Lim Ok-sang turns soil into art

When entering a basement exhibition hall of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, a city dweller may first recognize the unfamiliar earthy scent that prevails in the exhibition hall before being mesmerized by the massive presence of a 12-meter-tall monumental piece which is made of actual soil from the paddies. Lim Ok-sang – known for being part of the Minjung artist group formed in the late 1970s against the military regime to support democracy -- has unveiled new w

Oct. 23, 2022

MMCA grilled at parliamentary inspection, will have special audit

  The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will undergo a special audit this year after the state-run museum was grilled at the parliamentary inspection Wednesday over recent issues surrounding the museum. The lawmakers questioned the museum’s director Youn Bum-mo Wednesday about the museum's inadequate management of artworks in its collection, employee bullying issues, and its relationship with the current government. Youn was reappointed as the director in Februar

Oct. 20, 2022

[Reporter’s Note] What's going on with Seoul Fashion Week?

  Seoul Fashion Week returned to Dongdaemun Design Plaza as a fully in-person event after three years. Although online platforms have evolved, fashion week still matters a lot to designers, for it is where a brand's identity is presented, and networking among industry people, buyers and media takes place. Attending the five-day event, I was initially excited at the prospect of finally seeing runway shows by talented Korean fashion designers. A festive atmosphere prevailed at the venue, d

Oct. 19, 2022

[Herald Interview] Rirkrit Tiravanija poses fundamental human questions

Rirkrit Tiravanija is widely known for his intimate and participatory art, through which he engages with the audience. He would cook and serve up Thai food at an exhibition as part of the show, expanding the way in which people appreciate art. A Thai born in Argentina and based in New York since the late 1980s, Tiravanija's Seoul debut exhibition at Gladstone Gallery, titled “Rirkrit Tiravanija: Submit To The Black Compost,” ended Oct. 7. "For me, it has a deep meaning like

Oct. 17, 2022

Gender-fluid fashion, Korean aesthetics, eco-friendly Seoul Fashion Week

Seoul Fashion Week last week brought together South Korea’s established and rookie designers for the first fully in-person shows in three years, filling Dongdaemun Design Plaza with energy and verve throughout five days of shows presenting the 2023 spring-summer collections. DDP, the long-time venue for the city’s fashion week, was bustling Tuesday to Saturday with Seoulites who came to see the shows or to show off their fashion flair. Some were trendy and some were outlandish, but

Oct. 16, 2022

[Herald Interview] Analog photographer Area Park captures natural, personal disasters

Area Park is a stubborn photographer who still uses a huge slide film camera - Linhof Master Technika Classic - in the era of digital photography. He pursues film photography even if it means he has to be very selective and cautious when deciding to press the shutter button. Each shot costs 200,000 won - 250,000 won, taking into consideration film purchase, developing and scanning. Sometimes, he has to visit the same place again to retake photos, spending thousands of dollars. “I learned

Oct. 15, 2022

[Well-curated] Hanok bakery, sound art and old photos take you back in time, space

  If you are either a hanok lover or a dessert maniac, the hanok-themed Hyegyeonggung Bakery is the place to visit as a chill creeps into the air. From fascinating desserts to a large garden where you can go for a light stroll, Hyegyeonggung Bakery has it all to make for a quality weekend. Located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, some 40 kilometers south of Seoul, the three-story bakery offers unique pastries, muffins, cakes, croissants and more. Taste sweet apple jam and cream cheese in the

Oct. 14, 2022

Emerging designers bring fresh ideas to 'Generation Next' shows

Emerging designers in the Korean fashion scene took to the stage on the second day of Seoul Fashion Week held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Taking the theme of “Between," Lim Wu-jun of Iryuk presented a collection that was a mix of the designer's freewheeling creativity and the reality of clients' needs. Lim was the first of seven rookie designers participating in this year’s fashion week in the Generation Next section, where designers with less than seven years of business experi

Oct. 12, 2022

Seoul Fashion Week brings festive vibe to DDP

Seoul Fashion Week kicked off Tuesday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where 30 Korean designers are presenting 2023 spring-summer collections through Saturday. The country’s largest fashion show is making a full-scale return to in-person shows as most COVID-19-related social distancing rules have been lifted. Twenty-three established designers and seven rookie designers with less than seven years of business experience are participating in the biannual fashion week. The five-day fashion we

Oct. 11, 2022

Kukje Gallery signals new focus on Korean artists with Lee Seung-jio solo show

A solo exhibition of Korea’s geometric abstraction pioneer Lee Seung-jio, currently showing at Kukje Gallery, traces how the late artist's unique visual language led the country's avant-garde art scene. Lee started his “Nucleus” series early in his career, with the first work going back to 1967. The first “pipe” form, which would become a familiar motif in his later paintings, emerged in the 10th painting of the series and continued to appear in his "Nuclear&

Oct. 10, 2022

‘Belle Epoque’ featured at Lee Kun-hee collection show

  You are invited to the “Belle Epoque,” or “beautiful age,” a period in France spanning the late 19th and early 20th century when the European county enjoyed cultural enrichment from prominent artists who came to Paris from around the world. The exhibition “MMCA Lee Kun-hee Collection: Monet to Picasso, and the Masters of the Belle Epoque” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province brings together eight a

Oct. 10, 2022

Exhibition of Nigerian art hopes to sow ‘seeds of culture’

An exhibition that highlights contemporary Nigerian arts opened Thursday at the Summit Gallery in southern Seoul. The exhibition, entitled “Seeds of Friendship,” introduces 110 pieces of art including six sculptures by 22 contemporary Nigerian artists, under the slogan “planting the seeds of culture on friendship.” Works of celebrated artists such as Tony Enebeli, who has a distinctive style of using plastocast and metal foil, and emerging young artists such as Kehinde Mu

Oct. 6, 2022

[Herald Interview] Korean avant-garde fashion brand Songzio expands overseas

Songzio, an avant-garde Korean fashion brand, had been led for decades by a group of fashion designers focused on creating artistic collections. When Jay Song came on board as the CEO in 2018, he took steps to expand the brand’s presence globally. The fashion house, one of the oldest designer brands in the country, was founded in 1993 by designer Zio Song. Over the past four years, Songzio has grown fast, running 62 shops around the country diversified into four brands -- Songzio, Songz

Oct. 5, 2022

Exhibition exploring Nigerian art to kick off Thursday

Contemporary Nigerian art will be explored at an exhibition opening Thursday at the Summit Gallery in southern Seoul. A total of 110 art pieces including 35 paintings and six sculptures by 22 Nigerian artists will be on display at the exhibition entitled “Seeds of Friendship.” The exhibition is being held under the slogan “planting the seeds of culture on friendship.” Among contemporary Nigerian artists represented at the exhibition is John Ogbeta, a mixed media painter,

Oct. 3, 2022

Seoul Fashion Week returns to DDP for spring-summer collection

Seoul Fashion Week will fully return with in-person runway shows next month, presenting spring-summer 2023 collections by 30 Korean designers at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The country’s largest fashion event will take place from Oct. 11 to 15 indoors and outdoors at DDP with participation by 23 established designers for Seoul Collection and seven rookie designers with less than seven years in the business for the Generation Next shows. Designer Park Choon-moo will open Seoul Fashi

Sept. 29, 2022

Yang Hae-gue’s hanji collage ‘Mesmerizing Mesh’ series shown at Kukje Gallery's new space

Yang Hae-gue has immersed herself in holding and cutting “hanji,” or Korean traditional mulberry paper, for a new paper collage series. The artist began presenting her works last year, continuously evolving an artistic world of her own. Kukje Gallery has shown 18 works of her hanji collages in Seoul, the second exhibit of the artist’s latest series at the gallery. The paper collage series, named “Mesmerizing Mesh,” is based on her research on the Korean shamanistic

Sept. 29, 2022

[Herald Design Forum 2022] How can people live together today in harmony and in the city?

Architecture has the power to connect and bring two different things together, said architect Alfredo Brillembourg during his presentation at Herald Design Forum 2022 held at the Shilla Seoul, Tuesday. He gave a dual lecture with Ida Lien, a partner at Urban-A. The pair talked about how architecture can deal with conflicts and shape cultures, answering the underlying question: How can people live together today in harmony and in the city? “We are living in an increasingly urbanized and hyp

Sept. 27, 2022

[Newsmaker] [Herald Design Forum 2022] Tadao Ando says architecture should remain vivid in people’s hearts

Architecture should remain vivid in people’s hearts like Beethoven or Mozart’s timeless music, said Tadao Ando at Herald Design Forum 2022 Tuesday, delivering the opening lecture under the theme “Life full of dreams and architecture.” “People say architecture should be rational, economical, pleasant and beautiful and all, but most importantly, I believe, architecture should remain firmly in people’s minds,” Ando said via video link at the forum's 12th ed

Sept. 27, 2022

[Herald Design Forum 2022] Architect Vincent Callebaut calls for eco-friendly architecture

Ecological architect Vincent Callebaut has called for an environmentally friendly approach to architecture at a time when economic and environmental crises are threatening the next generation. “Young people these days are very sensitive to the climate crisis and climatologists have started predicting gloomy future for mankind," Callebaut said during a lecture at Herald Design Forum 2022 in Seoul, Tuesday. "I do not want to spread fear even more but I want to talk about the futur

Sept. 27, 2022

[Herald Design Forum 2022] Herald Design Forum returns as in-person event, explores spaces in new era

The 12th edition of Herald Design Forum kicked off Tuesday at the Shilla Seoul, exploring how spaces have evolved and will expand in the post-pandemic world. Under the theme of “Design Universe: Beyond the Space,” the event was held as an in-person event. “Designing space is equivalent to designing lives. Architects and industrial designers have continuously transformed space over time. Now the concept of space has expanded to virtual reality beyond three-dimensional space. It

Sept. 27, 2022