty and dedication.
In my opinion, every ARMY should read, support and publicize this book - even and most of all with the general public - as a significant work that ratifies the value of BTS’ artistic production from an academic point of view.
Jiyoung Lee is not only a scholar - an exceptional scholar with two MAs and two PhD-, but also an ARMY herself. So her book contains many insights about BTS work, about the relationship between the group and its fandom, and about the story of their achievement - which only an ARMY can fully know and understand; and satisfactorily explains them all to the "outsider" readers.
For a long time she has been promoting BTS as artists whose work is worthy of being studied in an academic setting, and she is very active on Twitter (you can follow her account @JeeLee06767883).
She appeared also in a lot of tv shows, interviews, and she has always represented ARMY and BTS work in the best possible way. So does her book.
“BTS, Art Revolution: BTS meets Deleuze” is exhibited in the Kpop museum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
April 26, 2020
Sometimes, we need time to understand art in its revolutionary forms.
I decide to skip the appendix of this book because I am not in a state of mind to complete and digest the heavy content.
I may return - who knows?
I decide to skip the appendix of this book because I am not in a state of mind to complete and digest the heavy content.
I may return - who knows?
March 7, 2021
Fascinating look at Deleuze’s film-philosophy connecting the “network-image” multimedia reality of today to a becoming future. Establishing BTS’s phenomenon as cultural seismograph, 이지영 (Lee Ji-Young) explores the social, artistic, and political changes we’re rapidly experiencing in the advent of internet and social media. Interesting observation on the present and future of art and art form - especially images - in our radically shifting and evolving Digital Age landscape.
September 22, 2020
I believe the book is a good read for students in the field of media and Hallyu studies as it touches on the current BTS phenomenan. The book does not confined with those field and it offer rooms for other readers to read and gain knowledge in the Kpop world. The appendix itself could spark the interest of the reader in the subject of discusssion and it is worth a read for everyone who enjoy music and cinematography of BTS.
December 15, 2019
Perhaps its a 3.5 read. The first Chapter is really insightful and good! I devoured it! Truly great! But the second Chapter about the importance of technology and the connection between the music videos was a little off for me. It was worth my time but the second part could have been better executed in my opinion.
January 20, 2022
I watched a video of hers last year on YT : https://youtu.be/Uaj1X76h2mQ
The author is a film-philosophy doctor who refers a lot to French philosophers and who states that BTS and their fans ARMY emphasize the sociocultural/media changes that occurred in society. She compares them to the concept of rhizom developped by Gilles Deleuze. The lyrics of their songs are explained, developed, referenced and the use of media (that involves more creation of media) is really captivating. I'm sorry my review isn't more developed, but I read it last year so even if I remember fully well that I loved it, understood everything and made me discover media art, that I knew about but didn't give any thought to, I should have written the review back then. The author is a doctor but the book is very approachable.
The author is a film-philosophy doctor who refers a lot to French philosophers and who states that BTS and their fans ARMY emphasize the sociocultural/media changes that occurred in society. She compares them to the concept of rhizom developped by Gilles Deleuze. The lyrics of their songs are explained, developed, referenced and the use of media (that involves more creation of media) is really captivating. I'm sorry my review isn't more developed, but I read it last year so even if I remember fully well that I loved it, understood everything and made me discover media art, that I knew about but didn't give any thought to, I should have written the review back then. The author is a doctor but the book is very approachable.
May 12, 2021
my boyfriend jungkok
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March 10, 2022Nie jestem fanką kpopu, ale w ostatnich dniach przeczytałam dwie prace dyplomowe na ten temat, kilka artykułów i jedną książkę.
Skończy się tym, że sama coś o BTS napiszę.
Skończy się tym, że sama coś o BTS napiszę.
Read
November 2, 2022Bts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews