In yet another summer of COVID-19, many people are longing for the beautiful sight of the ocean, trips to the beach and a chance to swim in the sea. The scenery that so many of us miss can be found in Seoul in the work of Spanish photographer Yosigo. The exhibition “Photographs by Yosigo: Holiday Memories” has become one of the most popular exhibitions in Seoul since it opened in June, having gone viral among young people who can’t go to the beach. The exhibition is so popula

Arts & Design Aug. 10, 2021

Art Center Nabi has launched a project combining cultural heritage and NFTs -- “me.Duck” -- with the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation in efforts to expand NFTs to the cultural heritage realm. “We will initiate the NFT-based cultural project with an aim to preserve the value of cultural heritage and to show respect to Kansong Jeon Hyeong-pil, the founder of the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation,” the art center said in a press release. The Kansong Art and Culture Fo

Arts & Design Aug. 7, 2021

Three masterpieces by video art pioneer Paik Nam-june -- “Turtle,” “Sistine Chapel” and “Forest of Cage-Revolution of the Forest” -- will find a new home at the Ulsan Museum of Art in the southeastern port city. The three pieces will become part of the core collection at the museum, which is under construction and will open to the public in December. “The masterpieces are from different owners. They will be showcased at the museum’s inaugural e

Arts & Design Aug. 7, 2021

Jeong Han-gyo, a 29-year-old resident in Seoul, began to turn his eye to collecting art after making some money in stocks and cryptocurrency. As a novice collector with little knowledge of the art market and not enough money to buy masterpieces by renowned artists, he found an interesting way to purchase works of art -- a group purchase that would purportedly give him fractional ownership of a work. Over the past two months, Jeong has purchased some 15 works of art through fractional ownersh

Arts & Design Aug. 4, 2021

Fairy tale illustrations of shadow and light are on exhibition at “Fantasy of Light and Shadow” being held at the Hangaram Arts Center Museum in southern Seoul, offering visitors an extraordinary experience. This art genre, “Kage-e,” which literally means shadow painting in Japanese, was pioneered by Japanese artist Seiji Fujishiro, who began honing the craft since 1948. The exhibition is the Kage-e master’s largest solo exhibition in Seoul, introducing some 160

Arts & Design Aug. 3, 2021

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas offers meals for private gatherings Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has launched a special lunchbox “Grab & Go Surf and Turf” promotion of meals prepared by hotel chefs with top-quality ingredients for small private gatherings. The “Grab & Go Surf and Turf” includes lobster, steak, abalone, dried yellow corvine, salad and dessert. The prepared meals will be served until Sept. 30 and priced at 110,000 won for four and 180

Food July 30, 2021

Urban Break 2021 -- Asia’s largest art fair focused on contemporary urban art -- will kick off Thursday at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul showcasing a variety of urban artworks and programs that feature VR. Some 300 artists from around the world are presenting about 25,000 creations at this year’s annual fair. Following the VIP opening Wednesday, the event will open to the general public Thursday and run through Sunday. Participating artists include a New York-based doodle a

Arts & Design July 28, 2021

When online reservations for the exhibitions of art donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee at the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea opened last week, the slots filled up quickly, reflecting the public’s keen interest in the single-largest art donation ever in Korea. The family of the late Lee donated more than 23,000 works of art in April that Lee had collected, most of them going to the National Museum of Korea and Na

Arts & Design July 28, 2021

The Margaux Grill, the luxury steak restaurant, at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul was recognized by Wine Spectator, winning the Best of Award of Excellence. The Margaux Grill houses a wine cave that holds 4,000 bottles of some 800 varieties of wines that encompass tastes from wine beginners to professional sommeliers. The guests to the restaurant can take a tour of the wine cave to select wines. Wine Spectator is an internationally renowned wine magazine published in the US and annually recognizes

Food July 23, 2021

A large quantity of pioneering sculptor Kwon Jin-kyu’s artworks has been donated to the Seoul Museum of Art after the artist’s bereaved family had struggled for decades to find a place to house his sculptures. The donated 141 artworks consist of the 96 sculptures, 10 paintings, six drawings and 29 sketch books, as well as five artworks produced by Kwon’s wife, Kasai Tomo. Kwon’s family has founded Kwon Jin Kyu Commemoration Foundation to manage the artist’s work

Arts & Design July 23, 2021

Wellness package at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul Fairmont Ambassador Seoul offers a wellness package that features a 60-minute body treatment at spa ESPA located at the hotel. The wellness package includes one night stay at a Fairmont Room, buffet restaurant for two, a body treatment for one, Balmain travel hair kit and complimentary use of swimming pool and fitness center. ESPA at Fairmont will deliver a 60-minute inner calm massage body treatment that helps relieve fatigue and restore energy.

Food July 23, 2021

Kansong Art and Culture Foundation plans to tokenize Hunminjeongeum Haerye, National Treasure No. 70, in an effort to raise funds to operate the foundation. If realized as an NFT, the book will become the first national treasure to be traded on a blockchain platform. The 33-page book from the Joseon era details the promulgation of Hangeul, the Korean writing system, and usages of the letters.   An NFT, or nonfungible token, is a unit of data on the blockchain that represents ownership

Arts & Design July 22, 2021

Some of the artworks from the collection of highly prized art donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and his family in late April were unveiled to the press Tuesday in a special exhibition preview. A total of 135 masterpieces, including a number of National Treasures, are being shown in exhibitions at two state-run museums in Seoul from Wednesday. “A Great Cultural Legacy: Masterpieces from the Bequest of the Late Samsung Chairman Lee, Kun-hee” will be held at th

Arts & Design July 20, 2021

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is showcasing a total of 54 modern art masterpieces in its Gallery 1. The masterpieces by 34 artists were selected based on their significance to modern art, according to the museum. Among the 1,488 artworks donated to the MMCA, around 60 percent are Korean modern artworks. Although what constitutes as Korea’s modern art period still remains controversial, the exhibition focuses on modern artists who were born in the 1930s or ear

Arts & Design July 20, 2021

A large magnolia tree stands in front of MMCA Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province. The tree became diseased in 2019 and will be cut down soon as it has now died. Artist Han Seok-hyun revitalized the tree, transforming it into a work of art. He covered the dead tree with wood scraps -- cut timber and broken furniture, which ultimately come from other dead trees -- and added plants such as geraniums, trumpet creepers and even green onions in the spaces in this new covering.  The Cheo

Arts & Design July 19, 2021