Exhibition 'Hanbok, Revisited' offers modern tastes on traditional Korean clothing

A special exhibition titled "Blurring Boundaries: Hanbok, Revisited" is underway at Areumjigi in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, in central Seoul, featuring traditional Korean clothes, or hanbok, with a modern touch. The nonprofit private foundation Areumjigi, dedicated to preserving South Korea's cultural heritage, is holding the hanbok exhibition through Nov. 15. The highlight of the exhibition are nine sets of hanbok by designer Christina Kim, who presents modern interpretations of the

Sept. 28, 2023

Nam June Paik Art Center to be led by new director Park Nam-hee

The Nam June Paik Art Center in Gyeonggi Province -- the only museum in the world dedicated to the video art pioneer Paik Nam-june -- will be helmed by its newly appointed director, Park Nam-hee, for the next two years. Park was appointed to the position and began work in her role as of Tuesday, according to the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation. The position allows for consecutive terms. “I will do all my best to globally promote the Nam June Paik Art Center, a place the artist himself named a

Sept. 27, 2023

Immersive, digital art shows to enjoy during extended holiday

If you are looking for a place to spend some quality family time during the six-day holiday that starts this Thursday, check out the digital exhibitions in Seoul that can be enjoyed regardless of one’s age. Salvador Dali’s surrealist paintings are digitally reproduced at Walkerhill Hotel & Resorts in Seoul's Gwangjin-gu, inviting audiences to the immersive space full of the Spanish painter’s iconic images such as melting clocks. The 3,400-square-meter Theater des Lumie

Sept. 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] As a wanderer, Yoshitomo Nara does not confine himself to art

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara has returned to Seoul, bringing with him ceramic works that are a departure from his iconic paintings of children most people here are familiar with. The artist broke the long-held perception in Seoul about his works at the exhibition “Yoshitomo Nara: Ceramic Works” at Pace Gallery in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. One might be baffled upon encountering these monochromatic ceramic works rather than his paintings of wide-eyed children, which were last displ

Sept. 25, 2023

[Book Review] 'Lee Kun-hee. Hong Ra-hee. Collection' unveils story of Lee's donated works

“Lee Kun-hee. Hong Ra-hee. Collection” By Sohn Young-ok Jaeum&Moeum Publishing Co. When the extensive works collected by late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee were donated to the public in South Korea two years ago, it was widely referred to as the “collection of the century,” and the businessman was dubbed as the “Korea’s Medici” as a patron of Korean art. In her latest book, “Lee Kun-hee. Hong Ra-hee. Collection,” journalist Sohn

Sept. 24, 2023

Korean art curatorship established at the Met

An endowed curatorship for Korean art has been established at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Korea Foundation Curatorship Fund, funded by the museum and Korea Foundation. Eleanor Soo-ah Hyun was named the Korea Foundation and Samsung Foundation of Culture associate curator on Wednesday. Hyun joined the Met in 2019 after working at the British Museum as a curator for the Korean collection. The Met also announced its plans to bolster Korean art exhibitions at the museum, support collab

Sept. 22, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Businesses should be led to invest in the arts': Arts Council Chair Choung Byoung-gug

Wearing a white shirt and jeans, Arts Council Korea Chairperson Choung Byoung-gug prepares coffee at his Seoul office in the small-theater district of Daehagno before the interview in late July. “Five or six years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding for a 50 billion-won ($37 million) project to build a coffee museum, a coffee library and so on in Addis Ababa,” said Choung, recalling his work as a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Commit

Sept. 22, 2023

Art:Gwangju:23 kicks off with special exhibitions

Gwangju city’s annual art fair, Art:Gwangju:23, kicked off Thursday at the Kimdaejung Convention Center with 105 galleries participating. Some 13 booths are dedicated to special exhibitions. The 14th edition of the art fair in the southwestern city is hosted by the city government and run by the Gwangju Branch of Korean Fine Arts Association. The four-day art fair includes culture talks by Kim Byung-hun, director of Sochon Art Factory, and Yoon Byung-hak, director of Chungjang 22, a cultur

Sept. 21, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Fostering entrepreneurship while maintaining a creative edge

Fashion design is by nature a creative pursuit, but fashion guru Kathleen Kye stressed that balancing one’s entrepreneurial mindset with one’s innovative vision is important in the world of design. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, the CEO and director of fashion brand KYE and EYEYE emphasized that having a business mindset helps foster one’s leadership and problem-solving abilities. In her lecture titled “How to Cultivate an Entrepr

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Fashion designer, architect Francesco Scianni talks aboug defining new fashion trends

At this moment in history, a period of constant change, where "social" plays a key role and where news and information quickly become outdated, understanding and anticipating the public's taste is a complicated task. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday at the Shilla Seoul, Francesco Scianni, a member of Project Group SRL, a group that specializes in style consultancy and trends research, and the owner of the brand Lebelleforme and Fashion & Design Lab, said a new

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Edward Lee places automotive design at heart of humanity

When Alpha Motor Corporation unveiled its Wolf electric truck at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show this spring, Edward Lee, the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of the US-based EV startup, presented a key solution for a healthier future -- design. As the chief architect of Alpha Motor, which earned the title of "2023 EV Manufacturer of the Year, California" at the Corporate LiveWire Global Awards, Lee is dedicated to commercializing cutting-edge automobiles and innovative mobility

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Dan Goods explores universe through art installations

What if you could locate where satellites are in space just by listening to the sounds they make? The Orbit Pavilion at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, where the sounds visitors hear map out the trajectories of 19 satellites orbiting Earth, offers real-time auditory connections to space. But this experience would not be as compelling without the pavilion's giant seashell design, which transports visitors to the celestial landscape of satellites by representing their chat

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Kim Teck-koun pioneers Kia's design philosophy

Kim Teck-koun, Kia's vice president and head of Kia Next Design Group in South Korea, spoke about the carmaker’s new design philosophy, “Opposite United,” at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday. “The design philosophy takes inspiration from the contrasts found not only in nature but humanity. When you think of a stream softly (winding down a valley), there are huge stones along the way. We try to get inspiration (from) how things coexist in ha

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] A.A.Murakami discusses sustainability in art

Coming from the two very different worlds of Tokyo and London, the artist duo of Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves have explored the possibility of sustainable material and low energy use through their work. At the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, the duo called A.A.Murakami spoke on the topic of "Adventure Design and Ephemeral Tech," sharing their insight on thinking imaginatively on the issue of sustainability and making it desirable through art. “We w

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Lina Ghotmeh integrates past with future in nature-friendly architecture

Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh cherishes the connection to the past and weaves it into her architectural creations for a sustainable future. With a deliberate focus on invoking memory, time, and space from the traces of the past, she aims to bridge the chasm between disparate time frames -- the past and the future -- ultimately unifying the human experience with nature in the realm of architecture. During her presentation at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, Ghotmeh expounded on her archi

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Italian architect, designer Cristina Celestino discusses importance of relationships in design

Italian architect and designer Cristina Celestino, delivering a presentation titled “Intertwining Beauty and Sustainability: From Color to Materiality” at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, discussed how the design and planning of spaces stem from the relationships established in the design process. These relationships involve engagement with local history and culture, and a collaborative partnership with skilled local artisans, she told the audience. Cele

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Diébédo Francis Kéré emphasizes role of architecture in sustainable future

Diébédo Francis Kéré, the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022, emphasized the role of architecture in creating a better future with inspiring stories of designing sustainable buildings. “In the past, it was a competition to create wealth. The decision-makers were forced to create space and investors would have to create space for us to live. But nowadays, together, we have to think, 'How will we achieve all of this with respect to sav

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Design experts discuss 'design for coexistence' at Herald Design Forum

The 13th Herald Design Forum opened Tuesday under the theme of “Design for Coexistence, Exploring New Perspectives on Coexistence,” bringing together renowned designers from across the world to Seoul. “This year, we wish to focus on a realm that traditionally has not been the mainstream of the design world,” said Jeon Chang-hyeop, CEO and publisher of Herald Corp, in his opening remarks. “Taking a step back from the traditional design that we are all used to, we hop

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Putting yourself in different culture enriches you as architect: Diébédo Francis Kéré, Lina Ghotmeh

Living in different cultures away from their homeland have helped globally acclaimed architects Diébédo Francis Kéré and Lina Ghotmeh think about what they can do in their city as an architect. “When we are in one place, we take it for granted. I am sure here in Seoul, if you think about the metro and everything, you will think they are normal for you. But for me, it is not normal, so I am curious to explore it,” Kéré said at the “Speci

Sept. 19, 2023

Hauser & Wirth opens new space in NYC dedicated to print editions

NEW YORK -- Hauser & Wirth, a leading contemporary and art gallery, has opened a new space in West Chelsea, New York, completing the gallery’s expansion in the contemporary art capital. Hauser & Wirth’s new 18th Street location, the Swiss gallery's third space in New York, is dedicated to printed editions and serves as the flagship bookstore of Hauser & Wirth Publishers. The space also encompasses offices, a bookstore, a 72-seat amphitheater for public events and the

Sept. 16, 2023