MMCA sheds new light on late Korean artist Quac In-sik

Fractured pieces of a glass pane are put together in artist Quac In-sik’s works. The broken glass bears impressions of the heavy metal ball that fell on it, dramatically revealing the materiality of the fragile object.Quac’s experimental works have greatly influenced many artists who came after him, but his works have been unheralded. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch is holding a Quac retrospective, part of its attempt to reassess the artist&

June 12, 2019

‘Is it mine if I add some yellow?’ -- B. D. Graft makes his mark

It all started as a young college student’s escapism. For Brian de Graft, making collages was a form of recreation, something to take his mind off his studies. His hobby went viral online and now he makes a living out of it. Graft is an Amsterdam-based German artist who has become popular for the yellow collages on his Instagram page. The Instagram influencer-artist is holding an exhibition at a space owned by local fashion brand Mutemuse, located near Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, S

June 9, 2019

[Weekender] At 77, silver model dreams of big show

News last month that Fenty, a luxury fashion house Rihanna launched with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, chose 67-year-old model JoAni Johnson to represent its new collection created much buzz in the fashion world. With long, graceful silver hair, she is a model in every aspect, and the epitome of what’s been called a fashion “graynaissance”: the rise of gray-haired models to the forefront of fashion. Choi Soon-hwa may be Korea’s Johnson. At 77 years old, she strut

June 7, 2019

Paul Smith says ‘Hi’ to Seoul in exhibition showing his world

Paul Smith is a name well known around the world, but the renowned fashion designer says he never assumes that people know who he is. This, he explained, is why the exhibition “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith,” which kicked off Thursday in Seoul, is based on his character. It offers a look inside his world, encompassing his thought process, work and path toward success.  “(My personality) is very low-key, feet on the ground personality. … It is an exhibition which lit

June 6, 2019

Ancient Greek artifacts travel to Seoul

An exhibition featuring hundreds of ancient Greek artifacts is being held at Seoul Art Center’s Hangaram Art Museum. The exhibition, titled “The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great,” features some 350 artifacts gathered from 24 local museums in Greece, including the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Pella. The exhibition is designed to allow the visitor to explore the cultures of the region, from the early Aegean civiliza

June 6, 2019

Beyond 'looking’: British artist Gary Hume invites viewers to interact with his works

In Gary Hume’s paintings, colorful tectonic plates seamlessly flow on the glimmering aluminum surface. You see yourself reflected there too. As you move around the gallery space, they seem to shimmer a little differently.Britain’s Hume has brought his visual playground to Seoul. The artist is holding a solo exhibition at Barakat Contemporary, Barakat Gallery’s modern and contemporary art venue. It is the first-ever solo exhibition in Korea for the artist, who came to

June 4, 2019

Artist paints his daily life

Korean artist Kim Ji-won’s uniquely grotesque cockscomb paintings come in different colors -- exuberant red, faded gray.Kim, best known for this cockscomb painting series, is holding a solo exhibition at PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, titled “Canvas Fly.” His latest exhibition consists more than 90 paintings by Kim, including representative paintings from the series focusing on cockscomb flowers -- maendeurami in Korean -- as well as other works that depict landscapes

June 3, 2019

Art Busan has settled in after all

The eighth edition of Art Busan kicked off Thursday at the Bexco Exhibition Center in Busan, featuring some 4,000 works from 164 galleries in 17 countriesMany galleries at this year’s art fair agreed that the quality of the annual event is getting higher. “The fair underwent many changes, and it seems to have finally settled in, particularly in terms of its program,” a representative from Seoul-based Hakgojae Gallery said.This year’s edition of the country’s second-

May 31, 2019

Bauhaus bus stops at Gwangju Design Biennale 2019

The Bauhaus school’s workshop wing in the German town of Dessau is well known for its stark white volumes, gridded windows and the Bauhaus sign that runs vertically down the facade. The iconic building, conceived by the school’s founding director Walter Gropius in 1919, will be shown at the upcoming Gwangju Design Biennale 2019, which kicks off Sept. 7 for a 55-day run.  Coming to the festival is a 15-square-meter mobile version of the monumental modernist building, set on a tra

May 29, 2019

‘A network is no use if you monopolize it’

The occupation of curator is not one that most people are familiar with -- many think it’s all about organizing and planning exhibitions.  Korean curator Lee Dae-hyung is someone who pushes the boundary of what a curator can do. Having started his career as an exhibition curator, Lee has contributed to many local art fairs, has done art consulting for corporations, was the director of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and is now the team leader of Hyundai Motor’

May 26, 2019

Swinging times in the DMZ

You can ride on a swing in the Demilitarized Zone along the border between the two Koreas, and it’s even a three-seater. Danish artist group Superflex’s two-swing set from their 2017 large-scale installation “One Two Three Swing!” has been installed at Dora observatory situated at the northernmost point of the DMZ, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Tourists and soldiers visiting Dora observatory were swinging under blue-clear sky on Tuesday. Taking pictures of them was Jak

May 22, 2019

‘The Island of the Colorblind’ looks at relationships in contemporary world

Manon de Boer’s video work “Bella, Maia and Nick” shows three teenagers playing instruments in a room with an ocean view. Without any intention to create harmony, they make different sounds with classical instruments. The camera watches the three together, though they sound dissonant combined.This work by the Dutch artist living in Brussels explores how individuals learn how to live together, said Kim Hae-ju, deputy director of the Art Sonje Center.  Artist Ursula Biemann and architect Paulo Tav

May 20, 2019

‘Craft Week’ hopes to encourage local industry

The Korea Crafts & Design Foundation is holding the nationwide festival “Craft Week 2019,” with a goal to encourage interest in local crafts. The 10-day festival, in its second edition this year, aims to allow the public to enjoy crafts in daily life. It is being held from Friday to May 26. “Craft week is about spreading craft culture that everyone can experience in daily life. The festival is being held through voluntary participation. (Through the event) we hope that craft culture can settle s

May 17, 2019

MMCA retrospective lays bare life of 88-year-old artist Park Seo-bo

Sitting in a wheelchair, artist Park Seo-bo appeared feeble, but his voice was energetic as he spoke during a press conference Thursday for his upcoming retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Seoul branch. “I am very happy to see the retrospective’s opening. This exhibition has everything of me, including the things that I wanted to hide from the world. The exhibition reveals all the steps I have taken so far. I feel naked here. But it will

May 16, 2019

Korea’s most expensive artist Kim Whan-ki’s red-dot work goes to Hong Kong

A work by Korea’s most expensive artist Kim Whan-ki will be up for auction in Hong Kong again this year. Seoul Auction, the nation’s largest auction house, will hold a sale on May 26 at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, featuring Kim’s untitled red-dot painting.  Korea's most expensive artist Kim Whan-ki's 1971 red-dot painting is expected to see good demand at Seoul Auction's 29th Hong Kong sale on May 26.The work included in the auction house’s 29th Hong Kong sale is one he painted in 1971 while staying

May 15, 2019

Suki Seokyeong Kang continues experimenting with space at Venice Biennale

Suki Seokyung Kang’s multipart installations are neatly organized so as not to interfere with one another. The space invites people to walk, sit and stand among minimalist installations in soft colors. The Korean contemporary artist is introducing two works at the 58th Venice Biennale’s main exhibition “May You Live in Interesting Times,” curated by Ralph Rugoff. An installation view of Suki Seokyeong Kang’s “Land Sand Strand” at Arsenale (Kukje Gallery)“Land Sand Strand” and “Grandmother Tower,

May 14, 2019

[Photo News] Playing with light, shadow

PLAYING WITH LIGHT, SHADOW -- This photo shows an installation view of Chinese artist Wu Guanzhen’s solo exhibition at Seoul Arts Center, which ended Thursday. The latest exhibition in Seoul featured works created by applying lacquer to sheets of ramie, which allows the lights to pass the semi-transparent canvas, leaving shadows on the wall. (Wu Guanzhen Art Studio)

May 12, 2019

For singer Jang Sa-ik, calligraphy is ‘blissful agony’

Musician Jang Sa-ik, known for his unique interpretation of traditional Korean songs, will show his talent for “seoye” at an exhibition in Seoul. Seoye refers to Korean calligraphy, a tradition of artistic writing created with brushstrokes. Using only black ink, it conveys a sense of depth and breadth.  Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21) Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21) Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21)Jang, 70, is a famous singer who incorporates the art of pansori into his music, as well as the folk and pop

May 8, 2019

‘The Security Has Been Improved’ examines surveillance

Constant surveillance has become a reality, not unlike the 1998 film “Truman Show,” in which thousands of hidden cameras track and broadcast every minute of the life of insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), unbeknownst to him.The difference is we are aware of it, but there is no escape. A person living in Korea’s metropolitan area is captured by surveillance cameras every nine seconds while walking down a street. This happens on average 83.1 times a day, according to recent National Hu

May 1, 2019

Asger Jorn’s avant-garde art practices showcased at MMCA

Detournement is a method of painting in which an artist takes an existing artwork and add elements to create something new. To Danish artist Asger Jorn, a master of the method, however, detournement is also his attitude toward the political, social and cultural circumstances of postwar Europe. By actively overriding existing artworks with bold and exuberant splashes of paint, Jorn has made new creations. In a way, the artist was devaluing the established form of art but also trying to create new

April 22, 2019