NEW YORK (AP) -- Don’t call the Jewish Museum exhibition on Isaac Mizrahi's work a retrospective. Those, the 54-year-old designer said, are for dead people. 　This journey through several elegant rooms on Fifth Avenue is more like a mid-career survey. 　"I was very, very reticent and a little bit, kind of, shocked," he said Monday of his first reaction to the idea of a show just for him. "I hesitated, only because I feel as though it needed a lot of exploration and a lot of clarification."　But awa

Arts & DesignMarch 16, 2016

Even after eight years of dedicated struggle and failed attempts to hold a unified South and North Korean orchestra performance, violinist and human rights activist Won Hyung-joon has not lost hope. 　Inspired by the work of Daniel Barenboim, who in 1999 founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra composed of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, Won established the Lindenbaum Music Company in 2009, combining his musical and humanitarian efforts to forge a historic orchestra alliance between the two ho

PerformanceMarch 15, 2016

A new standard government logo was unveiled Tuesday with the aim of promoting a unified government identity. 　The new taegeuk logo, featuring blue, red and white – the three main colors of the Korean national flag -- will replace the current logo in the shape of the mugunghwa national flower, which has been used since 1988. It will also replace individual logos used by more than 750 ministries and government-affiliated organizations.   Kim Jong-deok, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (left

CultureMarch 15, 2016

As with most indie bands, things were never planned to a T for electro-rock duo Love X Stereo.　Asked about the meaning behind the band’s name in an interview last week, the two members looked at each other and laughed. “Bands hate being asked that question,” member Toby Hwang said before adding that it had been a mixture of happenstance and compulsion.　“I’m a big fan of The Cardigans,” said Hwang, seated on a rickety chair in the duo’s basement studio in northern Seoul. Electro-rock band Love X

PerformanceMarch 15, 2016

Busan-based photographer and graphic designer Lee Chang-hun has won the first prize of the Korea National Award, which is part of the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards.　Kim Tae-hoon and Kim Seok-jin won the second and third prizes respectively, in the Korean category of the world’s biggest photography competition.  “Wonderland” by Lee Chang-hun (World Photography Organization)　The National Awards competition rewards the best single image taken by a local photographer. It is held in 60 countries

PerformanceMarch 15, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- Here's a question you’ve likely never asked yourself: Can covert surveillance be beautiful?　But you might be asking it as you stroll through "Astro Noise," journalist and filmmaker Laura Poitras' exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art, in which images stemming from mass government surveillance are, in a number of cases, physically striking.　Take, for example, the patterns of bright greens, blues and oranges adorning the wall as one enters the exhibit. Seen from afar, they

PerformanceMarch 15, 2016

It’s been four years since high school student Lee Hi made judges’ jaws drop on audition show “K-Pop Star” with her precocious rendition of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows” -- a song about smashing an unfaithful lover’s car.　It’s been three years since she debuted as a solo singer with retro-soul album “1,2,3,4.”　Now 21 years old, the still-young starlet has returned after a long hiatus with new album “Seoulite,” released March 9. The lead track “Breathe” is a soft, piano-based ballad; Lee

PerformanceMarch 15, 2016

Tango dance, yoga and craft beer brewing -- activities you may never imagine would be taking place at museums -- are happening in traditional art museums.  In an effort to broaden their audience base, museums are coming up with programs to make themselves more accessible to the general public. In addition to the traditional docent-guided tours and artist talks, museums now offer a chance for visitors to have a hands-on experience not only with art, but also with other diverse cultural fields.  D

PerformanceMarch 14, 2016

The popularity of KBS2 TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” in China apparently has the nation’s government on edge. 　On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Public Security posted a warning against watching “Descendants of the Sun” on its official Weibo site.　“An enormous fandom of Korean drama ‘Descendants of the Sun’ starring Song Joong-ki has emerged as it began to air in Korea and China. It is easy to see that many have fallen in love with the male lead Song,” it said, warning that “watching K

TelevisionMarch 14, 2016

Italian pianist-turned-artistic director Umberto Fanni has his eyes set on premiering the world’s first global opera production. 　Once a touted concert pianist, Fanni is currently director general of the Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman, where he is working on his latest large-scale international project, looking to bridge the gap between global opera performances. 　During his first visit to Korea, Fanni is consulting with the head of the Korea National Opera about the state-run opera’s partici

PerformanceMarch 14, 2016