THE HAGUE (AFP) ― A probe by Dutch museums revealed Tuesday that 139 of their artworks, including a Matisse and two Kandinsky paintings, may have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II, many from Jewish owners.Around a quarter of the 162 Dutch museums that took part in the probe into art acquisitions between 1933 and 1945 have objects with “potentially problematic history”, the Netherlands Museum Association said.The questionable objects consist of 69 paintings, two sculptures, 31 decorati

CultureOct. 30, 2013

By Julie JacksonThe Red Bull BC One is the most highly acclaimed one-on-one b-boy competition in the world. The annual showdown attracts some of the world’s best breakers for a shot at the World Finals Champion title, with this year’s 10th anniversary event being held in Seoul next month. “After years of participating in this event and going all over the world to compete in the battles, finally this time it’s going to be in our country,” said local b-boy Wing at a press conference in Seoul on We

PerformanceOct. 30, 2013

By Cha Yo-rim K-pop group EXO has been awarded Best Korean Act by the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards, an annual event that recognizes the most popular songs and music videos by artists from all over the world. Results for nominations are based on votes cast on the 2013 MTV Europe Music Awards website. The 12-member boy band beat other K-pop groups such as B.A.P, Boyfriend, U-Kiss, and SISTAR for the award, and is now going head-to-head with Japanese girl group Momoiro Clover Z for a spot in the li

Oct. 30, 2013

By Claire LeeKorean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” opened in 300 theaters nationwide in France on Wednesday, about three months after its Korean release.No other Korean film has ever secured such a large number of theaters in France, according to the movie’s producer CJ Entertainment. The dystopian sci-fi, which features an international cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho and Ed Harris, tells the story of a post-apocalyptic future in which the surviving humani

FilmOct. 30, 2013

Good Schools for Africa will host a Halloween wine party Thursday to kick-start its 100 Day Challenge Campaign to increase educational opportunities for children in Ghana, Ethiopia and Uganda. Unlimited wine and a barbecue beef buffet will be provided at the Halloween bash. Costumes are optional.GSFA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase the provision of schools, life-skills training and safe drinking water in Africa. The event will run from 7:30-10 p.m. on the 24th floor of Ramada

Expat LivingOct. 29, 2013

Gwangju International Center will run a Templestay tour to Suncheon from Nov. 23-24.The first stop will be a tour of Suncheon Bay, a wetland area famous for its reed beds, crabs and mudskippers, followed by a lunch of braised mackerel and fresh greens.There will then be a tour of Nagan Fortress, including chances to try straw handicrafts and folk singing, before moving on to Songgwangsa Temple for the main part of the tour.The Templestay will feature the usual introductions to Buddhism and monk

Expat LivingOct. 29, 2013

Wordz Only, a monthly spoken word event for performers of all kinds, will run on Saturday at Cafe Radio in Busan.All forms of written and spoken-word creativity are eligible, from poetry and fiction to rap. The event runs from 8:30-11 p.m. To share your work, arrive by 8:20 p.m. and enter your name. Performers are chosen by random draw one at a time until the end of the night. Performers are asked to keep their time to between seven and 12 minutes. To get to the venue, leave Exit 1 of Kyungsung

Expat LivingOct. 29, 2013

ROME (AFP) ― World-famous conductor Daniel Barenboim is to step down as musical director of Milan’s La Scala opera house two years early at the start of 2015, the theater said Monday.Stephane Lissner, superintendent of La Scala, announced Barenboim’s early departure at a meeting with unions, calling it “the end of an era.”Barenboim, who took up the post in December 2011, informed Lissner and Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia, who is also president of La Scala, of his intentions in a letter.Italian me

PerformanceOct. 29, 2013

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russia on Monday appointed outspoken ballet star Nikolai Tsiskaridze to head its top dance school after he was dismissed by the Bolshoi in a row over an acid attack on its artistic director.Tsiskaridze, a former principal dancer at the Bolshoi, will head the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg ― one of the world’s oldest and famed for its impeccable classical technique.The theater dismissed the 39-year-old dancer in June after he gave highly critical i

PerformanceOct. 29, 2013

A recent report released by the government revealed that the nation’s major multiplex chains, including CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, have been discriminating against movies that are not produced by their subsidiaries.According to the report released by the state-run Korean Film Council, theaters are required to open tickets for all the films they screen at least a week before the release. Industry heads agreed to cooperate on the matter by signing the “Declaration of Cooperative Growth for Korean Fi

FilmOct. 29, 2013

LAS VEGAS (AP) ― Electric Daisy Carnival it wasn’t.But while the inaugural indie music and food festival Life is Beautiful may not have drawn the massive crowds that the electronic music event attracts to Las Vegas, organizers are still calling it a success.The two-day weekend festival sprawled over 15 blocks, with dozens of bands, including The Killers and Vampire Weekend, playing to crowds that seemed to skew a little older than a typical music festival.Blocks sometimes seemed a bit empty, and

PerformanceOct. 29, 2013