[Weekender] Cafes, bars, theaters and color: How Korean homes are evolving

The first home bar run by Park Na-rae until last year was decorated with various knickknacks the comedian had collected over the years for a bargain. On the floor lay a Union Jack-patterned rug, while a rotating disco ball hung from the ceiling. The walls displayed a bright orange painted by Park herself. In the past, Koreans renting their homes were wary of decorating or making alterations because they did not regard the spaces as their own, Park says. She too has a lease on her current apartme

June 15, 2018

[Weekender] Young Koreans overcome DIY fears

Home is a place that invites a feeling of warmth and comfort.From the color of the walls to the living room furniture, each added element to a home tells a different story. Overstuffed furnishings, draperies and accessories displayed on a bookshelf are some examples that can offer a glimpse into the life of a home owner. In the past, older generations of Koreans preferred simplistic features for their home decor. Now, a growing number of 20- and 30-somethings are bringing together creativity and

June 15, 2018

Beauty influencers take over cosmetics market

While some may not understand what the word “beauty influencer” means exactly, not many doubt their actual influence these days. Beauty influencers are on the rise, leading the cosmetics market everywhere, including Korea.　The term beauty influencers usually refers to beauty creators and beauty YouTubers, who post beauty-related clips, photos or writings on the web.   Saebyeock's YouTubeOver the past few years, there have been numerous reports on how the influencers are taking over the cosmetics

June 14, 2018

Art changes with time, so does our perception of art

The Seoul Museum of Art on Tuesday kicked off an exhibition that traces its 30-year history, not just by highlighting the museum’s collection but also by reinventing its artworks. Titled “Digital Promenade,” the museum’s 30th-anniversary exhibition features 30 artworks produced between 1961 and 2017 by renowned artists here, as well as 10 commissioned tech-art productions of young local artists. Kwon Ha-youn‘s “When you get there,” installed at the SeMA exhibition “Digital Promenade”(SeMA)For th

June 12, 2018

Korean rookie brand Blindness debuts on London runway

Designer brand Blindness showcased its collection at London Fashion Week Men’s Spring-Summer 2019, making its international debut. On Monday, Blindness presented its 2019 spring-summer collection titled “You are at once both the quiet and the confusion of my heart” at BFC Show Space in central London.  Blindness showcases its 2019 spring-summer collection at London Fashion Week Men’s. (Seoul Design Foundation) Blindness showcases its 2019 spring-summer collection at London Fashion Week Men’s. (S

June 12, 2018

Gentle Monster looks beyond sunglasses

Among the foreign luxury brands filling the eyewear section at local duty-free shops and department stores, the Korean-based brand Gentle Monster stands out.Getting its initial fame among the Korean public as “Jun Ji-hyun sunglasses” after the actress wore a Gentle Monster product in hit TV series “My Love From the Star” in 2014, the brand is solidifying its place in a market heavily dominated by foreign luxury brands.　 Photo 1/ Gentle Monster is to launch the capsule collection “Once Upon a Fut

June 10, 2018

Artists caught between past and future legacies

Art movements that set milestones in history have had such a profound impact that some still inspire people to revisit and reproduce them, even generations later. French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar’s solo exhibition “Beyond the Land of Minimal Possessions” at Atelier Hermes in Seoul is an exhibition that sheds light on ways in which people today work with one of most profound 20th century art movements, minimalism. Reynaud-Dewar’s latest exhibition in Seoul focuses on Marfa, a small desert town in

June 7, 2018

[Video] Private perfume pioneer aims to bring solace through scents

[Herald Interview]A scent can be described as the last garment to complete one’s ensemble -- with Korea no exception to the trend.Among a slew of perfumes displayed at department stores, however, Korean brands rarely make the list. French and other European fragrances dominate the market with the iconic Chanel, Dior, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent and Lancome as the leading players.The products of Korean perfume houses, such as Perfumelifer, Edenique, Better Than Alcohol and Soohyang, can be fou

June 6, 2018

When art meets technology

In October 1966, a groundbreaking event took place at the Armory in New York. “9 Evenings: Theater & Engineering” was a multidisciplinary performing art event, where 10 artists and 30 engineers collaborated to present works that integrated dance, music and theater. The New York-based Experiments in Art and Technology was founded the following year. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art‘s exhibition “Experiments in Art and Technology: Open-ended” is an exhibition highlighting the gro

June 4, 2018

Kim Whan-ki painting fetches record sum for Korean artwork

Kim Whan-ki’s 1972 panting “3-II-72 #220” was sold for 8.5 billion won ($7.87 million) at Seoul Auction’s Hong Kong sale Sunday, topping all previous auction records set by Korean artworks, the auction house said.The sale of “3-II-72 #220” also broke the record set last year by another of the celebrated Korean abstract painter’s works, “Tranquility 5-Ⅳ-73 #310,” a painting that features blue dots and a white-edged square. “Tranquility 5-Ⅳ-73 #310” fetched a record-high price of 6.55 billion won

May 28, 2018

Abstract master Kim Whan-ki's painting sells for W8.5b, breaking auction record

A painting featuring red dots by celebrated South Korean artist Kim Whan-ki sold for 8.5 billion won ($7.87 million) at Seoul Auction's Hong Kong sale on Sunday, shattering the record for any Korean work of art sold at auction and breaking Kim's own auction record, the auction house said. "3-II-72 #220" (Seoul Auction)An unidentified private collector consigned the painting titled "3-II-72 #220," created by the abstract master (1913-1974) in 1972, to the auction house for sale. With a rare and u

May 27, 2018

Changwon biennale to bring sculptures down from pedestal

Changwon Sculpture Biennale this year will attempt to make sculptures more relatable to the audience. Under the title of “The Balance of Non-Sculpting,” Changwon’s sculpture festival features sculptures and installation works by some 70 artists from 13 countries. The biennale runs from Sept. 4 to Oct. 14.“In the past, sculpture parks put a distance between the viewers and sculptures, forcing and obligating viewers to revere the artworks like shrines,” said Youn Bum-mo, artistic director and chai

May 23, 2018

Coming to terms with apocalypse

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer‘s solo exhibition at Amorepacific Museum of Art is an exhibition that brings tangible technologies to the fore. From his early works to his latest, Hemmer plays with various technologies, such as surveillance systems, voice recognition, fingerprint scanner and algorithms to allow the viewers to more easily relate to the technologies that have already become ubiquitous.Numerous technologies have already become part of our language, and there is nothing new about his works, He

May 21, 2018

Fashion diplomacy links ‘Two Ethos’

Korean and Italian, contemporary and modern, old and new all meet at “Two Ethos,” a fashion collection that explores the combination of old Korean textiles and new Italian designs. “Two Ethos,” currently on display in Insa-dong, Seoul, combines two different identities which may not seem to have any relation to each other. "Two Ethos" (By Park Hyun-koo / The Korea Herald)The project was a collaboration between students of Korea National University of Cultural Heritage in South Chungcheong Provin

May 18, 2018

[Graphic News] Under the hammer: Record art auctions

　A stunning nude that is the largest painting produced by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani sold for $157.2 million in New York on Monday, becoming the fourth most expensive work of art sold at auction.　The exact value of private sales are often not revealed. But a Willem de Kooning painting and a Gauguin were reportedly sold separately for $300 million each in 2015, according to US media. (AFP)

May 17, 2018

[Herald Interview] Breathing value into animation character

In Gangnam-gu of southern Seoul, there is a unique cafe decorated with a character named Pucca. Countless Pucca dolls are placed in the cafe and framed paintings of Pucca hang on the walls. But the cafe isn’t bright and pastel-hued. The light is dim, the walls are black and the menu may not appeal to those with a sweet tooth. Puccafe, set to open mid-May, will serve vegetarian dishes along with healthy juices. By night, the cafe will be transformed into a jazz bar. The cafe reflects the values a

May 11, 2018

Korean modern art fits right in at Deoksugung

The Deoksugung branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary, located inside the Joseon palace of Deoksugung, is perhaps one of the most suitable places to house Korea’s modern art. A picture of the the Yi Royal Family Museum, which in 1998 became the MMCA's Deoksugung branch (MMCA)Deoksugung, where Joseon-period architecture stands alongside two Neoclassical buildings built during the short-lived Daehan Empire, encapsulates the turbulent history of early 20th century Korea.The MMCA’s

May 7, 2018

Artday to hold April auction

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding an online auction from April 28 to May 2, presenting works of art by contemporary Korean artists. 　The art auction will feature some 150 artworks by renowned artists, including Soe Seung-won, Ha In-doo, Choi Young-rim, Oh Syng-yoon, Yoon Jung-sik and others.  “Untitled” by Lee Kun-yong (Herald Artday)The collection also includes the country’s first-generation performance and conceptual artist Lee Kun-yong’s “Untitled.” Bidding and auction s

April 30, 2018

Seoul Mediacity Biennale to become public-oriented festival

Seoul Museum of Art aims to offer platforms where the public, artists and experts can actively engage on the same footing in the 2018 Seoul Mediacity Biennale, which is slated to kick off on Sept. 6 and run through Nov. 18.“Instead of the museum talking to the public about the exhibition topic, the relation has to be bilateral. In preparing the biennale, we had to think about the ways in which we do not silence or overwhelm the public,” emphasized Hong Gi-bin, a political economist and one of si

April 30, 2018

Heize promotes ‘Save our Seahorses’ campaign

Singer Heize showcased a strong new look via her photo shoot with fashion and culture magazine Dazed on Friday. In the photos released by Dazed, Heize appealed to the public with her unique fashion sense, wearing vivid red thigh-high boots and matching red-tinted eye makeup. Along with her thigh-high boots, she wore a mini white dress underneath a dark blue silk jacket.  Dazed DazedIn another photo, the singer appeared chic in a sleeveless blue dress, lined with yellow, matched with a white jack

April 29, 2018