[Media Art Now] Song Ye-hwan asks, 'Whose world? How wide?'

The term “World Wide Web,” simply “the web,” was first put to use in 1989, for a system of linked information accessed through the internet. Its earliest form, Web 1.0, was regarded as pages to read and end-users were just consumers. With Web 2.0, users became producers and the user-created content enabled the web to become a platform, accelerated by mobile devices and social media networks. The web has now been evolving into Web 3.0 -- decentralized, autonomous and intel

Feb. 23, 2024

National Museum of Korea to show Buddhist paintings, drawings

The National Museum of Korea is mounting an exhibition through July 21 dedicated to exploring Buddhist paintings and drawings from the 19th to 20th century, a period the museum says is marked by Western influence. Of 37 pieces on exhibit -- all by monk painters -- the painting of Amitabha Buddha preaching in paradise is a textbook example of such influence, according to a NMK official, citing the three-dimensional effect of the drawn figures. Another painting carries the name of the painter hims

Feb. 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Ji-eun dedicates 'Dear Collector' to friends, art lovers

It is art that "collects people," rather than people who collect art, says Kim Ji-eun, who holds the belief that people are connected through sharing art and their personal tastes. It took almost four years for the former anchorperson to release her 549-page book, “Dear Collector,” as her idea for the project first arose during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period of unprecedented isolation, Kim sought to make connections with other people, she reca

Feb. 20, 2024

Sorol Art Museum enlivens Gangneung with illuminating architecture, Lucio Fontana exhibition

Sorol Art Museum opened its doors to the public in Gangwon Province last week, revealing its much-anticipated architecture designed by Meier Partners and presenting the first-ever exhibition of art master Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) in South Korea. Pioneering contemporary artist Fontana is known for artistic attempts to overcome the limitations of the flatness inherent in traditional painting. Located in the center of the coastal city of Gangneung -- one of the most scenic regions in Korea with a

Feb. 19, 2024

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to hold Hallyu exhibit

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will hold an exhibition on Hallyu from March 24 to July 28, showcasing around 250 objects connected to Korean popular culture, including outfits worn by K-pop stars. Titled “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” the exhibition will explore South Korea’s “meteoric rise to the world stage” in terms of its cultural reach and impact, according to the US museum. The exhibit will cover contemporary works, including pieces by designer Park So-hee, head

Feb. 18, 2024

Hong Kong's art landmark touches on ecology with female artists around the world

Hong Kong -- Tai Kwun Contemporary, the non-profit visual art program of Tai Kwun, stands in an interesting place - a former prion complex that has now become a landmark in Hong Kong. Tai Kwun is an arts complex that is home to 16 revitalized heritage buildings, including the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. Since its establishment in 2018, Tai Kwun Contemporary, located in a building designed by world-renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron,

Feb. 16, 2024

‘Concept Korea’ ends on high note on sidelines of NY Fashion Week

The “Concept Korea” show, held on the sidelines of the biannual New York Fashion Week, drew to a close Tuesday with the state-run agency supporting the event for 14 consecutive years calling the latest runway a “success.” Womenswear label Mmam and unisex brands Kimmy.J and Charm’s -- each led by a Korean designer -- showcased their fall-winter 2024 collections, leaving behind a lasting impression, according to the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency, which repor

Feb. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea must have strategy to promote art globally: MMCA Director Kim Sung-hee

As the Korean cultural scene has gained in stature globally, its art scene is being recognized widely as well. With that momentum, Kim Sung-hee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, argues that it is time to draw up a strategy for pushing Korean art on the global scene. “Korea has a variety of art content that has accumulated for thousands of years. Now, we need a strategy at the national level to herald Korean art, turning the popularity of Korean culture

Feb. 14, 2024

NFT art platform ArtToken joins LA Art Fair

ArtToken will join the upcoming art fair LA Art Show 2024, running from Wednesday to Sunday, to bring together five Korean artists at a booth curated under the theme “At the Edge of Existence: Echoes of Surreal Fantasy.” LA Art Show 2024 takes place at the LA Convention Center, with the participation of more than 120 galleries from around the world, exhibiting paintings, sculptures, works on paper, installations, photography, video art and performances. The Seoul-based online non-fun

Feb. 14, 2024

Kwon Byung-jun wins Korea Artist Prize 2023 for work with robots

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has declared Kwon Byung-jun as winner of the Korea Artist Prize 2023 for presenting unique art of his own that delves into humanity and explores a world where people and robots coexist. “Kwon Byung-jun has presented beautiful work that uses an immersive robot theater approach to raise questions about the expansive potential of human communities,” said Kim Sung-hee, director of MMCA. Kwon is the first artist to receive the awar

Feb. 12, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week: Stories from the outside

Photographing celebrities and influencers kept many carrying a press pass occupied at this year’s Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Monday. But what made the biannual event so lively were those looking in from the outside, many of whom have stories to tell. Lauryne Bouyssy and Caitlin Kantner -- French nationals who are pursuing their goals of becoming professional models -- shared theirs with The Korea Herald, as they were illuminated with camera flashes outside Dongdaemun Design Plaza on M

Feb. 8, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week tries on new look: Inclusion and diversity

The runway show that kicked off the five-day Seoul Fashion Week on Thursday last week was a dazzling prelude to the 20 runway collections that followed, each celebrating inclusion and diversity. Designer Park So-young, also known as Sooy Park, delivered a resonating 24-minute presentation of her fall-winter 2024 collection, opening the biannual Seoul Fashion Week at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The 41-year-old designer said she was surprised to be asked to open Seoul Fashion Week in which s

Feb. 7, 2024

At Seoul Museum of Art this year -- architecture

An exploration of how architecture matters in people’s lives will be a key exhibition at Seoul Museum of Art this year as the museum looks forward to renovating its main branch in downtown Seoul. Four exhibitions on architecture will be presented throughout the year starting with the thematic exhibition “Space Time Scenarios” and a solo exhibition of Pritzker-winning British architect Norman Foster in April at the museum’s Seosomun main branch. “Norman Foster’

Feb. 7, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Sang-nam 'dares to die' to survive as an artist

For its first exhibition of the year, Perrotin Seoul is presenting a solo exhibition of Lee Sang-nam, an artist who, with roots in conceptual minimalism, has developed his art in different ways throughout his 40-year career. Lee, 70, moved to New York in 1981 to explore his own art in the global art scene after graduating from Korea’s prestigious art school Hongik University. The city's vibrant art scene shocked the artist who had stuck with conceptual minimalism up until then. In New

Feb. 6, 2024

White Cube shows sublime beauty of Minoru Nomata's art

Viewing Japanese artist Minoru Nomata’s paintings, one may feel as though they were hovering between reality and illusion. One wonders if the architecture depicted in them actually exists. The exhibition “Far Sights” is the artist’s first show in Seoul, spanning two decades of his career. It brings together paintings, including the “Eastbound” series from the late 1990s, which draws from the prevailing influence of “Eastern aesthetics and “Japonism

Feb. 5, 2024

Kwak Hyun-joo puts kaleidoscope of colors on runway

KwakHyunJoo Collection’s fall-winter 2024 runway show at Seoul Fashion Week on Sunday was a unisex show of colors -- from clotted cream and pink to bright lime green and light blue -- in a wide array of outwear. At Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the mix of colors and fabrics on the runway embodied what designer Kwak wants her brand to become: attractive and sexy. Boxy blazers and coats, slouchy crop tops, draped trousers and chiffon skirts set Kwak’s collection apart from others.

Feb. 5, 2024

Designer Im Seon-oc offers mix of structured and fluid looks

As expected, Im Seon-oc, the womenswear designer known for her use of neoprene, celebrated her synthetic-rubber style at Seoul Fashion Week on Saturday, this time in exuberant bursts of pink, red and lavender. The fall-winter 2024 collection of Partsparts embodied muted luxury or a “uniform for city life.” Long-sleeve tops and draped trousers, with minimal or almost no embellishments, reflected Im’s way of balancing practicality and originality. “Clothes have to be innova

Feb. 4, 2024

[What to see] Korean artists flourish at both international, Korean galleries

This is a good time of year to discover Korean artists that you might not know of, both emerging and established, and see their new works in Seoul. Several international and Korean galleries are putting on interesting exhibitions of Korean artists as the new year starts. Here is a round-up of notable shows. “Wonderland” at Lehmann Maupin The American gallery is holding an exhibition of works by four Korean-born artists – You Gui-mi, Nahm Hyun, Yim Mie and Ken Gun Min –

Feb. 3, 2024

LIE’s Lee matches elegance with Olympic spirit at Seoul Fashion Week

At Seoul Fashion Week on Friday, Lee Chung-chung, the iconic womenswear designer famed for elegantly juxtaposing bold colors with soft features, added something new to his fall-winter 2024 collection: the Olympic, or “All-lympic,” spirit. An abstract painting of the five Olympics rings drawn by a performer with prosthetic arms kicked off LIE’s runway show at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in eastern Seoul. Some of the models came out in wheelchairs. “A sense of togetherness was

Feb. 2, 2024

On first day of Seoul Fashion Week, runways play up power of heritage, personality

Starting off the biannual Seoul Fashion Week on Thursday were runway shows that touched on the themes of reverence for heritage and personality. Designer Park So-young, who goes by Sooy Park, delivered a powerful 24-minute catwalk that featured worn-out shirts and monotone suits, which the womenswear designer brought back to life, a reinterpretation of the old while reaching for aesthetic sophistication. Oversized garments in muted tones and nuanced color palettes, rather than bold and vivid, un

Feb. 2, 2024