Art critic Arthur Danto once said, “Duchamp did not merely raise the question ‘What is Art?’ but rather ‘Why is something a work of art when something exactly like it is not?’”The paradigm shift that Duchamp introduced to the art world with his “readymade” objects -- that an everyday object with little or no modification could become a work of art through the creative process by the artist and spectator -- was a concept that shattered the modern conception of art as the production of artistic “g

Arts & Design Dec. 24, 2018

SongEun Art and Cultural Foundation on Friday kicked off an exhibition of its four finalists for the 18th SongEun Art Award at SongEung Art Space in Seoul. Kim Joon, Park Kyung-ryul, Lee Ue-sung and Chun Myung-eun, also known as Eun Chun, were shortlisted for the award following two rounds of reviews. Paintings and sculptures by artist Park Kyung-ryul (SongEun Art Space) From left: Kim Joon, Park Kyung-ryul, Lee Ue-sung and Chun Myung-eun attend a press conference held at SongEun Art Space on Fr

Arts & Design Dec. 23, 2018

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday released its evaluations of government-supported art biennales that took place this year. Among the eight art biennales reviewed by the ministry, none received top marks on a scale from 1 to 5. Three biennales got a grade of 2, and the rest were rated 3 or 4.  (Yonhap)This was the first year in which no biennale received a 1 since the ministry launched its annual evaluations in 2004.Of the three biennales that received 2s, the Busan Biennal

Arts & Design Dec. 21, 2018

Korean artist Jun So-jung has been selected as the winner of the 18th Hermes Foundation Missulsang, the foundation announced Wednesday.Jun made her name with narrative-focused works of art using various mediums, including photography, installations and video. Her works often include real-life stories of individuals she comes across, framing them in relation to other existing texts and stage works. Artist Jun So-jung (Atelier Hermes)Jun won the Noon Award at the Gwangju Biennale in 2016 the grand

Arts & Design Dec. 19, 2018

The Eighth United States Army and Seoul Cyber University on Sunday held their 11th year-end joint concert at Seoul Arts Center.The annual joint concert was first organized in 2008 to share the holiday spirit with deployed soldiers and their families here, as well as to strengthen ties between the two countries. Since its inception, the year-end concert has celebrated classic Christmas repertoires and Korea’s traditional dance and music. Eighth Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Michael A. Bills (l

Performance Dec. 18, 2018

Photographer Koo Bohn-chang is holding a solo exhibition featuring his photographs of traditional Korean porcelains at the newly opened Kukje Gallery’s Busan branch located in a factory-turned-cultural center, F1936.“HA 05-1” by photographer Koo Bohn-chang (Courtesy of the artist)The photographer’s journey tracing the nation’s traditional porcelains spans some three decades. “One day, I came across with this picture of a Korean moon jar and a foreigner sitting right next to it. I wondered how su

Arts & Design Dec. 17, 2018

(This article was originally published in The Korea Herald's paper on Oct. 23)A large-scale photo exhibition with the ambitious goal of recording our time on this Earth opened at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch Thursday, featuring 300 works by 135 artists from 43 countries. “Civilization: The Way We Live Now,” co-produced by the MMCA and the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, offers a broad view of contemporary civilization, just a few decades old,

Arts & Design Dec. 16, 2018

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Yun Hyong-keun exhibition will travel to the Fortuny Museum in Venice to coincide with the 2019 Venice Biennale, the MMCA announced Friday. The MMCA added that the signing of the contract with the Fortuny Museum took place Tuesday. Yun’s retrospective is set to kick off May 11 next year at the gothic style building in central Venice, but the opening day of the exhibition could change according to the biennale’s schedule. An installation view o

Arts & Design Dec. 14, 2018

A 1994 documentary shows Han Mook starting his morning with a baguette on a small sofa in his small, shabby Paris apartment. Soon he gets dressed, walks out of the room and goes down a spiral stiarcase to his atelier where the late artist spent most of his time.  Han Mook’s 1989 work “Symphony of the Southern Cross” (SeMA)“Han Mook For Another Poetry-Order,” a retrospective of the artist at the Seoul Museum of Art, comprises some 130 pieces, including his major works, drawings and calligraphy. T

Arts & Design Dec. 13, 2018

Gracias Choir is holding a nationwide Christmas tour through Dec. 23. Under the title of “Christmas Cantata,” the choir will hold a total of 43 concerts in 19 cities, including concerts at KBS Hall in Seoul from Dec. 21-23. Leading the choir is its principal conductor Boris Abalyan, who is also a professor of Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory.  Gracias Choir performs at a concert in the US (Gracias Choir)The “Christmas Cantata” program comprises three different parts: an opera featuring the bi

Performance Dec. 13, 2018

There comes a point when you love someone because you just love them, without any particular reason. Violin virtuoso Hilary Hahn’s love of Bach is that kind of love.“Because it’s Bach!” Hahn said, explaining her love of the composer in an email interview with The Korea Herald ahead of her upcoming South Korea tour. Hahn will perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 on Dec. 18 in Daegu and again on Dec. 19 at the Lotte Concert Hall with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under conductor Paavo J

Performance Dec. 11, 2018

A tree stands against the backdrop of a large white canvas. The artist‘s intervention with the canvas creates a portrait of a tree. Standing out of nowhere, the tree in front of the white backdrop also appears as an alien installation to the landscape. The highlighting of the tree as an object changes the scene.Gallery Hyundai is holding a solo exhibition of works by phtographer Lee Myung-ho, introducing his latest series titled “Nothing But,” as well as work from his past series, “Tree” and “Mi

Arts & Design Dec. 9, 2018

The “Falmouth” Stradivarius -- created in 1692 by Antonio Stradivari -- will be auctioned at Seoul Auction’s 20th anniversary event on Thursday in Seoul. The auction of the “Falmouth” Stradivarius marks the first time a Korean auction house is selling a Stradivarius here, according to Seoul Auction. The “Falmouth” Stradivarius (Seoul Auction)Internationally renowned virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos was one of the former holders of the violin known for its dark, rich quality in the lower register, as we

Arts & Design Dec. 7, 2018

Pianist Cho Seong-jin will perform at the Salzburg Festival in 2020, the year marking the prestigious music festival’s centennial. Salzburg Festival President Helga Rabl-Stadler made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday in Seoul to promote the festival’s lineup for 2019.  cap - Pianist Cho Seong-jin plays at the Salzburg Festival 2019 presentation held Tuesday at Oakwood Premier Coex Center in Seoul. (World Culture Networks)“It’s a great honor to join one of the world’s most prominent

Performance Dec. 5, 2018

If you are looking for a trendy or fashionable exhibition, Doosan Gallery Seoul’s “Cour des Miracles” is probably not the right one for you. It surely will not meet your need for escapism. Here, you will not find a soothing, relaxing or sublime experience. But the exhibition offers a different kind of sensory experience.“Cour des Miracles” is an exhibition curated by Bae Enn-a, the winner of the 2018 Curatorial Open Call, a new biennial award that the art center launched this year. Artist Park S

Arts & Design Dec. 4, 2018