Galleries vexed by outdated ban on taking older artwork out of country

Hakgojae Gallery, which had hoped to present an art piece by Korean avant-garde artist Quac In-sik created 61 years ago at Frieze London, has had to abandon its plans due to the Cultural Properties Protection Law that bans the movement of historical works abroad to sell. The law requires any artifact that is at least 50 years old to be appraised to determine whether the item can leave the country. The Cultural Heritage Administration does allow for exceptions when an item is taken abroad for an

Oct. 18, 2023

'2023 Box Gallery Exhibition' by Youth Impact shows art made of discarded paper

Amid the heightened public interest in up-cycling, several young artists gathered to show works created with waste paper at the exhibition “2023 Box Gallery Exhibition: A Resounding Success in Art and Social Impact” held at the Gangnam Foundation for Arts & Culture Exhibition Hall in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. The exhibition, which ran from July 27 to Aug. 10, was joined by 13 artists -- Kim Gyu-rin, Kim Su-hyun, Kim Si-yeon, Kim hye-jeong, Catherine Ryu, Park Bo-min, Park Ji-

Oct. 17, 2023

NY Met exhibition to mark 25th anniversary of Korean gallery

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present the exhibition “Lineages: Korean Art at The Met” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the museum’s Korean gallery, presenting 30 works of art and artifacts from the 12th century to the present. “(The exhibition) is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of presenting Korean art for The Met’s international audiences. By pairing historical with modern and contemporary artwork, the show also poses the question of

Oct. 17, 2023

[Obituary] Park Seo-bo's legacy in Korean contemporary art remembered

The news of the death of artist Park Seo-bo at 92 years old on Saturday was met with an outpouring of condolences from around the world, as people remembered Park's legacy and his contributions to the development of dansaekhwa movement. Earlier this year, Park revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. He chose not to receive treatment so that he could keep working. To continue his art, the artist said, he had decided to regard the cancer as a friend that he would live

Oct. 15, 2023

Dansaekhwa master Park Seo-bo dies at 92 from cancer

Park Seo-bo, a Korean contemporary art master, died on Saturday at the age of 92. The artist died of cancer, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on Saturday morning. In February, Park had revealed he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Born in 1931 in Yecheon County of North Gyeongsang Province, Park was the leader of the dansaekhwa movement, or “monochrome painting" movement, in Korea. The movement, considered internationally as unique to Korea and leading the local contempo

Oct. 14, 2023

'Basel Night' at Swiss Embassy in Seoul heralds Basel's cultural legacy

The city of Basel in Switzerland is famously known to many people in Seoul for the world’s leading art fair, Art Basel. The city’s top figures in art and architecture gathered at the Swiss Embassy in Seoul on Thursday for "Basel Night," an event aimed at promoting the city's cultural scene in Seoul. The event was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli; Christoph Bosshardt, marketing director of Basel Tourism; Angelle Siyang-Le, director of Ar

Oct. 13, 2023

[Photo News] 2023 Sea Art Festival returns to Busan's Ilgwang Beach

The 2023 Sea Art Festival kicks off Saturday at Busan's Ilgwang Beach, running through Nov. 19 under the theme of “Flickering Shores, Sea Imaginaries” to explore the relationship between the sea and humans. The art festival will see the participation of some 43 artists and collectives from 20 countries, including Indonesian artist Ari Bayuaji, who turns plastic waste from the sea into artwork. He will be unveiling a newly commissioned work for the art festival, "Traces of t

Oct. 13, 2023

Chinese avant-garde artist Yue Minjun unveils flower paintings created during pandemic

Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun recently unveiled in Seoul paintings he created during the pandemic that break away from his signature style. Starting in the 1990s, his paintings have earned him the titles "cynical realism painter" and "Chinese avant-garde artist." Tang Contemporary Art in Seoul is showcasing 24 paintings for a solo exhibition by Yue featuring both older and more recent works. His more recent works consist of the flower series -- paintings depicting

Oct. 12, 2023

Art Busan's unveils galleries, theme for inaugural fair, Define Seoul

South Korea's leading art fair, Art Busan, unveiled the theme for its inaugural Seoul art show and design fair, Define Seoul, and announced the list of galleries that will be participating in the event, which will be held on Nov. 1-5 in Seongsu-dong. "We have cultivated the art fair in Busan for the past 15 years, which is now considered a top art fair in the country. I think we have the know-how and the collectors to run an art fair in Seoul," said Jeong Seok-ho, managing direc

Oct. 11, 2023

[Photo News] AI, conventional painting come together

Interdisciplinary artist Elly Cho's solo exhibition "Transcendent Echoes" will open Sunday at Kwanhoon Gallery in Seoul, featuring her new works created by combining the use of artificial intelligence drawing tools and conventional painting. The works focus on environmental change and its impact on the collective consciousness. Among the works on display will be "Visual Kinematics: A State of Mind (N.10)" which was shown at New York's Times Square in July 2012 as pa

Oct. 9, 2023

Cheongju Craft Biennale stresses connection with nature, Jikji legacy

CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province – Cheongju, the largest city in North Chungcheong Province, 137 kilometers south of Seoul, is home to the world’s oldest metal-printed book Jikji. Acknowledged by UNESCO, Jikji was created in 1377 during the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) at Heungdeok Temple in the city. Cheongju Craft Biennale was launched in 1999 to succeed the legacy of Jikji, or Jikji Simche Yojeol, that preceded Europe’s Gutenberg Bible in 1455, in dedication to the craftsma

Oct. 9, 2023

Art Token launches Hangeul-based NFT art

Online non-fungible token art trading platform Art Token on Monday released NFT works based on Hangeul calligraphy, in commemoration of Hangeul Day that celebrates the invention of the Korean alphabet. “Shoot Shoot Shoot Goal Goal Goal” and other works were created by calligrapher Park Byung-chul and converted into 3D digital art. NFT art is entirely digital artwork that is tokenized to be stored on the blockchain. Park's NFT works were released on 2R2, an online global art trad

Oct. 9, 2023

[Photo News] Floral Butterfly

Seoul-based gallery Kocoon d’Art introduced works by Korean artists, including Kim Hong-nyun, at Focus London 2023 at Saatchi Gallery from Wednesday to Saturday. Kim, a painter of butterflies for the past 25 years, paints flowers arranged in the shape of a a butterfly in acrylic.

Oct. 8, 2023

Film director Jung Byung-gil's first solo exhibition unveiled in Busan

Film director Jung Byung-gil has opened his first-ever solo exhibition in Busan, unveiling some 30 paintings from the early years of his career, which highlight his artistic inspiration beyond the world of cinema. The exhibition, “Freedom. Dream. Movie,” opened at the Start Plus gallery in Busan on Sunday, coinciding with the 2023 Busan International Film Festival. Some of Jung's works at the exhibition hint at the contents of the director’s upcoming film, including the n

Oct. 8, 2023

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 Samsung Foundation of Culture 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

Sept. 22, 2023