Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul to open in 2025

The Hanwha Foundation of Culture and the Centre Pompidou in France have officially finalized a deal to establish and operate a Pompidou branch in Seoul, the cultural arm of Hanwha Group said Friday. The announcement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a partnership by the two parties in France on March 19. The parties have been discussing the outlines of the basic framework for the establishment and operation of the art center at 63 Square -- more commonly known as 63 Buildi

July 28, 2023

Frieze, Kiaf Seoul to present variety of events in September beyond art fair

Frieze Seoul has unveiled the program for its fair, bringing together film, music, talks, exhibitions and other events in the heart of the city, from Sept. 6 to 9 at Coex in southern Seoul. Launched for the first time in Asia in 2022, the global art fair is set to return with a variety of programs on the sidelines of the main event, which will host some 120 galleries hoping to meet collectors in the Asian market. This year's fair will host a number of galleries from Asia, accounting for 4

July 27, 2023

South Korean art market more volatile than global market: report

South Korea's art auction market almost halved in the first half of this year, demonstrating greater volatility compared to the global art market, a report from the Korea Art Authentication and Appraisal Research Center showed Monday. The total amount of winning bids at South Korean auction houses Seoul Auction, K-auction and Myart Auction amounted to 61.3 billion won ($47.9 million) in the first half of 2023, a 47 percent decline from the same period of the preceding year, even though th

July 25, 2023

Modern architectural legacy renewed at French Embassy in Seoul

The French Embassy in Korea has been known as a masterpiece that displays Korean aesthetics and the exterior form of which is reminiscent of "cheoma," Korea’s traditional overhanging eaves that gently curve upwards. The embassy building, designed by pioneering Korean modern architect Kim Chung-up, has stood near Chungjeongno in central Seoul since its completion in 1962. Following a five-year revamp, the building has been reborn with both a renovation and two newly built building

July 25, 2023

[Photo News] Artworks on view for travelers at Gimpo International Airport

Artworks are on view at Gimpo International Airport, offering an opportunity to appreciate Korea’s contemporary art during a layover at the airport. The exhibition “Be Free” kicked off on Friday joined by five artists – Paik Nam-june, Sheen Yi-chul, Jang Seung-hyo, Lee Lee-nam and Oh Dong-hoon, featuring sculptures and media art. Running through Oct.22, the exhibition shows a total of nine works across the third floor of the airport. The exhibition is supported by Ministr

July 22, 2023

Controversy over Chun Kyung-ja's painting reignites after court rules against painter's family

The bereaved family of Korea’s pioneering female artist, Chun Kyung-ja, lost a legal battle against prosecutors Friday, after the Seoul Central District Court ruled against Chun's daughter's claims that prosecutors damaged Chun's honor by spreading false information about the painting “Beautiful Woman.” The Seoul Central District Court disagreed with Kim Jeong-hee, who made the claim four years ago that the artist and her family should be compensated 100 million

July 21, 2023

Tadao Ando's exhibition extended until October at Museum SAN

Museum SAN, nestled in the mountains of Wonju, Gangwon Province, unveiled its new meditation space Tuesday, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. “The Space of Light” is the second meditation space at the museum that presents the architect’s philosophy. The 22,000-square-meter museum was founded in 2013 by the Hansol Cultural Foundation. The museum was designed by Ando at the request of the late Lee In-hee, who was then advisor to Hansol Group and sister of late Samsung

July 21, 2023

[Well-curated] Stay cool inside with underground art space, trampolines and comics

Explore art and architecture at Songeun Art Space Songeun Art Space is located in a building designed by world-renowned Swiss architecture firm, Herzog & de Meuron, in Cheongdam-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul. Opened in 2021, visiting the building that houses Songeun Art and Cultural Foundation offers a chance to check out the architects’ first-ever project in South Korea, as well as an exhibition of an emerging media artist Kwon Hye-won. The geometric 11-story buildi

July 21, 2023

Global galleries reinvigorate Seoul showcases this summer

Seoul is experiencing a vibrant art scene this summer, as two leading galleries present exhibitions featuring artists from diverse artistic backgrounds. Perrotin Gallery, which first opened a space in Seoul's Samcheong-dong in 2016, currently runs a gallery near Dosan Park in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The Samcheong-dong space closed in June. The European gallery has unveiled new paintings by emerging artist Xiyao Wang, who was born in China and is based in Berlin. The exhibition “All

July 19, 2023

Italian masterpieces collected by Italian government on show at Sonje

Masterpieces of Italian art from the 20th and 21st centuries are being presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome at the Art Sonje Center in Seoul. The exhibition “The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection” displays 71 works by 63 artists held by the Italian ministry for the first time in Korea. The exhibition has been curated by Italian art critic Achille Bonito Oliva and comprises sculptures, paintings, video art and photography. The

July 17, 2023

2023 Korea Young Architect Award given to four rising architects

The Korea Young Architect Award aims to recognize young architects who strive to design better spaces for people based on their own philosophy. This year, four emerging architects from three architecture firms have been recognized for their efforts with the award. Among the 46 architects or collectives that were considered for the award, three architectural studios were chosen -- More Less Architects, Kimnam and Agit Studio -- the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday. Archi

July 13, 2023

Cache of Cindy Sherman's work from Fondation Louis Vuitton shown in Seoul

Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul has unveiled Fondation Louis Vuitton’s collection of works by American artist Cindy Sherman, an artist with many faces. She becomes a man, a clown, an older lady and a woman with different identities. Her photographed self-portraits seem to imply one has different identities or roles in life. The exhibition in Seoul shows some 10 photo portraits by the artist, who is known as a mysterious icon who portrays herself as different figures. The works being shown in

July 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Gwangju Biennale will continue to evolve, stay rooted in 'Gwangju Spirit'

The Gwangju Biennale -- widely considered the oldest and most prestigious biennale in Asia -- marks its 30th anniversary next year. To celebrate the occasion, the 15th Gwangju Biennale, scheduled to take place in September 2024, will be its largest event yet, with more national pavilions than before. For Park Yang-woo, president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, the biennale is a platform in which to show art in an experimental way, beyond the confines of a museum, and encourage ideas and di

July 10, 2023

My Art Museum shows extensive collection of Germany's Museum Ludwig

My Art Museum in Seoul is showcasing pieces from the Museum Ludwig in Germany in celebration of the 140th anniversary of Korea’s bilateral relations with Germany. The exhibition “Picasso and the 20th Century Masters” will run through Aug. 27. Located in Cologne, Museum Ludwig houses a collection of modern art including pop art, abstract and surrealism. The cornerstone of collection was laid in 1976 with a donation of 250 pieces to the city of Cologne by the collectors Peter a

July 10, 2023

Korea's experimental artists reborn in different context at MMCA

Korean avant-garde artist Lee Kun-yong stood in front of the audience at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul, performing “In Snail’s Gallop,” just as he did when it premiered in 1979. But the reception to the performances couldn't be more different. “My performance is about interacting with audiences. I feel like the audience’s attitude on art has changed a lot from the 1970s. They were quite stiff and seemed to find it difficult to in

July 8, 2023

[Herald Interview] MMCA curator Kang Soo-jung sees Korean avant-garde artists remaining 'forever young'

Art transcends time and space. The exhibition “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s” brings Korea’s avant-garde art from decades ago into the present with a glimpse into how the young artists challenged rapid industrialization and authoritarianism. The exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea attracted attention from home and abroad even before its May 26 opening. The show, co-curated by the national museum and the Guggenheim M

July 8, 2023

MMCA gives people chance to let loose at museum

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea wants people to let their hair down this Saturday at the museum, as part of a workshop held alongside the running exhibition “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s-1970s.” Aiming to challenge social norms, participants of the workshop can clap, laugh out loud, lie down on the floor and more, the museum said. Over the past two weeks, the museum has aggregated ideas of how the audience can break stereotypes and norms

July 7, 2023

Cultural events to mark global gathering of World Federation of the Deaf

An international event is set to kick off July 11 in Jeju Island, with a variety of cultural activities designed for and prepared by deaf people. The 19th World Conference of the World Federation of Deaf will open with an opening ceremony on July 11 and run until July 15 under the theme of “Securing Human Rights in Times of Crisis.” The WFD is an international organization that represents and promotes the rights of deaf people globally. The World Conference, which takes place every f

July 7, 2023

Hakgojae Gallery dusts off works by forgotten artist Rhee Sang-wooc

Galleries discover artists and show their work to the world, much like finding gems that have been left hidden for a long time. Korean painter Rhee Sang-wooc is an artist whose work has received relatively little attention. Born in 1923 in Hamhung, in today's North Korea, Rhee left his hometown for Seoul a couple of years after South Korea's liberation from Japan. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the artist remained in Korea, unable to travel to his hometown which became part o

July 5, 2023

Architect Thomas Heatherwick shows how he makes places that elicit emotions

How architecture can evoke emotions within people in places is one of the primary questions for British architect Thomas Heatherwick in designing buildings. The “Heatherwick Studio: Building Soulfulness” exhibition shows how the architect and his team try to answer that question. Heatherwick Studio has brought together some 30 projects carried out for the past 29 years evolving around the concept of “soulfulness.” “When you are creating places, the intellect matters

July 3, 2023