Many galleries and museums in Seoul stay open during the long Chuseok holiday, which is a great opportunity to explore the arts scene in the capital. At Deoksugung Palace, artists show us their interpretation of the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) in an exhibition organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) and the Deoksugung Palace Management of the Cultural Heritage Administration.“Deoksugung Outdoor Project: Light, Sound, Landscape” links the past and the pres

Arts & Design Oct. 2, 2017

Hanbok designer Damyeon Lee Hye-soon made headlines a few years ago when it became known that a restaurant at a five-star Seoul hotel had refused to let her in on grounds that her hanbok posed a danger to herself and fellow diners. Apparently, the restaurant was concerned that someone might trip over Lee’s skirt.That episode brought to light the prejudices that many Koreans harbor about hanbok and how poorly we treat our own traditional clothing.  Hanbok designer Damyeon Lee Hye-soon speaks at h

Arts & Design Sept. 29, 2017

What would it be like to wear hanbok to work every day? Sitting across from hanbok designer Damyeon Lee Hye-soon at lunch earlier this month, my curiosity was piqued. I had seen her in hanbok on the streets of Mumbai, the crisp hanbok standing out among the sea of sari. I had seen photos of her on a bridge in Paris, her skirt swaying with the breeze. Wearing hanbok to work for a week required more confidence than anything else. (Hanbok courtesy of Damyeon)　Over lunch that day, we cooked up a pro

Arts & Design Sept. 29, 2017

[Eye] Located smack in the middle of downtown Seoul, Sunhwadongcheon is an oasis offering respite from the hustle and bustle of life in a megalopolis.Finding it is not easy -- it is situated in a residential apartment complex and there are no easily discernable signs pointing to it. But once inside, you will appreciate the quiet of the book cafe, William Morris prints on display at the gallery space as well as the bookstore selling Hangilsa Publishing’s publications from over the years.It also a

Culture Sept. 22, 2017

The Syrian War, now in its seventh year, has claimed some 500,000 lives. Of the prewar population of 22 million people, about 6.3 million people have been internally displaced, while more than 5 million have fled the country, becoming refugees. Among those who left Syria is artist Tania Al Kayyali whose works are on exhibition at Art Space DA:MDAA in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, as part of “Syria Art Exhibition: Do Fish Ever Get Seasick?” a group show of five Syrian artists. Of the five, only one curren

Arts & Design Sept. 19, 2017

Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a sci-fi classic that seems fresh even in 2017 -- particularly as we celebrate the Cassini spacecraft’s plunge into the Saturn last week, ending its 13-year exploration of the ringed planet and its moons. The groundbreaking film has had a lasting influence on popular culture and its discussion of mankind’s place in the universe, particularly with its philosophical outlook.And any mention of the film would be incomplete without reference to t

Culture Sept. 17, 2017

It is often said that it is never a good time to start a fashion brand, but for Lee Ji-min, founder and creative director of J.Cricket, it meant that now is as good as ever.So Lee, armed with years of experience in high-end fashion retail in China as well as a creative desire, plunged once again into designing. Lee had her own fashion brand which she folded after the 9/11 attack. In 2003, together with an Italian partner, she set up a fashion consultancy business in Shanghai with major European

Arts & Design Sept. 8, 2017

For nearly 70 years, the Korea-US alliance has stood strong. More than 30,000 US military personnel are stationed in Korea to deter North Korea. The two countries have fought together on the Korean Peninsula and in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.In the decades since the Korean War ended in an armistice signed by the United Nations Command, North Korea and China, South Korea has made great economic development and achieved stable democracy. Korea is one of the best proteges of the US, it could be

Viewpoints Sept. 6, 2017

Turning an inanimate object imbued with symbolism into an animate being embodying the said symbolism, artist Krzysztof Wodiczko brings private narratives to public spaces.“My Wish,” commissioned by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and on display at the museum’s Seoul branch in Sogyeok-dong as part of the artist’s first major retrospective in Asia, tells the stories of 13 marginalized people in Korean society. Heard in the dark and silent exhibition hall of the museum thr

Arts & Design Aug. 29, 2017

Homer may have waxed poetic about “sailing over the dark-wine sea” of the Aegean, but the sea in recent years has become a scene of great human suffering and tragedy.“Gridded Currents,” a group exhibition curated by Kim Hyun-jin which closes Sunday at Kukje Gallery, washes away long-held romantic notions of the sea. In its place is a sea that is highly politicized, a recurring narrative throughout the exhibition. It is a sea that is divided into grids to be conquered, a sea of imperialist ambiti

Arts & Design Aug. 17, 2017

Bringing people together with music is maestro Chung Myung-whun’s lifetime calling, a calling he has answered this time with One Korea Orchestra, formed specifically for two concerts marking the first anniversary of Lotte Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday.Maestro Chung Myung-whun rehearses with One Korea at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Wednesday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Chung conceived the idea for One Korea Orchestra in 2013 with the goal of musicians from both South and North Korea per

Performance Aug. 17, 2017