SK Group is using the space left empty by director Noh So-young's Art Center Nabi within the SK Headquarters Cerin Building in Jongno, Seoul, as an employee-only area. Art Center Nabi has moved near Gyeongbokgung Palace, and director Noh is reportedly studying the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, while traveling domestically and internationally.
The space on the 4th floor of SK Cerin Building that Art Center Nabi vacated in October last year has recently undergone remodeling and is now used as a meeting room and rest area, which employees can reserve. This location was operated by Art Center Nabi for about 24 years as a media art gallery, office, cafe, and more.
Having moved into Cerin Building in December 2000, Art Center Nabi has been in conflict with SK since continuing to use the space even after its lease contract expired in September 2019. Although the owner of Cerin Building is SK REIT, SK Innovation had rented it and entered into a sublease agreement to rent it back to Art Center Nabi.
SK Innovation filed a lawsuit for real estate recovery against Art Center Nabi in April 2023, following the divorce proceedings of Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, and director Noh. The court ruled in June last year that Art Center Nabi must vacate the premises, and director Noh's side did not appeal, vacating the space in October of the same year.
After leaving Cerin Building, Art Center Nabi moved its office near Seochon close to Gyeongbokgung Station and is currently operating an art gallery near Anguk Station. Director Noh is balancing caring for her children while continuing activities related to Art Center Nabi, and she sometimes spends time with her daughter and son-in-law near San Francisco, California, where her younger daughter Min-jeong lives after getting married last year, or visits her eldest son who lives in New York.
Director Noh is known to have a strong interest in AI, as Art Center Nabi focuses on media art that combines art and the latest technologies. He has also interacted with entrepreneurs and scholars by visiting AI and deep learning-related companies or institutions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Director Noh has been involved in the field of media art for over 25 years. For several years now, Art Center Nabi has been planning and conducting AI-related educational programs and workshops for creators and the general public. In May of this year, it will host the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), the world's largest media art event, in Seoul, in collaboration with the Seoul City and Seoul National University.