Kia Celebrates 'Opposites United' Design Philosophy at 2023 Milan Design Week

• Kia's 'Opposites United' design philosophy to be showcased in global design exhibition
• Event takes place from 17th to 23rd April at the Museo della Permanente in Milan, Italy
• Key Kia designers including Karim Habib to present the brand's design vision
• Design approach entails tackling the mobility challenges of today with a vision for tomorrow

MILAN and SEOUL, South Korea, April 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia is presenting its brand design philosophy, 'Opposites United' at the 2023 Milan Design Week. The event will see the philosophy, which involves combining contrasting qualities and finding synergies between opposing concepts, illustrated in a series of art pieces on display from April 17-23 at the Museo della Permanente in Milan, Italy.

The exhibition's theme, 'Opposites United,' reflects Kia's design philosophy, which takes inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity. Immersive media art installations will be displayed across seven exhibition halls, inviting visitors to experience Kia's design vision for a new era of sustainable mobility through video, sound, and sculpture.

The art exhibition, which premiered at the 2021 Gwangju Design Biennale in Korea to critical acclaim, will also feature an event space with a stage and forum for talks and keynotes. Here, top design executives - Karim Habib, Head of Kia Global Design Center; Teckkoun Kim, Head of Kia Next Design Group; Jochen Paesen, Head of Kia Next Design Interior Group; and Gregory Guillaume, Head of Kia Europe Design Center - will elaborate on the 'Opposites United' installation and discuss Kia´s design vision.

"We hope that this exhibition will convey the sincerity of Kia Design, which seeks to communicate our essential design values and commitments to our customers in an innovative manner," said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center.

Five key design pillars

'Opposites United' is based on five key design pillars, each of which will be illustrated in a dedicated space as part of the exhibition: Bold for Nature, Joy for Reason, Power to Progress, Technology for Life, and Tension for Serenity.

Arriving visitors will be greeted at an entrance space showing the concept behind the Kia design philosophy exhibition. Attendees can intuitively experience the concept of 'Opposites United' through the archiving section, where they can briefly see the preparation process of the exhibition in order to build anticipation for the exhibition itself. The next stop is the Opposites Lobby, a space containing a message that allows visitors who are new to Kia's design philosophy to experience the basic concept of 'Opposites United' more intuitively.

Following the Opposites Lobby are five unique spaces, each embodying one of the five key design principles of 'Opposites United'. In addition, throughout the course of the week, each day will be dedicated to one of the five key design principles.

"Kia's 'Opposites United' design philosophy represents far more than just the way our cars look, it is a reflection of the brand's determination to compatibly further two vital fields which have come to be at odds with one another: human wellbeing and environmental sustainability," says Ho Sung Song, Kia President and CEO. "By adopting the 'Opposites United' ethos across our current and future models, we hope not only to demonstrate Kia's ability to innovate, and create products which go beyond fulfilling the needs of our customers to enrich their experiences as well, but to do so with a vision that also leaves a legacy for future generations."

For more information about Kia's design philosophy, please visit: www.kianewscenter.com 

SOURCE Kia Corporation