To many in South Korea, “Dream Gream” (드림그림) – which in Korean means “Paint Dream” – is a unique cultural phenomenon. Marked by its active collaboration with the local community and participation in prestigious art fairs, what started out as an arts scholarship programme for young artists has achieved the rare feat of delivering large-scale social impact to the country.
Han Sung Motor Co., one of LSH Auto Holdings’s main businesses in South Korea as well as one of the largest premium auto and Mercedes-Benz dealer groups in the market, has a distinctive approach to CSR – using arts in giving back to society. “There are two reasons why we chose arts. First of all, we consider the design of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles as artworks. Secondly, we are fascinated with the potential and impact of arts for our common future,” said Han Sung Motor Co. CEO Dr. Ulf Ausprung. Paint Dream started in 2012 as an arts scholarship programme providing financial aid to highly artistic middle-school students from underprivileged backgrounds.
Soon entering its 8th year, Paint Dream has expanded to providing students with artist mentoring in fine art, digital art as well as installation art. It takes in as many as 40 students each year, and sees them through until they enter university. But Paint Dream doesn’t stop here. The vision is not purely to support the artistic and educational development of its students. More importantly, it aims to nurture the flourishing of the human being, giving them the tools, encouragement and environment to develop – and to become a responsible citizen that gives back to their community in turn. It is with this spirit that Paint Dream organises regular sessions whereby its students benefit from mentoring and co-creation opportunities with South Korea’s well-known professional artists. Paint Dream also invites “Ambassadors”, who are experienced executives at Han Sung Motor Co., as well as university mentors, to work with the students on developing real-life social skills through workshops and mentorships.
In 2017, Paint Dream students became the first amateur artists to enter Asia’s prestigious Korea International Art Fair (KIAF), where Korean artists met the world in a common market for high-quality art pieces. This year in October, Paint Dream once again took part in the KIAF, exhibiting its students’ art works in the section named Han Sung Motor Paint Dream Art Exhibition. “The idea was to give Paint Dream students, who are upcoming artists in their own right, more exposure of their artworks, and a touch of real-world feedback,” Dr. Ausprung told The Korea Herald during the Fair in Seoul. “Society grows best when industry and culture grow in harmony. When we build a business, we build it for the decades to come. So being part of the social fabric of the local community is important. We are in a long-term collaboration for Paint Dream and South Korea.” More recently, Han Sung Motor Co. has revamped the Paint Dream website to share the vision behind the programme as well as to exhibit the art works co-created by Paint Dreamstudents and professional artists.
To stay up to date on the latest news on Paint Dream and art works by its students, visit www.dream-gream.co.kr. To stay up to date on initiatives by LSH Auto Holdings and its businesses, follow us on LinkedIn.
From the end of September until early October 2018, LSH Auto China invited 100 of its valued customers to participate in the “Tibet Self-Driving Tour”, to revel in the magnificence of Tibet, and to experience driving on its stunning highways. An impressive motorcade of 50 Mercedes-Benz SUVs – including the GLS, GLE and G Series arranged by LSH Auto China – marched from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, through five colourful cities and provinces across eastern China to Lhasa, Tibet.
The unforgettable journey spanned 2,600km across different heights, meandering through highways like the G317, G214, S303, and G109. For most of the participants, the 11-day adventure was special not just for the breathtaking panorama along the endless expanse of snow. It was also their first time driving into Tibet on routes famous for their tortuous topography.
Under personalised guidance from professional instructors, the participants pushed themselves to new limits. But all this was only a precursor to the Tour’s highlight – a drive into Lhasa, the soul of Tibet, while taking in the nature, beauty and heritage of the wonderland.
As part of LSH Auto China’s initiatives to offer distinctive and best-in-class experiences to its customers, the Tour was specially organised and went through months of preparation before setting sail. All was done to meticulous details, from customer service, itinerary planning to safety and logistics. The Tour was covered throughout by 24/7 protection, including professional vehicle rescue service and medical teams, with Bridgestone as the sole partner for the provision of tyres.
Staff at LSH Auto China's Lhasa outlet, Tibet Star, also welcomed and treated the participants with a tour of the city to savour life away from the maddening crowd. Recognised as the world’s highest-altitude dealership, Tibet Star was opened in 2013 and the first authorised outlet of Mercedes-Benz in Tibet.
As the first season of the LSH Auto “Tibet Self-Driving Tour” concluded, preparation is under way for the second season of ultimate driving experiences for our customers. For more information, stay tuned to LSH Auto International's LinkedIn.
Authorized Porsche dealer SSCL (Stuttgart Sports Cars) received an Excellence Award from Seoul Metropolitan Government during the 16th Seoul Welfare Awards Ceremony held at the Seoul City Hall. It is the second CSR award received this year, following an appreciation plaque rewarded in April 2018 from the Korea Association of Welfare Institutions for Persons with Disabilities, a dedicated institution positioned under the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea.
Since 2016, SSCL has been conducting ‘Engine Your Dream’ CSR project, jointly pursued with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Association Welfare Institutes for the Disabled. The project started from providing Lego blocks for disabled to enhance their fine motor skills as well as social and cognitive abilities while building block arts in teams. The project has evolved to offer more defined and physical rehabilitation programs suited to each disabled institution. A total of 819 disabled persons have participated in the project with support fund of KRW 370 Million contributed by the company.
As a sincere corporate citizen, SSCL is fully committed and will continue supporting underprivileged communities with dedicated partners and local governments with a firm vision to help and motivate people to pursue their dreams.
On 31st August, 2018, Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing embraces the summer spirit with its incredible Wine Club event at its Grand Ballroom, where sommelier selects a total of over 60 unique but high rated wines from more than 12 wine suppliers and companies for wine lovers.
Han Sung Motor Co. (HSMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of LSH Auto International and the largest dealer group of Mercedes-Benz Cars in South Korea, strengthened its retail presence by adding two showrooms to its Korean network within a month.
Earlier in August, HSMC opened the ninth AMG Performance Centre in its Suwon showroom, the largest of its kind in the Gyeonggi-do province. Located on the second floor of the showroom, the new AMG Performance Centre combines first-class customer service with a personalised approach. Inside the exclusive space, every customer can directly contact with an AMG expert over requests such as booking an intense test drive of the high-performance vehicles.
The new AMG performance Centre is a mere 30-minute away from the AMG Speedway, an exclusive community for Mercedes-AMG owners in South Korea. The AMG Speedway opened its gate and first racetrack in May 2018, serving as a destination for AMG fans to experience the essence of the brand first-hand.
Following the landmark addition of the AMG Performance Centre, HSMC unveiled a certified used car showroom and an accident repair service centre in Wonju, the Gangwon province, in late August.
As part of the initiative to extend HSMC’s presence in used cars business, the Wonju showroom displays up to 40 vehicles, while the accident repair service centre expands capacity to provide professional repairs work to the highest and most efficient standard.