Tracing the creative journey of his company, Alberto Alessi emphasized that design, above all, is a process that requires acute intuition and sensibility. He also lamented the current market conditions that make it harder for creators to experiment and take risks.　Alessi is the third-generation CEO of the eponymous Italian houseware brand that has come to be known for its elegant, whimsical designs that render everyday utensils into objets d’art. He was speaking to an audience of Korean designer

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2016

Entrepreneurs and startup owners today are living in a world of investment portfolios: Profit-making is a must and selling a company at maximum profit is to be celebrated. Yancey Strickler, the founder and CEO of the world’s largest crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, argues there is a better and more sustainable way. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum 2016 on Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Seoul, Strickler said “When we all just try to optimize for money, we are bound to erase culture and

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2016

World renowned designers, architects and IT entrepreneurs gathered at the Herald Design Forum 2016 Tuesday to share their know-how on converging design with technology and business sense. Now in its sixth year, the largest design forum in Asia was held under the theme of “Design for Convergence.”   Jungwook Hong, chairman of Herald Corp., speaks at the Herald Design Forum 2016 held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)Jungwook Hong, chairman of Herald Corp. and th

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2016

What measures 11 inches square and 7 inches high, weighs 21 1/2 pounds and takes 10 days and nights to play?Answer: A new box set jam-packed with 200 CDs that contains every note composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in his short 35 years of life. Just in time for the 225th anniversary of the composer's death on Dec. 5, Decca and Deutsche Grammophon have combined forces to issue this compilation, mind-boggling in its thoroughness and admirable in its scholarly depth. There are other “Complete Moza

PerformanceNov. 8, 2016

Long-revered gastronomical bible the Michelin Guide gave three stars to two Korean restaurants, Gaon and La Yeon.In its much-anticipated first Seoul edition, the Michelin Guide selected 24 restaurants in Seoul, chosen after months of anonymous visits by official inspectors from across three continents. The stars are awarded based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking flavors, personality of the cuisine, value for money and consistency. Eleven of the handpicked restaurants

FoodNov. 7, 2016

According to Tom Cruise, he’s the “first person to be on set and the last to leave” when making a film. Even with more than 30 years in the acting business, his love for films and “passion for storytelling” hasn’t subsided, the US actor told reporters Monday.Cruise was in Seoul to promote “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.” He met the Korean press at The Ritz-Carlton Seoul, alongside director Edward Zwick, who helmed the mystery-crime thriller, set for local release on Nov. 24. The film stars Cruise

FilmNov. 7, 2016

Experts from around the world have gathered in Seoul to share insights on how technology, design and solid business management come together to define a product or service’s identity at Asia’s largest conference specializing in design.Herald Design Forum, an annual event organized by Herald Corp., the publisher of The Korea Herald, takes place Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul under the theme of “Design for convergence.” Participants will be able to gather inspiration from some of the world’s mos

Arts & DesignNov. 7, 2016

Actor Song Seung-heon will play the villain in an upcoming movie set during Japan’s occupation of Korea, the film‘s production company said Monday.Song, one of the leading stars of hallyu, will play a cruel and cold-hearted prison director opposite protagonist Kim Chang-soo, played by Cho Jin-woong.The film, titled “Captain Kim Chang-soo,” tells the story of a young Korean man sent to prison after killing the Japanese assassin of Korea’s Queen Myeongseong in the late 19th century. From there, he

FilmNov. 7, 2016

Hyolyn of girl group Sistar will release a new album at midnight, her management agency said Monday, marking the artist’s solo return after a three-year hiatus.The mini album, titled “It's Me,” will be unveiled at 12 a.m. Tuesday, featuring six songs, including the title track “Paradise,” “Love Like This” and “One Step,” according to Starship Entertainment.Well-known musicians, including American composer Melanie Joy Fontana and European composers Erik Lidbom and Andreas Oberg, took part in its

PerformanceNov. 7, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- Works by Gerhard Richter, Willem de Kooning and David Hockney will highlight Sotheby's contemporary art auction later this month. The Nov. 17 auction also will feature paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. Sotheby’s expects a large-scale landscape by Hockney titled "Woldgate Woods, 24, 25 and 26 October, 2006" to set a new auction record for the British artist. It believes the painting will bring between $9 million and $12 million.The current Hockney auction record

PerformanceNov. 7, 2016

NEW YORK (AFP) - Tired of an opera repertoire in which women are so often portrayed as young and vulnerable, Renee Fleming is premiering an original piece on Georgia O'Keeffe, the painter whose life was momentous and multidimensional.Fleming, often considered the greatest US soprano of her generation, has increasingly branched out from the traditional canon as she strives to challenge herself and ensure the contemporary relevance of opera.“Letters from Georgia,” a song cycle by rising composer K

PerformanceNov. 7, 2016

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Jean-Jacques Perrey, the French composer and pioneer of electronic pop music who was best known for co-writing “Baroque Hoedown” used as the music for the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disney theme parks, has died at age 87.　 Perrey died in Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday “from a very quick and violent lung cancer,” his daughter, Patricia Leroy, said.　 Electronic music composer Dana Countryman, in a tribute to his frequent collaborator posted on Facebook, noted tha

PerformanceNov. 6, 2016

The state-run National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art rejected forgery allegations against the late Korean artist Chun Kyung-ja’s renowned painting “Beautiful Woman” on Nov. 4.　After visiting the museum to gather information about other collections by Chun in September, the Paris-based Lumiere Technology reported to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul last week that “Beautiful Woman” was not a genuine work by Chun.　The French company came to that conclusion after inspecting some 1,60

PerformanceNov. 6, 2016