The Korea Herald

British Museum acquires rare Picasso prints

Dec 1, 2011

LONDON (AFP) ― The British Museum announced on Tuesday it had acquired an exceptional set of Pablo Picasso’s “Vollard Suite,” comprising 100 etchings produced by the artist between 1930 and 1937. Complete sets of the suite are very rare, held only by a handful of museums in the world including the National Gallery in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Picasso museum in Pari...
Hotel art fairs not so fresh anymore

Dec 1, 2011

Novelty factor wears out, while organizers now openly announce event is reserved for the privileged The idea of room-hopping in the city’s most luxurious hotels to browse artwork adorning the walls was very fresh in 2009 when the first-ever hotel art fair in the city was opened at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. But with so many hotel art fairs popping up every season since...
Herald artday holds second online auction

Nov 30, 2011

Herald artday, a subsidiary of the Herald Media group, will open its second online auction this month. It will roll out about 100 artworks by acclaimed South Korean artists, including Lee U-fan, Kim Tschang-yeul, Suh Seok and Lee Dai-won. The biggest advantage of the auction is the affordable price. Starting prices will be as much as 70 percent below the market price. Organizers said that it wou...
Photos show architecture has tales to tell

Nov 30, 2011

Captured on camera by photographers’ deft techniques, historical sites, interior designs and impressive architecture have more stories to tell. Six photographers ― Brian McKee, Lina Kim, Michael Wesely, Laurie Simmons, Dionisio Gonzlez, and Hiroshi Sugimoto ― are showcasing their unique perspectives on architectural themes at the exhibition “Beyond Architecture: Progress in Time” which is curren...
Joseon royal wedding comes alive in Paris

Nov 30, 2011

Exquisite pieces of Korean court hanbok and royal wedding rituals charmed Parisians on Tuesday night, during a special event held as a part of Korea-France Week 2011 in France. Organized by the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, the event, which consisted of a hanbok fashion show, a Korean gugak concert, and a re-enactment of the Joseon-era royal wedding ceremony, was presented in front of...
Shen Wei thinks big with new dance in New York

Nov 29, 2011

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Chinese-American choreographer Shen Wei is using one of New York’s most cavernous spaces to premiere his latest dance Tuesday ― but for the man behind the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics nothing is too big. The Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan, a one-time military drill hall, hosts “Undivided Divided” and by the sound of things anything less than that vast hangar-st...
Faces from Africa

Nov 28, 2011

He may be from a country not everyone has heard of, but his paintings contain emotions everyone should be able to connect with. The faces in Eritrean artist Fitsum’s 20 oil paintings at “African Soul” in Gallery Tongkeun in Gwanhun-dong, central Seoul, portray universal feelings such as suffering and agony, depicted with bold strokes of vivid color. Eritrea is a small African country of less th...
Exhibit showcases black photographer

Nov 28, 2011

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Charles “Teenie’’ Harris had a photographic mission: going beyond the obvious or sensational to capture the essence of daily African-American life in the 20th century For more than 40 years, Harris ― as lead photographer of the influential Pittsburgh Courier newspaper ― took almost 80,000 pictures of people from all walks of life: presidents, housewives, sports stars, babies, c...
Pictures of no place

Nov 27, 2011

Knowing the hidden stories behind his photos definitely make them more interesting. To the suggestion it is a pity there is no explanation accompanying the works, however, Demand was nonchalant. “As an artist, I don’t think I have to explain my works. But I know exactly why I created them.” Another established German photographer, Candida Hofer, also points her camera to meaningful spaces and ...
Not all pleased as Hallberg makes his Bolshoi debut

Nov 24, 2011

MOSCOW ― David Hallberg is off and running in Moscow. On Friday night he made history for the Bolshoi Ballet as the first American in a leading role on its historic stage in a new production of the fabled Russian ballet “The Sleeping Beauty.” And it’s not just any stage: Older than the United States and the jewel of Russian culture, the Bolshoi Theatre is newly restored for its 236th season. Ha...
Miami Beach getting ready for Art Basel Dec. 1-4

Nov 24, 2011

MIAMI BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Live graffiti painting. A colossal rose bed soaring 6.1 meters high. Early photos of Andy Warhol, a Picasso up for auction and a naked woman living in a pig pen. They’re all part of the lineup for Art Basel Miami Beach, which runs Dec. 1-4, with a host of related events beginning Nov. 30. The pig pen installation will undoubtedly be the most jaw-dropping event at the...
‘Garden of peace’ at Chelsea Flower Show

Nov 24, 2011

Korean environmental artist Hwang to reproduce wildlife of DMZ in Britain The Demilitarized Zone separating the South and North Korea may be the most scarred, but at the same time, the one of the most untouched places in the world. Hwang Ji-hae, the winner of the Artisan Garden section at the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show, this time wanted to show the place and tell “our story” badly because she kne...
Tripitaka Koreana gets last public display

Nov 24, 2011

National museum marks millennial anniversary of ancient Buddhist printing blocks For those who have yet to see the wooden printing blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana, the world’s most comprehensive and oldest intact Buddhist canon, the time is now or never. The National Palace Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition celebrating the millennial anniversary of the ancient Korean relic, showca...
Fans strip off in support of Ai Weiwei

Nov 22, 2011

BEIJING (AFP) ― Ai Weiwei fans have again rallied behind the outspoken Chinese artist after he revealed he is being investigated on pornography charges ― by posting naked pictures of themselves online. Supporters of Ai ― who disappeared into custody for 81 days earlier this year ― raised money when he was saddled with a 15-million-yuan ($2.4 million) bill in alleged back taxes, a move he called ...
U.S. returns stolen painting to Germany

Nov 22, 2011

BERLIN (AP) ― An American university returned a 15th century painting to a Berlin museum on Monday, more than six decades after the valuable piece was stolen in the chaotic aftermath of World War II. The Flagellation of Christ was one of more than a dozen paintings that disappeared from Berlin’s Jagdschloss Grunewald museum during the summer of 1945, looted by British and Russian soldiers. The ...