Each Frieze season, Seoul dives into a vibrant art atmosphere with a series of satellite programs, with Paradise Art Night being the most anticipated opening event. This is an art-and-entertainment soirée co-hosted by the Paradise City complex (near Incheon Airport), bringing together exhibitions, performances, and interactions between the worlds of art, fashion, and music.

This year, international media highlighted Paradise Art Night 2025 for its world-clαѕѕ performances, including a special stage by Paris Opera Ballet Étoiles Hugo Marchand and Hannah O’Neill to celebrate Art Week, emphasizing the spirit of cross-cultural exchange in contemporary art.

Alongside many other major stars such as BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, Rosé, Lisa and Eric Nam, RM and V were invited as representatives of the music industry’s finest. Their appearance quickly became a trending topic on social media, with fans sharing photos and videos of their elegant, approachable moments during the party.

However, some clips recorded by attendees sparked discussion among fans. One video, which gained around 100k interactions, showed the two idols watching a ballet-inspired performance featuring a group of female dancers in short, tight costumes, moving in an apparently chaotic composition — each “dancing in a different style.”

Although the idols’ and guests’ expressions during this performance were not clearly captured, many netizens were left puzzled by the “artistic intention” behind it. Certain segments were even considered somewhat provocative, given the presence of high-profile celebrity guests and numerous au∂ιєnce cameras.

Paradise Art Night, meanwhile, is designed as a crossover of art, performance, and nightlife. So, beyond the highbrow ballet piece that was confirmed by reputable press outlets, the rest of the night typically includes performances, installations, or club sets curated by event partners and guest artists.

As such, ѕєχy or provocative performances are not uncommon at these art-party after-events — the goal is often to create a visually and emotionally explosive experience for the creative industry’s networking night.

While the performance arguably matched the “art-party” concept, the controversy lies in its execution: the loose composition, lack of synchronization, and rather suggestive costumes — with minimal artistic depth — left some fans feeling it was “hard to digest” in a space full of celebrity guests.

The debate is still very active online, with fans sharing a wide range of opinions, including:

- Bruh genuinely curious what are they doing!? What type of dance is this ????

- Seems like contemporary x interpretative dance, its just purely based on feelings and reaction to the music. But doesn’t it look kind of weird?

- i see a lot of people questioning the dance style, how i see it its contemporary x interpretative dance, which uses movement to express emotions or ideas rather than technical aspects of dance. it's a very 'artsy' way of dancing i'd say and you either hate or love it.

- Sorry but is it art? To me, it felt kind of chaotic and didn’t seem to have a clear artistic concept, especially for an event this big

- People need to remember this is an art party, not a mainstream concert. These kinds of experimental, free-form performances are literally the point — they challenge you, make you think, and create conversation

- It was pretty fitting for Paradise Art Night. Everyone there seemed engaged, including the guests — RM and V were watching so attentively, which says a lot about their respect for the performers

- I think it looked a bit messy and lacked a clear artistic direction for such a major event

- Honestly, I couldn’t tell what the performance was trying to say. It just looked like random movements in revealing outfits — kind of off for such a high-profile night

- Not gonna lie, it felt awkward watching that clip. The staging didn’t seem well thought out and the vibe felt a little too chaotic

- Art is supposed to be provocative sometimes. Just because it's not a perfect synchronized K-pop stage doesn’t mean it lacks meaning. I loved that it felt raw and spontaneous

- This wasn’t giving ‘art’ to me… more like a rushed rehearsal. For a party with so many celebrities, I expected soмєтнing more polished