[Photo News] Playing with light, shadow

PLAYING WITH LIGHT, SHADOW -- This photo shows an installation view of Chinese artist Wu Guanzhen’s solo exhibition at Seoul Arts Center, which ended Thursday. The latest exhibition in Seoul featured works created by applying lacquer to sheets of ramie, which allows the lights to pass the semi-transparent canvas, leaving shadows on the wall. (Wu Guanzhen Art Studio)

May 12, 2019

For singer Jang Sa-ik, calligraphy is ‘blissful agony’

Musician Jang Sa-ik, known for his unique interpretation of traditional Korean songs, will show his talent for “seoye” at an exhibition in Seoul. Seoye refers to Korean calligraphy, a tradition of artistic writing created with brushstrokes. Using only black ink, it conveys a sense of depth and breadth.  Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21) Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21) Jang’s seoye work (Geulc 21)Jang, 70, is a famous singer who incorporates the art of pansori into his music, as well as the folk and pop

May 8, 2019

‘The Security Has Been Improved’ examines surveillance

Constant surveillance has become a reality, not unlike the 1998 film “Truman Show,” in which thousands of hidden cameras track and broadcast every minute of the life of insurance salesman Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), unbeknownst to him.The difference is we are aware of it, but there is no escape. A person living in Korea’s metropolitan area is captured by surveillance cameras every nine seconds while walking down a street. This happens on average 83.1 times a day, according to recent National Hu

May 1, 2019

Asger Jorn’s avant-garde art practices showcased at MMCA

Detournement is a method of painting in which an artist takes an existing artwork and add elements to create something new. To Danish artist Asger Jorn, a master of the method, however, detournement is also his attitude toward the political, social and cultural circumstances of postwar Europe. By actively overriding existing artworks with bold and exuberant splashes of paint, Jorn has made new creations. In a way, the artist was devaluing the established form of art but also trying to create new

April 22, 2019

Mindful relaxation at Museum San

WONJU, Gangwon Province -- Located in the high mountain valleys of Gangwon Province, Museum San offers more than just art. It also invites visitors to experience its verdant natural surroundings. A recent change to the museum may motivate more visitors to embark on the two-hour drive from central Seoul -- a new meditation hall designed by the famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando has finally opened.Ando, who also designed the 72,172-square-meter museum, was commissioned to design the new hall to m

April 18, 2019

MoMA’s expansion to allow for greater diversity

The Museum of Modern Art in New York will become a test bed for artists, curators, critics and experts looking to find the museum of the future.“My goal is to finish this project and then to see it as a platform for a whole new level of activity on the part of the museum. Building projects are not an end unto themselves. They are means of beginning a new chapter in the life of the institution,” said MoMa Director Glenn Lowry during an interview with The Korea Herald at Hyundai Card Understage in

April 17, 2019

Exhibition compares two 20th century traditional landscape masters

Korea‘s ink-and-wash paintings have faced many challenges in the 20th century, threatened by influence from Japan’s colonial rule and the influx of Western culture.Lee Sang-beom and Byeon Gwan-sik were leading artists, who sought to reinvent Korea’s traditional painting and succeed the master painters of Joseon era such as Gyeomjae, Danwon and Owon. Now they are being featured side by side at Gallery Hyundai, giving visitors an opportunity to view and compare their works. “Forest Covered in Thic

April 14, 2019

Park Kyung-ryul battles conventional way of viewing paintings

You won’t find paintings where you expect them to be at Park Kyung-ryul’s latest solo exhibition “On Evenness.” Some are on the floor, leaning against the walls. You will find them in corners, too. The paintings are surrounded by brightly colored objects that get in the way of visitors. “Visitors to art galleries or museums usually know where they will see the paintings, for instance, at the very center of a white wall. I intentionally placed my paintings at less ex

April 11, 2019

Complete edition of visual artist James Jean

From a comic book contributor to a fine art painter and sculptor, Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean’s career has been chronicled at the Lotte Museum’s latest exhibition.Titled “Eternal Journey,” the exhibition of some 500 works by Jean includes six large-scale paintings, about 200 drawings, some 150 cover art pieces, as well as installations and sculptures.  Visual artist James Jean poses for pictures during a press conference on April 3 at Lotte Museum of Art, Seoul (Yonhap)“All of my

April 10, 2019

[Herald Interview] 'Fashion is about trends. Paul Smith is about individuality'

Though the beginning was small, things ended up much bigger than expected for fashion designer Paul Smith. It sometimes is still hard for the designer to believe what he has achieved. The celebrated designer’s first store in Nottingham, which opened in 1976, was 9 square meters. It was only open Fridays and Saturdays, as he had to work another job the rest of the week to make his living. Seven years after opening the shop, Smith went to Paris with a small collection of clothes. But he didn’t hav

April 8, 2019

Taking a look inside Paul Smith’s world

Designer Paul Smith’s world of fashion will visit Korea via an upcoming exhibition. Co-hosted by the Seoul Design Foundation and Design Museum of London, fashion exhibition “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith” is slated to take place this summer at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. “The exhibition is very open and honest,” the 72-year-old designer said, during a press conference on Monday.  Designer Paul Smith speaks during a press conference at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul on Monday. (Seo

April 8, 2019

Art of being an observer

Stereotypes play a role in perceptions of a foreign country and its people -- especially when it comes to Korea and Japan, which have a relationship strained by history and politics. Yet artist Jung Yeon-doo succeeds in approaching the subject matter from the perspective of a dispassionate observer in “Classic and New,” a 43-minute video work that highlights the narratives of ordinary Japanese people. Jung’s work revolves around the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area in Tokyo as well as people living in th

April 7, 2019

[Weekender] From vintage to sportswear, retro is in vogue

The retro fever can be best felt at the Dongmyo market, one of the biggest flea markets in Korea where fashionista visitors have sharply increased since last year. “Visitors surged suddenly after September last year, after the market was featured on several popular TV shows,” said Park Choon-ha, a vintage clothes shop owner at the market. Vintage clothes, shoes and accessories are displayed at the Dongmyo street market in Seoul on March 29. (Choi Ji-won/The Korea Herald)On a recent Friday aftern

April 5, 2019

Artist Lee Bul awarded 2019 Ho-Am Prize

Artist Lee Bul will be awarded the 2019 Ho-Am Prize, an annual award established in 1990 to honor those who have made contribution to science, culture and the welfare of mankind.Artist Lee Bul (Courtesy of Studio Lee Bul)Lee is an internationally-known artist from Korea, who have been active since the 1980s. A retrospective of her works was held recently at the Hayward Gallery in London and the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin. She is also participating the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale 201

April 4, 2019

MMCA exhibition ‘Vertiginous Data’ questions neutrality of tech

Not many artworks on show at museums have price tags attached to them, but Rachel Ara’s installation work does. The large tech installation, a mass of devices and black cables, updates in real time its value on a screen in red neon numbers. This seemingly “overcalculated and overcomplicated” tech-sculpture by Ara, titled “This Much I’m Worth,” is part of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s latest exhibition. Installation views of “This Much I’m Worth” by Rachel Ara and Chris She

April 3, 2019

[Herald Interview] After Celine and Louis Vuitton, Korean-American designer ready to rock world with label Rokh

At the latest edition of Paris Fashion Week, a new name caught the eye of fashion industry insiders amid the dizzying list of top fashion houses. It was Rokh, based in London and led by Korean-American designer Hwang Rok. Before launching his label in 2016, the 34-year-old designer had worked at high-end fashion houses, such as Celine, Chloe and Louis Vuitton.  RokhThough the Rokh label pursues the reinterpretation of classic garments through deconstruction and reconstruction, its collections ar

April 2, 2019

‘Lack of aesthetic sensibility could pose threat to others’

Scattered throughout the gallery space are collages of various materials and found objects. Some are shown on classical sculpture podiums, others on metal frames or plastic foam. A sculpture in a corner periodically releases white vapor, like the water vapor and toxic gases that spew in a volcanic eruption. These make up artist Jung Ji-hyun’s solo exhibition at Atelier Hermes in Maison Hermes Dosan Park in Seoul.Born in 1986, Jung is an artist who works primarily with the byproducts and waste of

April 1, 2019

Out of rookie league, designers debut big on Seoul runway

Last week, the newest fashion trends packed into Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the 2019 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week took place. New brands, new models and new styles were presented in front of fashion aficionados.The biannual fashion event is largely separated into two runway parts: “Generation Next” featuring local rookie designers and the main event Seoul Collection.  A model presents a creation by Blanc de Noirs on a catwalk at the 2019 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week on Thursday. (Seoul D

March 28, 2019

Cottweiler design duo explores ‘Lost Art of Cruising’

London-based designer brand Cottweiler reached out to the public with its fashion show at the 2019 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week on Friday. Led by the duo of Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty, Cottweiler was chosen as the first British brand to stage a runway show at Seoul Fashion Week under an exchange program between the British Fashion Council and Seoul Design Foundation.  Designers Ben Cottrell (left) and Matthew Dainty, who run London-based menswear label Cottweiler, speak during an intervie

March 27, 2019

Kohei Nawa’s ‘Vessel’ sculptures shimmer in the dark

Hypnotic sounds in a pitch-dark gallery space create an otherworldly atmosphere -- a fitting environment for sculptures of tangled human bodies glittering in the dark.“Vessel,” a solo exhibition of some 30 works by up-and-coming Japanese artist Kohei Nawa at Arario Gallery’s Ryse Hotel branch marks the artist’s first exhibition here in seven years. Installation view of Japanese artist Kohei Nawa‘s exhibition “Vessel” at Arario Gallery’s Ryse Hotel branch in Seoul (Arario Gallery)Exploring materi

March 26, 2019