“HYBE needs to do better”—Fans outraged over alleged poor organization and lack of promotions at BTS Taehyung’s ‘TYPE 1’ exhibition in LA

On July 30, BTS' Kim Taehyung, aka V, made news online for his Los Angeles exhibition, ARTSPACE: TYPE 1. Allegedly, several fans visited the exhibition and were outraged to see the event being organized in a small space. Additionally, they said that, in contrast to his previous shows, HYBE failed to adequately promote the event.

Visitors noted that the exhibition had only two photo walls and one merchandise register. Many fans were disappointed with the exhibit's size and presentation, even though some of them traveled from different countries to attend the showcase. They highlighted that the Los Angeles exhibition didn't even play Taehyung's music.

For the unversed, HYBE organized an exhibition, ARTSPACE: TYPE 1, to display BTS Taehyung's latest photo book pictorials for fans. The exhibition launched in Seoul on July 12 before taking off to Taipei, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Canada, Bangkok, and more.

Meanwhile, the BTS ARMY expressed their disappointment online, and one fan wrote,

"HYBE is consistently unprepared. This event felt cheap and like a cash grab, which does not reflect who BTS is. HYBE needs to do better. Also side note: it's a Taehyung exhibition, why not play his music during these events??"

BTS ARMY took over X as they tagged HYBE's official account and asked the company for an explanation.

"Hybe is a small company when it comes to Taehyung. I really don’t understand what they use the money generated by him. They go all out for anyone but not him and company stans will say “it’s the artist’s choice” This thing should really stop,they use him for money,nothing for him," one fan wrote.

"Many of us do not live in the LA area. People had to book flights and hotels only to find out that the experience they had seen in other countries, the U.S. would not get. Not sure why Hybe would do this to their US fans but someone needs to answer for this!" another fan added.

"At this point getting scammed by hybe is like smelling milk and immediately knowing it's spoilt and then pouring it in your cereal anyway," another fan commented.

Some supporters asserted that HYBE just does shoddy demonstrations and shows in an attempt to earn more profits from tickets.

"If only there was a way to show your discontent as a consumer to the company and make them comply to your demands," one other fan said.

"So disgusting. They use his image, make money from his fans, empty his fans' pockets, treat his fans like limitless ATMs and they treat him worse than anything," another fan retorted.

"This is getting ridiculous day by day! They just want to damage his artistry and to limit his exposure especially in US," one fan wrote.

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More about BTS Taehyung's ARTSPACE: TYPE 1 exhibition

HYBE released Taehyung's solo photo book, TYPE 1, on July 9, 2024. In honor of the photo book release, HYBE organized the ARTSPACE: TYPE 1 exhibition in major cities across the world. Furthermore, the photo book is available on Weverse Shop and other retailers like Cokodive.

The photobook is centered around the Love Me Again singer-songwriter's own style and moments of leisure between 2022 and 2023. Throughout the exhibition, fans got an opportunity to have a closer look at the BTS idol's peaceful moments and purchase merchandise items from the on-site stores.

Here are the confirmed dates and venues for the ARTSPACE: TYPE 1 exhibition:

• Seoul, South Korea — Platform-L, July 12 – July 21
• Bangkok, Thailand — EmQuartier, July 12 – July 19
• Taipei, Taiwan — Breeze Nan Shan, July 12 – July 21
• Vancouver, Canada — Metropolis at Metrotown, July 12 – July 21
• Los Angeles, U.S. — Edgemar, July 26 – August 17
• Tokyo, Japan — 9th SyBuilding, July 21 – August 29

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In other news, BTS Taehyung enlisted in the military on December 12, 2024, and is currently serving in the Special Duty Team (SDT) unit. He will return in June 2025.