#her being given these opportunities and still accumulating new fans is honestly inspiring

[legendoftherisingtide]

I feel like I’m falling in love with Jaiden all over again. Shoutout to the ones who were there in her animations days! But also a huge welcome to all the new fans of her new content. Like it is unbelievable that a childhood hero is still reaching new audiences and people, I am so happy.

[hallyuandthephilippines]

The Wings Chronicles – A BTS Exhibit For A Cause

Last September 2, I attended The Wings Chronicles exhibit here in Manila, which featured fan arts and photographs of the popular group Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단) also known as BTS . The two-day non-profit event was attended by numerous Filipino fans and was organized by Army Box.

I spoke to Rosie, head of Army Box, to get to know more about the Wings Chronicles Exhibit and the team behind it. “Army Box is a fan artists community with the goal of providing artistic BTS-related products in terms of goods and services by collaborating with different fansites, fanbases and organizations that will help uplift the image of BTS. It was officially established last year August 19, 2016. The team consists of 30 members from Philippines and USA.”

The Wings Chronicles Exhibit made its first stop in the Philippines, holding it in both Cebu and Manila, followed by Bangkok and Singapore. Just like BTS, The Wings Chronicles is also ‘touring’ different countries. So better check out the list of places they will go to at the end of this article to see if they are making a stop in your city.

It was definitely fun to be in a room full of Armys (fanclub name of BTS), all full of admiration and appreciation for the group. What makes the Wings Chronicles exhibit different from other BTS exhibits I’ve seen is that they are doing the event for a cause, as the proceeds will be donated under the name of BTS to humanitarian charities such as War Child USA Organization, St. Jude Children's Research and UNICEF. This is what drew me to the event all the more. In the Manila stop, there was also a photobooth set-up that fans availed of to commemorate the day with their friends. The accumulated cash from that section was said to have been donated to the children of Marawi, a place in Mindanao Island in the Philippines that is currently in the midst of a heated war between the local troops and armed Maute-ISIS group. Over the years I’ve seen donations using the names of the groups they idolize being common, especially fans of Korean artists, and I’m glad that besides supporting our favorite singers…we’re also making a difference.

Rosie explained that the Wings Chronicles concept actually started on a whim. “The admins (of Army Box) were planning about doing a whole year project in relation and likeness of how BTS has given everyone opportunities. We decided to pursue Global Embarkation, a two part project that focuses on extending help to our fellow Armys and mankind. The first part of this series was entitled, “Army Meets What”, which was held from January to June in celebration of BTS 4th Year Anniversary. For the second part, we are now going on a journey for a worldwide exhibit in collaboration with different fansites and fanbases carrying the title, “Wings Chronicles: The Exhibit��.

The team decided to hold the Wings Chronicles exhibit in places where Wings Tour happened. We wanted to share, relive and reminisce the experience of attending the concert with fellow Armys who were not able to do so and of course to meet Armys in different parts of the world. The exhibit will be held in different countries mainly, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, United States of America, Canada, Malaysia, Hongkong and South Korea.

It takes about 2-3months to organize each stop…from venues, set up & layout and other details. The team for each exhibit also vary by country. It usually ranges from 5 and above. There is about 25 fan artists consisting of Army Box members that produced fine artworks for the exhibit.”

Fellow ‘fangirls’ who I talked to after the Wings Chronicles exhibit stated that they highly recommend going to these kinds of events. “It’s like attending a concert” One excitedly said. While another thought that being surrounded with fellow fans helped her have fun and gain new friends. I noticed that a lot of the girls who met up on the day were just friends via the internet before, the event gave them a chance to personally meet each other to put a face behind their usernames…or what is called ‘meeting mutuals’ in today’s terms.

There were numerous photos and fan arts that the fans in the event’s place gush over. If you know the ‘heart eyes’ emoji on your phone, that’s the expression all of the attendees had. Background music of BTS was played all throughout which made fans ecstatic, we sang along and even did the fan chants all together.  Honestly I am very envious of people who can draw because I simply can’t, so I really admire the fan arts. Instead of the usual paintings that we grew up seeing in our homes, I imagine KPOP fans having these fanarts and framed photos of their idols as part of the interior design.

(The Wings Chronicles Exhibit held at the BTS Brick Live Café in Bangkok. Photo courtesy of Wingschronicles)

I was also able to interview one of the fan artists that participated in the exhibit, Giulia, who creates art featuring BTS as a hobby.  

“Getting to participate in events such as exhibits like the Wings Chronicles is an opportunity to me. It's an opportunity for me to share my art and interact with people. It is also an opportunity for me to learn. I learn to improve myself as an artist, getting to know what people like or what they appreciate. Also, picking up details here and there.

I only started my art account (@tiramijuu) last January 2017, but I already have been doing fanarts around June last year. Instagram was my first source for any BTS updates when I got into the fandom, and I'd always see fanarts posted by accounts I followed. I got inspired by them. I decided, why not give it a try? I had a talent for drawing and this could become a way for me to improve my craft. So, I started posting them on my personal account, then later on opened an art account. I draw because I want to, because I like it. I enjoy what I'm doing, and that for me, is very important.”

For Giulia, she still feels overwhelmed whenever people post pictures of merchandise featuring her artwork. “Their reactions and feedback are rooms for improvement. This is also a main reason why I like participating in these events, it's because I get joy from people seeing my art. Simple compliments of 'It's very cute' or 'I really like it' already makes me smile from ear to ear. Overall, I greatly appreciate it and am really glad.”

A lot of people have noted that the KPOP market has been oversaturated, with more and more Korean groups and singers debuting almost every month. So I was curious what made BTS stand out for Giulia and turn her into a fan. “Their playful nature attracted me. However, their music, pulled me right in and sealed the deal. I really love the music they produce, it speaks to the heart. And the fact that they talk about unusual topics made me stay. And also, the creative cinematography and storyline of their music videos had me sold.”

As BTS somewhat brought out Giulia’s creative side more, I too can relate. As shy as I am, I never thought I’d put myself out there by creating content on Youtube, stepping out of my comfort zone and to share my feelings all spurred by my love for Korean pop culture. I can say that BTS became an influence for me to lessen my self-doubt and just take the jump.

If you’re also a big fan of BTS and want to ‘fangirl’ for a cause, here is the list of the upcoming places where the Wings Chronicles’ will be held. Do follow them on twitter (@WingsChronicles) for updates, registration, additional dates, etc.  Aside from the confirmed dates below, they are also planning to bring the event to HongKong and South Korea.

 SINGAPORE: Visual Arts Center

Sept 23 - 24

 USA

*CALIFORNIA: Prime Mid-City Gallery Event Space, Los Angeles.

October 7 - 8 2017

*NEW YORK: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

October 14, 2017

 CANADA

*VANCOUVER: The Space Art Gallery

October 21-22

*TORONTO: Diverse Character Studio

Oct 28-29

 INDONESIA: Qubicle Senopati, Jakarta.

November 11-12

 MALAYSIA: Makespace LG2, Kuala Lumpur

November 18-19              

Photos:

 Nadine Postigo

Wings Chronicles Twitter

Giulia