Omicron variant keeps international artists from visiting Seoul

The emergence of the omicron coronavirus variant dampened the buoyant mood in the art scene as new travel restrictions complicated international travel, forcing artists and other prominent figures in the art world to cancel trips to South Korea. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was expected to visit Seoul ahead of his first large-scale solo exhibition in Korea -- “Ai Weiwei Defend the Future,” scheduled to open Dec. 11 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea --

Dec. 8, 2021

MMCA, Incheon International Airport Corp. present artworks at airport

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and Incheon International Airport Corp. jointly opened the exhibition “Warming-up” at the country’s main gateway, allowing travelers to appreciate works of art during their layover at the airport. The art is part of the collection of the Government Art Bank, which is run by the museum. Some eight works by Korean contemporary artists are shown on the fourth floor of Incheon Airport Terminal 1, where a variety of amenit

Dec. 6, 2021

Gallery Hyundai presents Korea's experimental art at Art Basel Miami

After 15 years of trying, Gallery Hyundai has finally made it to the prestigious Art Basel, where it is presenting works by Korea’s prominent experimental artists who emerged in the late 1960s, including Lee Seung-taek, Quac In-sik, Park Hyun-ki and Lee Kun-yong. Art Basel Miami Beach kicked off Monday (US time) with 253 of the world’s leading galleries from 36 countries showcasing works by some 4,000 artists. The art fair, which is being held in person, used to draw nearly a

Dec. 2, 2021

Photographer Ahn Hong-beom’s solo exhibition to take us to snowy winter

Seoi Gallery, a commercial gallery in Seoul dedicated to photography exhibitions, will showcase photographer Ahn Hong-beom’s solo exhibition starting Tuesday, featuring snowy sceneries across the country from Jeju Island and Gangwon Province to the North and South Jeolla provinces and Gyeonggi Province. The upcoming exhibition “One Moment in Past” will present some 25 monochrome photography works by Ahn. He portrays moments of snow fluttering down from a tree, snow gently fa

Dec. 1, 2021

Some 140 sculptors on show International Sculpture Festa 2021

The International Sculpture Festa 2021 is back after a hiatus last yearm wuth a special focus on Chinese artists. The event, which opened Tuesday at the Hangaram Arts Center in Seoul, brings together 140 sculptors. The annual sculpture exhibition was launched in 2011 to introduce sculptors from home and abroad and showcase sculptures created with different materials. The 10th edition of the show presents the main exhibition “Sculpture the World” and the special exhibition &ldquo

Dec. 1, 2021

Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism to go global next year, commemorate 20th anniversary of Templestay

The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism will expand its international projects next year in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Templestay program, which next year is expected to have welcomed an accumulated 6 million guests since launching in 2002. “Next year will be a year to look back on what we have done over the past 20 years with the Templestay programs, which have received a lot of love and attention at home and abroad. We are in the process of undertaking international pr

Nov. 30, 2021

Seoul Museum of Craft Art is now fully open

After successfully showcasing eight craft art exhibitions, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art held its official opening ceremony Monday, unveiling special places located inside the museum, including a craft shop that offers a variety of craft works produced by artisans whose works are part of the museum’s collection. Located in Jongno, central Seoul, the country’s first national museum dedicated to Korean craft art opened to the public on July 16 with eight craft exhibitions, quickly be

Nov. 30, 2021

Old and new: Restored Paik Nam-june masterpiece at MMCA to have mix of LED and CRT monitors

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, first raised the idea of restoring video art pioneer Paik Nam-June’s largest installation work, “The More the Better,” after it was shut down in 2018 due to technical problems. The museum is conducting a three-year restoration project for the masterpiece, which began last year. “We are replacing 268 CRT monitors, which are 6 or 10 inches, installed at the upper part of the video tower, with LED monitors. We will

Nov. 29, 2021

Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist shares ‘unforgettable images’ of Korea

Korean American photojournalist Hyungwon Kang shares “unforgettable images about Korean culture and history” at an exhibition at the Canon Gallery in southern Seoul, which kicked off Tuesday. Kang is the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, one in 1993 for his coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots for the Los Angeles Times and one in 1999 for his coverage of the Bill Clinton impeachment and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal for the Associated Press. The award-winning photojournalist came

Nov. 26, 2021

Yayoi Kusama proves star power with painting sold at 5.45 billion won

Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama broke another auction record in South Korea, with her painting “Pumpkin” fetching 5.45 billion won ($4.58 million), the greatest sum of all works sold on the block in Korea this year. It is also the highest price paid for a Kusama painting in Korea. The 1.2-meter-tall painting, created in 1981, went under the hammer at the auction house’s winter sale with a starting price of 5.2 billion won. The winning bid of 5.45 billion won breaks

Nov. 25, 2021

Lawmakers propose national art museums outside Seoul

A government plan to expand cultural facilities to regional areas is making headway, after the decision for the so-called “Lee Kun-hee donation hall” to be established in Seoul caused an uproar among regional cities and lawmakers. Several proposals to secure the budget to launch additional venues of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, across the country will be discussed this week by the National Assembly’s budget settlement committee, according to mult

Nov. 22, 2021

Lehmann Maupin Seoul will move to Seoul’s rising art mecca early next year

Lehmann Maupin Seoul will expand its presence in Korea’s art scene moving its location to Hannam-dong in central Seoul in early spring 2022, joining the ranks of international galleries settling down in the fast-rising art mecca. The gallery’s newly renovated building will feature larger exhibition spaces that will span across two floors and an outdoor terrace to accommodate installation works and sculptures. The American gallery launched its first local branch in Samcheong-dong,

Nov. 21, 2021

[Eye Plus] Reinterpretation of Deoksugung: Garden of Imagination

In the 15th century, it was the private residence of a grand prince. Then in the late 19th century, it became the imperial palace of the short-lived Korean Empire. During the Japanese colonial period that followed, it was reduced to a public park.  This is the story of Deoksugung, now South Korea’s historical site No. 124 and one of the most serene places tucked in central Seoul.  An artistic project is taking place here, under the title of “Deoksugung Project 2021: Garde

Nov. 20, 2021

Craft Trend Fair 2021 showcases beauty of Korean craftsmanship

Korean craftsmanship, both traditional and contemporary, is on full display at the Craft Trend Fair 2021 at Coex in southern Seoul. The main exhibition “Every Shape, Every Color,” the highlight of the fair, presents a variety of craftworks by 71 Korean and overseas artists. Jung Ku-ho, a well-known fashion designer and artistic director, organized the fair that features 320 artists, galleries and institutes. Jung was the artistic director for the “Monochrome Monologue&rdquo

Nov. 19, 2021

Auction houses introduce rare works to keep heated art market interested

Major Korean auction houses hope to continue the successful sales they have enjoyed this year in a market buoyed by the popularity of art as an outlet for investment. Two auctions will put up works worth more than 10 billion won ($8.5 million) at the upcoming events, featuring rare pieces. Seoul Auction will put “Pumpkin” by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama on the bidding block Tuesday. The work from 1981 is a rare early work, according to the auction house. The starting price is set a

Nov. 17, 2021

[Herald Interview] Charles B. Wang Center Director Jin Jin-young tells stories of Korean art to global audiences

Jin Jin-young, director of cultural programs at the Charles B. Wang Center in New York, increasingly feels the rising popularity of Korean culture stemming from pop music, films and dramas. And that interest is spreading to Korean art amid the fast-growing Korean art market, she notes. While there is a wealth of information about Korean pop culture, she found there are few reliable sources for global audiences looking for more information about Korean culture, history and art, whether they be

Nov. 14, 2021

MMCA to finish cataloging Lee Kun-hee collection by 2022, transfer works to new hall

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, said Friday that it will hand over the bequest from the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee to the new hall that is scheduled to be built in 2027 in central Seoul. In the meantime, it is examining and cataloging the works. “We are undertaking thorough research on 1,488 artworks from the Lee Kun-hee collection, such as the names and materials of the works and year of creation. We will finish registering them next year and sha

Nov. 12, 2021

Korean art master Park Seo-bo draws line at NFTs

South Korean art master Park Seo-bo confirmed that he would not allow his works to be produced as NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, stressing that digital art belongs to a new generation. Park made his stance known on social media Thursday amid growing attention to the digital art trend, saying people had asked him whether he was interested in tokenizing his works. Park’s paintings are highly popular in the market, and some of his 1.3-meter-by-1.6-meter works have sold for more than 400 mil

Nov. 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] ‘Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall’ in Songhyeon-dong to house all bequeathed works

Nearly all of the artworks bequeathed by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee will be housed together at the “Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall,” which is to open in Songhyeon-dong, Seoul, in 2027. The announcement was made during a ceremony Wednesday to seal the agreement between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seoul Metropolitan Government on building the new institution in Songhyeong-dong after considering two candidate sites in Seoul. Confusion about the i

Nov. 10, 2021

[Exclusive] Kansong Art Museum may open temporarily next year

Kansong Art Museum is mulling opening the museum temporarily next year before the renovation of Bohwagak, the museum building, gets underway. The museum has been closed for seven years. The country’s first private museum, Bohwagak, as it was initially named, was founded in 1938 by Jeon Hyung-pil, a wealthy collector of Korean cultural artifacts during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule to prevent the national treasures from being removed from the country. The name of the museum was c

Nov. 9, 2021