Folding screens are a traditional form of art that was popular in Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The paneled artworks featuring paintings, patterns and calligraphy were used to decorate rooms, to highlight the presence of a powerful figure or as a backdrop for various ceremonies and rituals.The Amorepacific Museum of Art’s “Beyond Folding Screens” is a large-scale exhibition that brings the folding screen to the fore. “The Sun, Moon and Five Peaks,” an emblem of royal authority produced in

Arts & Design Oct. 23, 2018

Nederlands Dans Theater is holding three concerts at Seoul Arts Center between Friday and Sunday, marking its first visit to Seoul since 2002.　Leading the cutting-edge contemporary dance company are artistic director Paul Lightfoot and artistic adviser Sol Leon. The two have been working for the company for some 30 years, in the past as dancers and choreographers, and now as the heads in charge.“It has been many years since the company has not been returning to Seoul. For us, it’s very significa

Performance Oct. 18, 2018

Contemporary classical music fans should not miss the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s upcoming “Ars Nova” concerts in October as this year’s edition could be the last season of the 13-year-long music series. In a statement released Monday, the SPO announced that it would not hold the “Ars Nova Series” in 2019, largely due to the current absence of experts who are capable of leading the series at the orchestra.The Seoul-based orchestra is in the process of filling its new music director, artistic

Performance Oct. 15, 2018

An elephant pulls a cart loaded with devices like television sets, radios, telephones and gramophone speakers while a Buddha statue -- sitting on the elephant under an umbrella -- leads the way ahead. These once dominant means of communication are featured in artist Nam June Paik’s work “Elephant Cart.” It is one of the works on display as part of “Art Commons, Nam June Paik,” which kicked off at the Nam June Paik Art Center on Thursday. The exhibition reintroduces Paik’s artworks, along with th

Arts & Design Oct. 14, 2018

Seoul Auction is to refund the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art over the 2003 sale of a painting that has since been declared a counterfeit.During a parliamentary audit of the state museum on Thursday, Rep. Kim Jae-won of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party pointed out that the museum had bought a counterfeit of Rhee Seund-ja’s painting “Memory of Hidden Trees” and criticized the museum for lax management of its collection.Memory of Hidden Trees,” which has been declared a coun

Arts & Design Oct. 12, 2018

A solo exhibition of works by Kim Seong-heui, an artist and oriental painting professor at Seoul National University, will open Friday at Chosun Ilbo Gallery in Seoul. Titled “Constellation Link-Transparent Human,” the exhibition will comprise some 30 works by the artist.  “Constellation Link-Transparent Human” “Constellation Link-Transparent Human”Kim uses traditional mulberry paper for her paintings, putting together three to four pieces of mulberry paper before she paints to create a backgrou

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2018

Classical music lovers will be treated to performances by internationally acclaimed pianists this fall, starting with Krystian Zimerman in mid-October, followed by Evgeny Kissin at the end of the month and Andras Schiff in November.Zimerman, one of the world’s finest pianists, will perform Oct. 19 at Lotte Concert Hall, together with the London-based Philharmonia Orchestra led by conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The concert marks Zimmerman’s second visit to Korea since 2003.  Pianist Krystian Zimerm

Performance Oct. 9, 2018

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang will start a nationwide tour with Italian pianist Alessio Bax with a recital on Oct. 14 at Seoul Arts Center.This is Kang’s first nationwide tour since 2016 when she toured with pianist Son Yeol-eum, her close friend and the artistic director of the Pyeongchang Music Festival.Kang’s upcoming recital will feature works of French and Belgian composers, including Debussy‘s Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, L148, Eugene Ysaye’s “Poeme Elegiaque,” Op. 12 and Cesar Fran

Performance Oct. 7, 2018

The Seoul Fortress consists of an 18.6-kilometer-long wall that surrounds Hanyang, the former capital of the Joseon era. Though parts of it were damaged during Japan’s colonial rule and the Korean War, the wall has been standing for some 600 years and today overlooks the urbanized capital, Seoul.One of the four trail sections, which goes around Naksan, offers a scenic route where visitors can enjoy both historic sites and the massive urbanscape of the city. (Photographed by Park Hyun-koo/The Kor

Travel Oct. 4, 2018

American pop artist Kenny Scharf’s solo exhibition “Super Pop Universe,” which launched Wednesday at the Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul, opens up a whole new universe for viewers and encourages them to reflect on reality.A visual celebration of the daily lives of people and the world they inhabit, Scharf’s paintings and sculptures are colorful and witty -- for the most part. The world that the artist presents requires a bit of effort to comprehend, however.  Installation view of Kenny Scharf’s “Co

Arts & Design Oct. 4, 2018

Interpretations of minimalism by 11 Korean artists went on show at the Seoul National University Museum of Art on Monday. The works on display at “Minimal Variation” depict forms of beauty that are aesthetically simple and austere.However, the works of the participating contemporary Korean artists often run counter to the principles espoused by minimalism in the past: The artists have arrived at their own interpretations of minimalism.  Oh Wan-seok’s “Underpainting” (MoA)Minimalism, popular in t

Arts & Design Oct. 2, 2018

Korean artist Lee Bul’s retrospective exhibition kicked off Friday at Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin.The artist’s 2015-16 work “Willing to Be Vulnerable,” a 17-meter-long sculpture that looks like a Hindenburg airship or Zeppelin, is included in the 127 works that span over some 30 years and are on show. “Willing to Be Vulnerable” was first shown at the 20th Biennale of Sydney in 2016. “Scale of Tongue,” Lee’s latest work, is also presented at Martin-Gropius-Bauwill.The exhibition sheds light on h

Arts & Design Sept. 30, 2018

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, kicked off the second edition of Asia Focus on Friday at its Seoul branch. This year’s Asia Focus -- a program launched last year to support artists in Asia -- runs through next Wednesday. Asia Focus forms part of MMCA Performing Arts, a yearlong program dedicated to interdisciplinary performances. This year, the museum co-commissioned five Asian artists -- Ho Tzu Nyen of Singapore, Meiro Koizumi of Japan, Dai Chenlian of China, Hong Kon

Arts & Design Sept. 28, 2018

The fall has arrived and so has the season for strolling. In downtown Seoul, the area near central palace Gyeongbokgung is the favorite haunt of locals and tourists alike looking to enjoy fine culture and dining alike.On either side of the massive Gwanghwamun Square in front of the palace are the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and Sejong Center. The two large cultural institutions within close walking distance are perhaps ideal spots to start an “art walk” in Seoul. An installati

Arts & Design Sept. 27, 2018

Can dancers practice their art with etudes, like classical musicians? Artist Oh Min’s “Etude ABCD” at Atelier Hermes in Seoul is an exhibition that comprises a set of dance etudes with intricately woven choreography.The winner of the 17th Hermes Foundation Missulsang, Oh is an artist who brings the language of the stage into the realm of visual arts.  Artist Oh Min poses in front of her video installation, “Etude A,” part of an exhibition titled “Etude ABCD,” at Atelier Hermes in Seoul. (Atelier

Arts & Design Sept. 26, 2018