A decent apartment in Seoul has long been a symbol of middle-class success. Apartment ownership is also a measure by which social strata are divided.Based on Kim Yoon-young’s novel by the same title, “Tracking Down the Steel Container” is a drama that tackles the divide, as well as how people look at poverty -- and at people living in public housing in particular.  A scene from “Tracking Down the Steel Container” (DAC)The drama unfolds in Suseo-dong, Gangnam-gu, a wealthy district at the souther

Performance April 16, 2019

Korea‘s ink-and-wash paintings have faced many challenges in the 20th century, threatened by influence from Japan’s colonial rule and the influx of Western culture.Lee Sang-beom and Byeon Gwan-sik were leading artists, who sought to reinvent Korea’s traditional painting and succeed the master painters of Joseon era such as Gyeomjae, Danwon and Owon. Now they are being featured side by side at Gallery Hyundai, giving visitors an opportunity to view and compare their works. “Forest Covered in Thic

Arts & Design April 14, 2019

You won’t find paintings where you expect them to be at Park Kyung-ryul’s latest solo exhibition “On Evenness.” Some are on the floor, leaning against the walls. You will find them in corners, too. The paintings are surrounded by brightly colored objects that get in the way of visitors. “Visitors to art galleries or museums usually know where they will see the paintings, for instance, at the very center of a white wall. I intentionally placed my paintings at less ex

Arts & Design April 11, 2019

From a comic book contributor to a fine art painter and sculptor, Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean’s career has been chronicled at the Lotte Museum’s latest exhibition.Titled “Eternal Journey,” the exhibition of some 500 works by Jean includes six large-scale paintings, about 200 drawings, some 150 cover art pieces, as well as installations and sculptures.  Visual artist James Jean poses for pictures during a press conference on April 3 at Lotte Museum of Art, Seoul (Yonhap)“All of my

Arts & Design April 10, 2019

Stereotypes play a role in perceptions of a foreign country and its people -- especially when it comes to Korea and Japan, which have a relationship strained by history and politics. Yet artist Jung Yeon-doo succeeds in approaching the subject matter from the perspective of a dispassionate observer in “Classic and New,” a 43-minute video work that highlights the narratives of ordinary Japanese people. Jung’s work revolves around the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area in Tokyo as well as people living in th

Arts & Design April 7, 2019

Artist Lee Bul will be awarded the 2019 Ho-Am Prize, an annual award established in 1990 to honor those who have made contribution to science, culture and the welfare of mankind.Artist Lee Bul (Courtesy of Studio Lee Bul)Lee is an internationally-known artist from Korea, who have been active since the 1980s. A retrospective of her works was held recently at the Hayward Gallery in London and the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin. She is also participating the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale 201

Arts & Design April 4, 2019

Not many artworks on show at museums have price tags attached to them, but Rachel Ara’s installation work does. The large tech installation, a mass of devices and black cables, updates in real time its value on a screen in red neon numbers. This seemingly “overcalculated and overcomplicated” tech-sculpture by Ara, titled “This Much I’m Worth,” is part of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s latest exhibition. Installation views of “This Much I’m Worth” by Rachel Ara and Chris She

Arts & Design April 3, 2019

Scattered throughout the gallery space are collages of various materials and found objects. Some are shown on classical sculpture podiums, others on metal frames or plastic foam. A sculpture in a corner periodically releases white vapor, like the water vapor and toxic gases that spew in a volcanic eruption. These make up artist Jung Ji-hyun’s solo exhibition at Atelier Hermes in Maison Hermes Dosan Park in Seoul.Born in 1986, Jung is an artist who works primarily with the byproducts and waste of

Arts & Design April 1, 2019

The five-day Francophone Festival, organized by the Korean International Theatre & Arts Company, kicked off its inaugural edition in Seoul on Wednesday. “The festival’s first edition in Seoul hopes to celebrate the cultural diversity that spans the French-speaking countries. It also hopes to promote the French language and also strengthen ties between the two nations, France and Korea,” said Patricia Vilfeu from KITAC during a press conference Tuesday in Seoul. A scene from Cueilleurs de Brume’s

Performance March 27, 2019

Hypnotic sounds in a pitch-dark gallery space create an otherworldly atmosphere -- a fitting environment for sculptures of tangled human bodies glittering in the dark.“Vessel,” a solo exhibition of some 30 works by up-and-coming Japanese artist Kohei Nawa at Arario Gallery’s Ryse Hotel branch marks the artist’s first exhibition here in seven years. Installation view of Japanese artist Kohei Nawa‘s exhibition “Vessel” at Arario Gallery’s Ryse Hotel branch in Seoul (Arario Gallery)Exploring materi

Arts & Design March 26, 2019

Along the wall are framed drawings of artist Ahn Kyu-chul. The drawing series by Ahn, titled “Man Who Disappeared Into the Box,” comes with text describing how a person can disappear by using the bags presented in the drawings. Installed in a corner are suitcases made of wood -- identical to the ones shown in Ahn’s drawings. The bags from the drawings have come alive before exhibitgoers. The installation of suitcases are Ahn’s objects used to prove his fiction. Created by Ahn’s works is confusio

Arts & Design March 21, 2019

The exhibition “DMZ,” dedicated to introducing works of art and projects looking into the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, will be held at Culture Station Seoul 284, starting Thursday.“It is meaningful to hold such an exhibition here in this train station-turned exhibition space, which originally was the railway station of Gyeongui Line that used to stretch between here and (the North Korean city of) Sinuiju,” officials from Culture Station Seoul 284 said at a press conference held Wed

Arts & Design March 20, 2019

Wearing dark blue-green clothes with rolled-up sleeves, seven Swedish dancers appear in a black box theater where dozens of safety helmets with headlamps are scattered around them on the gray floor. The dancers pick up seven helmets and arrange them in a line. Some call out the names of friends and family members while doing so, and others remain silent. The accompanying music recalls a Korean traditional ritual dance. The dancers laboriously perform to the music with distinctive rhythms, and th

Performance March 18, 2019

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday that it was looking into allegations that TV stars Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Joon-ho had bet on a game of golf.The police agency’s special crime squad has already secured the related text messages and is currently establishing facts, it added. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s announcement came after Cha and Kim said earlier Sunday that they would step down from all shows.Cha Tae-hyun (left) and Kim Joon-ho (right) (Herald DB)In a letter released

Television March 17, 2019

Artist Kim Ho-deuk is holding a solo exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. The exhibition comprises some 40 pieces, ranging from abstract paintings to installation works. The exhibited works are a continuum of the artist’s exploration of new aesthetics grounded in Korea’s traditional culture.  “Mountain-Faraway" (2018) by artist Kim Ho=-deuk (Hakgojae Gallery) "Rapids" (2018) by artist Kim Ho-deuk (Hakgojae Gallery)Born in 1950, Kim is known for paintings that borrow elements

Arts & Design March 14, 2019