THILA Jiha relaunches as Seoul’s new sound exploration space

THILA Jiha in Seoul is a sound-art venue focused on sound, lighting and spatial design that recently relaunched on March 28.

The venue operates under WeSA, a Seoul-based platform dedicated to promoting experimental sound, audiovisuals and art.

THILA frames sound not merely as a musical element, but as an experience in itself.

Divided into THILA Ground and THILA Jiha, each space serves a distinct sonic and experiential purpose.

THILA Ground, which opened in January 2024, was designed for audiovisual performances and has served as the main venue for the WeSA Festival since 2014.

It’s built around an L-Acoustics soundsystem; the same used at global festivals such as Coachella, Tomorrowland and Wonderfruit.

THILA Jiha, its club counterpart, reopened on March 28 and explores the possibilities of sound immersion through considered architecture, sound design and lighting.

The venue evolved from a utility space into a site for sound exploration and immersion.

It was initially developed to recreate the depth and intensity of clubbing settings, while raising questions about how these experiences can be more precisely designed, and what kind of environment underground sound should be experienced in.

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The team spent six months on the design and construction process, with its first event since reopening being SSR 001 Live Series from Dguru’s Sangsu Records, according to JunHyeok Choi, WeSA’s spokesperson.

“While density and rawness have long functioned as an aesthetic, they do not necessarily have to be tied to poor conditions. THILA Jiha seeks to retain the energy and immersion of the underground, while rearticulating it through more refined sound, lighting, and spatial design. As a result, the space has been reconfigured to operate as a unified ‘sound experience’, where acoustics, lighting, and architecture are interconnected rather than separate elements,” says Choi.

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Since its first opening, THILA Jiha has hosted projects that engage with the boundaries between performance and exhibition, including SOUND☆JIHA with Seoul-based electronic artists, SOUND SEOUL in collaboration with Art Center Nabi, and SOUND : AL, a sound installation by WeSA director GAZAEBAL.

Rather than operating on a fixed weekend schedule, THILA Jiha opens around specific performances, exhibitions, installations and club events.

Lead image via Song Hanna

Daniela Solano is a freelance writer for Mixmag Asia, follow her on Instagram here.

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