The sudden outbreak of the pandemic frustrated the fashion industry earlier this year when the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week was canceled just a month before it was scheduled to take place. After gearing up for the 2021 spring-summer season for months, Korea’s largest fashion event is going digital, breaking the barrier between designers and audiences. “It will be our first show to attempt to show B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business to customer) retail models at the

Arts & Design Oct. 19, 2020

Masterpieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat -- the American artist whose rebellious style influenced art ranging from graffiti to pop art -- are being shown in South Korea’s largest-ever exhibition of his work. The title of the exhibition, “Jean Michel Basquiat: Royalty, Heroism, and the Streets,” at the Lotte Museum of Art reflects what the artist valued in his art. Basquiat chose the three subject matters -- royalty, heroism and streets-- that he cared about in his art in a 1983 i

Arts & Design Oct. 17, 2020

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth, a cultural event that creatively combines a classical concert and media art exhibition will take place Tuesday at F1963, a culture complex in Busan. “Artist Letter,” a concert and exhibition dedicated to Beethoven, aims to encourage people who are depressed by the prolonging pandemic by delivering the message of how the great musician overcame the difficulties he faced as he lost his hearing. Six str

Arts & Design Oct. 16, 2020

Asia Hotel Art Fair Seoul 2020 kicked off Thursday afternoon at Nine Tree Premier Hotel Insadong in central Seoul, showcasing nearly 4,000 works from 60 galleries from home and abroad, offering art lovers the chance to collect works amid a series of art fair cancellations. The biannual art fair aims to promote interaction among galleries across Asia as well as introduce promising artists. A variety of work, from paintings to sculptures, is on display inside the 71 hotel rooms on the 10th, 12th

Arts & Design Oct. 16, 2020

As soon as you step into the main exhibition hall of the PKM Gallery, canvases that are seemingly blank from a distance come into your sight. In a few minutes, the lights are suddenly turned off, and you may feel as though you are in a vast universe, the canvases gleaming with luminous green stars. The internationally renowned artist Koo Jeong-A’s painting series “Seven Stars” offers an extraordinary experience to visitors. The exhibition “Koo Jeong A: 2O2O” at P

Arts & Design Oct. 15, 2020

Geunjeongjeon -- the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung from the Joseon era (1392-1910) -- is worth around 3.29 billion won ($2.87 million), less than the average price of an apartment in Gangnam-gu, a district of Seoul known for its sky-high real estate prices. Three other halls in the palace, which are designated as national treasures, were valuated at less than 2 billion won each, according to a document submitted by the Cultural Heritage Administration at the request of Rep. Kim Seung-su o

Culture Oct. 12, 2020

After spending hours in meetings in the morning for her newly opened exhibition, Yang Hae-gue, a Korea-born installation artist who is one of the most in-demand artists across the globe today -- sat down with The Korea Herald on Monday, skipping lunch due to her tight schedule. “Please do not worry about me,” Yang said in a voice that sounded as if she could continue hours for the sake of her art. The artist, 49, is holding her fifth solo exhibition in Korea at the National Museum

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2020

When you think of Seoul 100 years ago, what comes to mind? The exhibition “The Gold Rush: 1920 Memory Theater” at Ilmin Museum of Art will take you back in time through newspapers and magazines of the era, along with masterpieces painted by modern and contemporary artists. The exhibition at Ilmin Museum of Art in central Seoul, which opened Oct. 8 and runs through Dec. 27, offers a break from the COVID-19 pandemic times. In the 1920s, during the Japanese colonial era, the city was

Arts & Design Oct. 9, 2020

Park Re-hyun pioneered Korean modern art during the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945) and the years when Western culture flooded into Korea after its liberation from Japanese rule. While Park began her art studies in Japan and her paintings that feature Japanese aesthetics were once highly acclaimed, the artist sought to erase that legacy and went on to develop her own style, contemplating the fundamental aesthetics of Korea. Deeply fascinated by cubism, the style pioneered by Pablo Picasso, s

Arts & Design Oct. 4, 2020

As the prolonged pandemic continues into late September, Chuseok -- South Korea’s major traditional holiday -- has become a thorny issue for some families, igniting a generational conflict over whether to have family reunions during the holiday. “I feel reluctant to have a family gathering at this pandemic time, and I am particularly worried about my 3-month-old baby,” one post in an online community reads. “What are you all going to do during Chuseok this year? I don&r

Culture Sept. 30, 2020

A rare painting by Korean folk painting master Kim Hong-do from the Joseon era (1392-1910) has returned to Korea after decades, finding a new owner in the home country. The painting by Kim (1745 -1806) fetched 490 million won ($419,000) at the auction held by Seoul Auction, the largest auction house in Korea, on Sept. 22. Bidding started at 400 million won. Among three entities competing over the painting, the Ansan city government in Gyeonggi Province won, becoming the owner of the artist

Arts & Design Sept. 29, 2020

An art talk show on collecting art for the millennial generation was livestreamed Thursday on the sidelines of the Korean International Art Fair -- the largest art fair in Korea, which kicked off Wednesday online due to the pandemic -- as purchasing art has become a growing trend among the younger generation. “The popularity of artwork collection has increased dramatically among the millennial generation,” said Jackline Byun, founding director of K Artists Art Advisory, at the tal

Arts & Design Sept. 25, 2020

An increasing number of people in South Korea live with companion animals, with approximately 30 percent of households having at least one. As the concept of dogs being a part of the family has grown considerably stronger in the country, more people are asking how people can better coexist with dogs in society. In response, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, has unveiled the first-ever exhibition in Korea that can be enjoyed with companion dogs. The exhibition, titled

Arts & Design Sept. 23, 2020

After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week earlier this year, the fashion week showcasing the spring-summer 2021 collections will be held next month, reaching out to the global audience on an online platform. Some 45 South Korean fashion designers are participating in the 2021 SS Seoul Fashion Week -- 35 established designers for the Seoul Collection show and 10 rookie designers for Generation Next. The fashion shows, scheduled from Oct. 20-25, will be held

Arts & Design Sept. 22, 2020

Bambi, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, was rescued last winter from an abusive owner who starved her. An animal rescue organization saw to her recovery, and last Tuesday Bambi was put on a flight to meet her new family in the US. Bambi, who at 16 kilograms is considered a large dog in South Korea, would have been hard to place domestically in a country where apartments are the predominant form of housing. Large dogs are often sent overseas to countries where they are more widely accepted as co

Culture Sept. 21, 2020