The exhibition “To you: Move Toward Where You Are” at Arko Art Center in Seoul touches on how the pandemic has influenced the concept of mobility as the yearslong pandemic continues to reduce physical mobility in our daily lives. A total of eight emerging artists and collectives have joined the exhibition; half of those artists are in their 20s or early 30s. Most of the works were newly commissioned for the exhibition with an aim to offer more opportunities to talented young artis

Arts & Design Feb. 28, 2022

Korean-Finnish artist duo Nana & Felix have picked up photographs of families, someone’s childhood or Christianity quotes kept in a frame from urban detritus. Once considered cherished memories, they were left behind for some reason, probably when people move out of cities. The artists found nearly 200 frames over the past several years in South Korea. At the center of the exhibition hall at Posco Art Museum in Seoul is the photography installation “Camera, Cigarette, Whiskey,

Arts & Design Feb. 26, 2022

Busan Biennale 2022 will kick off Sept. 3 across Busan with the theme of “We, on the Rising Wave,” exploring the history of the port city located at the southeastern tip of the country. The 65-day biennale will be led by artistic director Kim Hae-ju, a former deputy director of Art Songe Center, who participated in Busan Biennale 2006. The biennale will look into how the country’s second largest city has evolved, according to the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee on Wednesd

Arts & Design Feb. 23, 2022

Painter Toh Yun-hee remembers things by their colors. The artist does not hesitate to say it is the colors she encounters that motivate her to paint on a canvas. When the colors become linked to her memories, occasions –- or even sentences -- that remain in her mind, they are expressed as paintings. Toh has unveiled 41 new paintings at Gallery Hyundai in Seoul, the leading commercial art gallery in South Korea. The show titled “Berlin” is her second at the gallery, after &ldq

Arts & Design Feb. 22, 2022

Installation artist Choe U-ram was selected as the artist for the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2022, an annual project organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea to support established Korean artists. Choe is known for kinetic sculptures known as “anima-machines” that combine the realms of art and science, which he has explored since the early 1990s. The kinetic installations created with stainless steel, robotics and acrylic show how humans’ desire i

Arts & Design Feb. 22, 2022

The organizing committee of international art fair Kiaf Seoul has appointed Koo Ja-yeol, also known as Christopher Koo, as its new chairman. He succeeds Bahk Byong-won, who has led the committee since 2013. Koo, who is also chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, will oversee the direction of the committee and take charge of public activities, including building relationships with enterprises, according to Kiaf Seoul. Koo was appointed chairman of KITA in February 2021 for a th

Arts & Design Feb. 17, 2022

When Ha Chong-hyun appeared at the press conference for his solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery on Tuesday, the 86-year-old artist evidenced the longevity of his distinct artistic style, some 50 years after he debuted his signature painting series “Conjunction. When unveiling his “Post-Conjunction” series at the solo exhibition, the leading Korean contemporary artist recommitted to his “war against oil paints and burlap canvas.” This “war” began in the

Arts & Design Feb. 16, 2022

Strongly believing that visual art has power to influence the human condition, UK-based interdisciplinary artist Hong Young-in has been exploring ways to contribute to the society as an artist. The exhibition “Young In Hong: We Where” at PKM Gallery is Hong’s first solo show after presenting her work at the 2019 Korea Artist Prize organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Born in 1972, Hong studied at Seoul National University and Goldsmiths Co

Arts & Design Feb. 15, 2022

Gallery Hyundai, a major commercial art gallery in South Korea, plans to launch a non-fungible token-based art platform called ETNAH, that will feature digital works by renowned domestic and overseas artists. ETNAH will have a three-month test run starting May and be officially launched in August. Do Hyung-teh, president of the gallery, has formed AIT as a startup to launch the NFT art platform in collaboration with Andrew Ku, CEO of ALTAVA Group -- an IT company based in Seoul and Singapore

Arts & Design Feb. 13, 2022

Two Korean interdisciplinary artists -- Lee Mi-re and Jeong Geum-hyung -- will participate in the main exhibition of the upcoming Venice Biennale in April, which will take place at the Central Pavilion and Arsenale. Lee and Jeon are among 213 artists from 58 countries who were invited to join the international exhibition, the main exhibition of the biennale where 80 countries will also showcase works through their national pavilions. Among the artists participating in the international exhibit

Arts & Design Feb. 12, 2022

Architect Kim Won has put up for sale some significant pieces from his collection of art to help raise funds for an NGO for which he serves as a chief director. Among the 50 works donated by Kim that are on sale at Gallery Now in Seoul are ink paintings by architect Kim Swoo-guen (1931-1986), a prominent contemporary architect. The architect gave the paintings to Kim Won as a gift a year before his death. Kim Won was Kim Swoo-guen’s protege.  “Kim Swoo-guen began contempor

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

Painter Moon Sung-sic sticks with using pencils in creating his art. Inspired by daily life, he represents the mundaneness of everyday by scratching the thick oil paint surface with pencils as if striving to show his perseverance as an artist. “Pencils are the most basic materials in painting, spontaneous and simple. I think this resembles my unexaggerated and unpretentious personality,“ Moon told reporters at Kukje Gallery’s Busan venue on Jan. 21. He said he felt that his

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation and GIZI Foundation will launch the “Gwangju Biennale Park Seo-bo Art Prize” at the 14th Gwangju Biennale scheduled to open in April next year to recognize a promising artist participating at the biennale. GIZI Foundation, established by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo, has committed $1 million to the prize, with $100,000 in prize money to winning artists or collectives through 2042. The winner will be selected among those who participate in t

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

After the much-anticipated auction of Kansong Art Museum’s two state-designated national treasures last week ended up failing to find bidders, eyes are now on what Korea’s oldest private museum will do with the national treasures. During the auction held by K Auction on Jan. 27, no one bid for the two national treasures -- National Treasure No. 73, Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, and National Treasure No. 72, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi

Arts & Design Feb. 7, 2022

Yongyangbongjeojong is a pavilion in southern Seoul that Jeongjo -- who ruled in the Joseon era from 1776 to 1800 -- used for respite when he visited Hyollyungwon in Suwon, where the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado is located.  Designated as Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 6, it was named for the unique scenery of the mountain and river that surrounds the pavilion. King Jeongjo once said, “The high mountain in the north and the running Han River look like a wriggling dragon

Culture Feb. 5, 2022