Respite for weary souls

Drinks paired with art, sleepy cafe and vintage stationery offer calm in troubled times Art in drinks Opened in August 2023, Lounge Heeum brands itself as a “drinks omakase” offering a long list of drinks and desserts carefully selected by a barista to embody the spirit of paintings by Kim Ji-hee. The signature reservation-only Art Brew Omakase, a three-course experience, begins with Chinese Da Hong Pao tea and a truffle pumpkin gazpacho. The starter readies the taste buds for the main dish -- v

Jan. 3, 2025

[Herald Gallery] An Island Grandfather

Kappao's solo exhibition "NO BOUNDARY" is currently on display at Whitestone Gallery Seoul, a leading art gallery in Asia, located in Yongsan-gu. Kappao (b. 1977) studied decorative arts at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Italy. She is known for her ceramics, distinguished by their rough yet warm textures, as well as her paintings and installations that feature bold colors and spontaneous drawings. Her work thoughtfully explores themes of everyday life, interpersonal relationships and inner em

Jan. 1, 2025

Korean art at US museums mostly by artists already known stateside: report

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june is favorite among US museums surveyed The majority of Korean contemporary artworks held at major US museums like the Museum of Modern Art in New York City are by artists who have already made significant inroads in the US, according to a report. Twenty US museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, hold 1,118 artworks by 235 Korean artists, most of whom have extensively shown their works in the US, a report by the state-run Korea C

Dec. 31, 2024

Weathering market whims, Korean art scene continues to develop

Korean artists get spotlight in Venice, London The Korean art market experienced a sharp downturn this year with auctions and galleries showing dull sales. However, not all was gloom and doom as Korean artists received the spotlight internationally and Korea cemented its status as an art hub in Asia. One of the biggest events in the international art scene this year was the Venice Biennale which kicked off April 17. Korean art figures got together in Venice on the largest scale ever with galleri

Dec. 31, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Kitchen 04

The solo exhibition “Stone, Smoke and Piano,” by artist Jina Park (born 1974), is on view at Kukje Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul, until Jan. 26. Featuring over 40 new works, the exhibition reimagines everyday scenes — set in an art museum, a restaurant kitchen and a piano factory — through artistic experiments that blur the lines between representation and abstraction. Park explores a unique visual language by integrating the distortion and randomness of a camera lens into her paintings. Provided

Dec. 31, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Girl in the Foliage

The special exhibition “Vienna 1900: The Dreaming Artists” is being held at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, through March 3 next year. The exhibition features 191 works, including paintings, drawings and crafts by artists representing Austrian modernism, such as Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) and Egon Schiele (1890–1918). It provides a glimpse into the art and culture of Vienna at the turn of the century. Visitors can explore the artistic challenges of Vienna in 1900, where traditio

Dec. 30, 2024

Faker dominates 2024 LCK Awards

The awards highlight 3-way showdown among Hanwha Life Esports, Gen.G and T1 Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok took center stage Sunday at the 2024 League of Legends Champions Korea Awards, after guiding T1 to its historic fifth World Championship title this November. The 2024 LCK Awards, held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, honored the year’s top players and teams, recognizing those who excelled on both domestic and international stages. To qualify for an award, players had to have participated in at least

Dec. 30, 2024

No longer 'otaku'?

Experts say streaming services shift perceptions of Japanese manga, animation Once a domain of misfits, Japanese anime and manga are seeing a renaissance in South Korea. The term otaku — borrowed from Japan and laden with pejorative undertones — long stigmatized those who indulged in Japanese comics and animation. To be labeled an otaku in South Korea often meant social exile for an assumed obsession with "weird cartoons." But the tide has turned and 2024 has seen a full-blown embrace of Japanes

Dec. 29, 2024

South Korea to build 4 museums in Sejong by 2028

Four new museums will be established in the National Museum Complex of Korea in Sejong by 2028, while a National Museum Storage Facility cluster will be created in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, to better manage cultural assets. The projects are part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's four-year plan aimed at expanding the country's museum and art gallery infrastructure while improving cultural heritage management and accessibility, announced Thursday. The Culture Ministry also announced

Dec. 28, 2024

Take stock of yourself: Worry dolls, book cafe and neighborhood wine bar

Blow away cobwebs with hanji worry dolls Need a respite from the humdrum of everyday life and seeking ways to blow away the cobwebs? Try making your own "worry doll," a tiny, handcrafted doll to put by your bedside and tell your worries so the problems go away by the next day. Duridu Art Shop, a craft workshop in Ssamzigil -- a cultural space in Insa-dong, central Seoul -- offers a one-day class to make a worry doll using hanji, or traditional Korean mulberry paper. A worry doll is easy to make.

Dec. 27, 2024

Seoul that comes to you

Were you dreaming of visiting Seoul this winter, only to have your plans dashed? Don’t fret— until you can book that plane ticket, let “S-Map” transport you to Seoul. Seoul City on Thursday introduced the S-Map, a 3D mapping experience that brings Seoul directly to your phone and PC screen. “We aim to provide advanced services offering immersive experiences that are otherwise difficult to realize in the physical world,” said Park Jin-young, Seoul City’s director of the digital city department. F

Dec. 26, 2024

Seoul designates last Wednesday of every month as 'Wear Hanbok Day'

Government to promote wearing hanbok in public sector Forget about hanbok as full-on festive regalia; it can also be part of our everyday wardrobes. In an effort to bring traditional Korean clothing into the modern day, the government said Thursday that it will designate the last Wednesday of each month as "Wear Hanbok Day" and will encourage public officials and institutions to wear the attire on that day. In March 2021, the ministry designated the last Wednesday of every month as "A Good Day t

Dec. 26, 2024

Winter fashion trends: practicality and versatility

Cozy knits and practical elegance take center stage Casual yet classic designs in knitwear and sweaters are winter's most beloved fashion staples. This trend reflects a shift in consumer preferences toward practicality and versatility in an economically challenging time. According to LF Corp., the classic cable-knit crewneck sweater from the casual brand Hazzys has seen a remarkable 60 percent growth in sales compared to last year, signaling strong demand for timeless essentials. In particular,

Dec. 24, 2024

Tis the hiring season for part-time Santas

It may not be the merriest holiday season in South Korea — with impeachment drama and economic woes taking center stage — but Santa Claus isn’t skipping town. Karrot, South Korea’s top app for buying and selling secondhand items, has revealed some surprising Christmas Eve trends: searches for part-time Santa gigs have doubled compared to last year, and job postings for festive gift-givers are also on the rise. “A lot of people are jumping on holiday side gigs or sharing ideas to spread Christmas

Dec. 24, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Melon_01

The “Inaudible Garden” solo exhibition by artist Ram Han (born 1989) is being held at Whistle Gallery in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, until Jan. 4. This exhibition delves into themes of plants and women, subjects that the artist has consistently and unconsciously depicted over time. Han conveys her unique sensibility about the essence of life and nature through this body of work — elements that cannot be fully realized in the digital realm. By dismantling the boundaries between reality and the virtual, th

Dec. 23, 2024