National Museum of Korea 6th most-visited museum globally in 2023: report

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul ranked sixth in terms of its total number of visitors in 2023, in a survey of 100 museums and galleries worldwide. According to the UK-based Art Newspaper, the figure for the state-run museum came to 4,180,285. The Louvre Museum in Paris topped the list with 8,860,000 visitors and the Vatican Museums followed with 6,764,858. The British Museum in London ranked in third place with 5,820,860 visitors followed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York at 5,

April 9, 2024

Buddhism puts on young face

Buddhism has traditionally prioritized silence, a hallmark of meditation that sets the religion apart. That notion took a hard turn Thursday as a DJ in a monk’s robe kicked off the four-day International Buddhism Expo in Seoul, shouting out Buddhist verses to the beat of electronic dance music. “I’d say the event is living up to the slogan they put out,” said Kim Hyung-sik, an undergraduate Seoulite in 20s attending the expo on the first day, referring to the slogan writt

April 8, 2024

Brazilian avant-garde artist Lygia Pape's first Asia solo exhibition opens at White Cube Seoul

Although she may not yet be familiar to audiences in Asia, the late Brazilian artist Lygia Pape (1927-2000) is known as a pioneering contemporary artist in Latin America and one of the leading figures who founded the Neo-Concrete Movement in the region. The Neo-Concrete Movement in 1959 pursued a liberation from static form and a movement toward heightened sensuality through the interaction of objects in real time and space. “(Pape and other Neo-Concrete artists) really continued the explo

April 7, 2024

Lee Kun-hee collection to be exhibited at 10 national museums

The National Museum of Korea’s 10 regional museums across the country will start showcasing over 2,000 artifacts donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee as early as mid-April. The 2,254 pieces, which include 107 nationally-recognized objects, are part of over 20,000 pieces donated by Lee, a prolific collector of Korean and contemporary art. The collection spans from calligraphy and paintings to crafts, ceramics and sculptures. From mid-April, the Buyeo National Museum will s

April 5, 2024

Stedelijk Museum collects media works by two Korean artists

Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam has acquired two media artworks by Jun So-jung and An Jung-ju, jointly marking the first acquisitions from a Korean artist since video art founder Paik Nam-june’s work for the museum’s collection. “We were one of the first museums in Europe to start a video collection and time-based media collection. We started that in the 1970s and built up quite a big collection -- about 2,000 time-based-media works in total," Rein Wolfs, director of the mus

April 4, 2024

Art Busan to focus on local, global markets

Art Busan 2024, the largest annual art fair in Busan, will return in May, strengthening its exhibition program and locality amid a sluggish art market. The art fair also plans to tap into the global art market to expand its brand overseas. “It is a shame that the art market is assessed on its commercial aspects, although it is understandable. We will continue to do what Art Busan can do with our own programs,” said Jeong Seok-ho, managing director for Art Busan, at a press conference

April 2, 2024

Art Basel Hong Kong Director says fair outperformed other years in caliber, diversity, and integration with city

HONG KONG - Angelle Siyang-Le, the Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, marking her second year in the position, witnessed a remarkable return to full-scale operations post-pandemic this year. Art Basel Hong Kong, which ran from Thursday to Saturday, said it welcomed over 75,000 visitors from around the world across its VIP and public days, with participating galleries reaching 242, up from last year's 177. Although this falls short of the 2023 attendance of 86,000, the director of Art Basel Ho

March 31, 2024

[What to see] Galleries in Samcheong-dong in full bloom

Spring has come to Samcheongdong, where the cherry blossoms are just about to bloom. This is a perfect time to stroll around the neighborhood of galleries: Kukje Gallery, Hakgojae Gallery and Barakat Contemporary, to name but a few, which are all located within close walking distance of each other. Pioneering 89-year-old sculptor with chainsaw at Kukje Gallery Korean sculptor Kim Yun-shin has grabbed recognition at home and abroad at the age of 89. Kim has been working on "Add Two Add One,

March 30, 2024

Korea's two major art biennales in Gwangju, Busan to coincide this year

Two major South Korean cities – Gwangju and Busan – will be filled with art, with two biennales in the regions coinciding later this year. The 15th edition of the Gwangju Biennale, directed by French curator Nicolas Bourriaud, will be held from Sept. 7 to Dec. 1, titled “Pansori, a soundscape of the 21st century.” The biennale will bring together 73 artists from 30 countries; among the artists are 11 Korean artists Literally meaning “the noise from the public place,

March 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Seoul Auction continues to show Korean art in Asia -- and beyond

When Seoul Auction held its inaugural auction in Hong Kong in 2008, there was only a “single goal” in mind -- to herald Korean art to the global art scene, introducing it to new collectors in Asia. For the past 16 years, the resolve has remained firm for Korea’s leading auction house. On Monday, at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the auction house kicked off a preview of its "Contemporary Art Sale” scheduled to take place in Seoul at 3 p.m., Friday. “We have put in so m

March 26, 2024

Ian Cheng's thought-provoking AI-based art on show at Gladstone Gallery

American artist Ian Cheng has returned to Seoul with his recent simulation work, “Thousand Lives,” at Gladstone Gallery, two years after his first solo museum exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art, where he showcased the integration of art and artificial intelligence. Upon entering the gallery, visitors encounter what appears to be a video game screen showing a turtle named “Thousand” wandering around a messy room. As visitors move closer to the screen and lean down, the

March 24, 2024

[Weekender] Qatar opens up path for next generation with art

DOHA, Qatar -- As you near the National Museum of Qatar in Doha, a large-scale layered structure comes into sight. The museum, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, is reminiscent of the “desert rose,” a crystal cluster of gypsum formed in the desert that indicates the presence of water. The museum, which opened in 2019, presents the story of Qatar from prehistoric times to the present, and also houses contemporary art collections that include some of the world’s most renow

March 23, 2024

Fashion KODE puts on show of contrasts

A spectacle of contrasts from colors to styles was what the audience was treated on the second day of the 2024 Fashion KODE, a biannual event meant to advance Korea’s fashion industry by engaging a wider public. A joint fall-winter runway show Friday by Minasong and Valoren -- the womenswear and menswear brands, respectively -- juxtaposed minimalism with deconstructed fashion, giving out a taste of the latest trends both young and old could find relatable. A distinct palette of black and c

March 22, 2024

Suh Do-ho sculpture to be installed at Smithsonian

Celebrating 100 years of operations, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington will present Korean artist Suh Do-ho’s Public Figures sculpture in the museum's Freer Plaza, where it will be installed for five years. The commissioned work will be unveiled April 27, becoming the first new sculpture to be displayed in front of the building in over three decades, the museum has announced. Suh has created a plinth for a monument with numerous small, individualized f

March 20, 2024

Gallery Hyundai revisits three familiar female artists' early works

Sometimes one may desire to explore the type of art an artist previously pursued and examine how those past artistic practices have shaped their current art world. This notion underpins the recently unveiled “Edition R” project at Gallery Hyundai, a prestigious gallery in Seoul. “Incorporeal Landscape,” the first edition of "Edition R," invites three artists -- Kim Min-jung, Toh Yun-hee and Chung Zu-young -- who have had a relationship with the gallery spanning

March 18, 2024

Galleries Art Fair 2024 to kick off in April amid art market dry spell

More than 150 galleries based in South Korea will join the country’s oldest art fair in early April amid a slowdown in the art market. The 42-year-old art fair is the first major art fair of the year, providing a glimpse of the year ahead. The Galleries Art Fair 2024 will begin April 3 with a VIP and press opening and will run through April 7 at COEX in southern Seoul. The 153 galleries taking part encompass Korea’s leading galleries such as Gallery Hyundai, the Kukje Gallery and Hak

March 15, 2024

Philippe Parreno invites you to play at illusionary show

As you approach the Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, the venue for South Korea's first solo exhibition of French artist Philippe Parreno, you may hear an unfamiliar sound, as if aliens were speaking to visitors. The sound comes from the 14-meter-tall tower “Membrane” installed on the outdoor deck of the museum. The structure functions as a control tower that breathes life into objects inside the museum. The cybernetic character is equipped with a sensing system that collect

March 14, 2024

Latest case of Lee Ufan forgery allegedly involves politician's spouse

A new case of allegedly forged artwork credited to Korean artist Lee Ufan is reported to involve a Korean politician’s wife. Kukmin Ilbo, a local newspaper, exclusively reported late Monday that the prosecution recently began investigating a case in which the spouse of a Korean politician seeking to run in the April general election is alleged to have traded fake paintings last year. The woman allegedly traded forged Lee Ufan paintings to raise election campaign funds for her husband. The

March 12, 2024

Sculptor Hong Jung-pyo covers messy reality in pursuit of perfection

In architecture, molding is used to cover transitions between surfaces to smooth rough sections, and comes in various materials such as wood, stone or cement. Korean sculptor Hong Jung-pyo’s “Hidden Edge” series, which he began in 2003, draws inspiration from the architectural element of molding. The 48-year-old artist, who delved into sculpture after graduating from Hongik University, has unveiled new works created out of wood or steel molding at the exhibition “Differen

March 10, 2024

Making home your haven

Finding relief from the stress and anxieties of city living within the comfort of your home was the palpable trend at the annual Seoul Living Design Fair, which ended its five-day run at Coex in southern Seoul on Sunday. Massage chairs from Coway, a Korean company better known for its water purifiers, showed the kind of compromise sought by those who want to feel cocooned in a stylish chair, eschewing bulkier massage chairs that require more space to install. “A 5- or 10-minute massage onc

March 6, 2024