Saudi contemporary art biennale showcases changes afoot in the country

DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia - New history is being made in the historic site of Diriyah, home to the first Saudi Kingdom established in 1446, as the city on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh turns into a vibrant nexus of contemporary art every two years. Launched in 2021, Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is a sprouting of Vision 2030, a comprehensive plan to prepare Saudi Arabia for the challenges of the post-fossil fuel age. While the bold plan, announced in April 2016, is mos

May 27, 2024

[What to see] Photo exhibitions of note

For photography enthusiasts, it is time to go gallery hopping around Seoul and view works by internationally renowned photographers Richard Misrach and Candida Hofer on exhibition. An exhibition of Korean photographer Joon Choi's works featuring the Pensive Bodhisattva statue (Bangasayusang) is worth a visit for those seeking peace within themselves. Richard Misrach’s play on colors, light at Pace Gallery American photographer Richard Misrach is one of the most influential photograp

May 25, 2024

French designer Pierre Paulin's first show in Seoul collaborates with actor Lee Jung-jae

The late designer Pierre Paulin’s first solo exhibition in Seoul “Starring-Pierre Paulin” takes a cinematic theme, showing how his innovative furniture designs -- characterized by curved and sleek aesthetics -- were featured on the silver screen. The exhibition, which kicked off on May 9 at Artist Company in southern Seoul, is the result of a collaboration with Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, who was involved in curating the exhibition by selecting Paulin’s design pieces. Ar

May 24, 2024

Cheyul CEO ties modernizing heritage to Korean luxury

The CEO of a Korean luxury handcraft brand, Cheyul, believes that modernizing traditions while keeping the spirit behind them alive is key to delivering true “Korean luxury.” “We have shipped our armchair set adorned with mother-of-pearl as far away as Africa,” CEO Lee Jeong-eun told a gallery of foreign envoys during a tour of Cheyul’s flagship in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong on Tuesday. That armchair set is one example of how the company has put mother-of-pearl to mod

May 22, 2024

[Exclusive] LACMA admits it needs further research on donated Korean paintings

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art acknowledged further research is needed on the authenticity of some modern Korean paintings donated by Drs. Chester and Cameron C. Chang, according to the Galleries Association of Korea on Wednesday. The museum's acknowledgment came in response to a letter that questioned the authenticity of four paintings at the museum’s exhibition “Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection” attributed to Korean modern artists Park

May 22, 2024

Edvard Munch's lithographs, paintings in Seoul reveal deep emotions

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is one of the most acclaimed artists in modern art history – his popularly known painting “The Scream” reveals the abyss of a human’s emotions. Many of his works reveal death, loneliness, desperation and love, which the artist explored his whole life. Some 140 works by Edvard Munch are on show at the exhibition titled “Edvard Munch: Beyond the Scream” which opens at the Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday, including the lithograph of

May 21, 2024

Hermes celebrates craftsmanship

An exhibition shedding light on a culture of commitment to “exceptional craftsmanship” that powers Hermes is taking place in Seoul, as artisans demonstrate in person how the French luxury house has come to embody “know-how” and “creativity." At “Hermes in the Making,” 11 artisans -- all from France with one exception from Switzerland who works on watches -- offer a glimpse of their craft processes involving leather, silk, porcelain and gemstones, wi

May 20, 2024

Explore different Annlees, 'Make a Wish' at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art

In 1999, French artists Philippe Parreno and Pierre Huyghe purchased the copyright of a Japanese character they found in a manga catalog for about $400 at that time. The two artists named the character "Annlee." For the next three years, Annlee was given diverse identities through some 30 paintings, sculptures, videos, books and music by 20 artists. These works were put together in Zurich in 2002 at the exhibition, “No Ghost Just a Shell.” The project was later collected by

May 19, 2024

Korea Craft Week starts nationwide

The seventh annual Korea Craft Week kicked off Friday with four cities and counties hosting major events showcasing crafts and local craft traditions. Goseong County in Gangwon Province, Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province and North Jeolla Province’s Jeonju and Buan County will run programs to raise awareness of local crafts through May 26. In Goseong, visitors can take part in a challenge to craft something out of recycled litter retrieved from Song Ji-ho Beach and Ayajin Beach, and partic

May 17, 2024

[Well-curated] Luck of the draw

Explore legendary Korean comics Visit the National Library of Korea this weekend to explore a special exhibition that delves into the history of Korean comics, or manhwa, by following the career of Lee Hyun-se -- the cartoonist behind one of Korea's most successful series ever published, "A Daunting Team." The exhibition, titled "The Road of Lee Hyun-se: Start of K-webtoon Legend," is free of charge and divided into three parts. The first part introduces various wor

May 17, 2024

Imagine living in a world where you interact with objects

How do we relate ourselves to objects around us? Fast-developing technologies lead us to think about a future where human beings interact with objects that are powered by artificial intelligence. In fact, we are already living in that era. The exhibition “What Things Dream About” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul starts by imagining what it would be like if things act and think – much like human beings. “Some may find the theme a little

May 16, 2024

Hangeul competition for foreigners marks King Sejong’s birthday

A hundred foreign nationals participated in a Hangeul contest to mark the 627th anniversary of the birth of King Sejong, the architect of the Korean writing system. At the National Folk Museum of Korea on Wednesday, contestants from over 46 countries who were selected from some 500 applicants wrestled with Hangeul sentences as they were tested in dictation. “We have long wanted to build on the expanding awareness of Hangeul with grassroots participation,” a Culture Ministry official

May 15, 2024

Artist Oh Chi-gyun invites people he misses to Oh Museum of Art

The newly opened Oh Museum of Art is located in an alley of small buildings in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The monochrome-colored, rough textured facade of the building, reminiscent of the artist’s paintings, may make it difficult for passersby to spot the museum. Artist Oh Chi-gyun, 68, renovated the four-story building used as the artist’s studio and office for the past 15 years to create the museum that holds the legacy of his 40 years of artistic practice. When he bought the buil

May 15, 2024

[Media Art Now] HWI’s vocals possess ambient but absorptive power

HWI (Hwang Hwi) is an electronic musician and a member of the three-artist collective and audiovisual production, "eobchae." Her part in eobchae consists of making video and sound, as a co-producer of their speculative worldview. But before anything else, she is a vocalist, well-versed in combining the human sounds from her own singing with computer-generated digital effects. Her first single album, "ExtraPlex (2019)," includes works derived from hanging around shopping malls

May 14, 2024

[Herald Interview] Sculptor inspired by childhood friend nature

Wood sculptures that reveal both the soft inner bark and the rough outer bark appear to be stacked or clumped together – some may remind you of towers of stones carefully placed on top of each other, found along mountain trails and near mountainside Buddhist temples. The sculptures appear to breathe, their forms like blood vessels. The sculptures were part of artist Kim Yun-shin's solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery, which ran through April 28. "I do not know what kind of art is tre

May 12, 2024

LA-based artist Steven Harrigton introduced in Korea at Amorepacific Museum of Art

Los Angeles-based artist Steven Harrigton’s vibrant and colorful paintings will entertain visitors who want to take a break from their daily routine. The artist's first solo museum exhibition is currently on show at the Amorepacific Museum of Art in Seoul. The exhibition, titled “Steven Harrington: Stay Mello,” offers a comprehensive view of works infused with the landscapes and culture of California. The recurring appearance of characters like “Mello,” symboli

May 10, 2024

[Well-curated] Art at the beach, vinyl cafe and animation exhibition

Enjoy art, beaches in Busan For those who plan to visit Busan this weekend and also happen to love art, Busan's largest art fair is not to be missed. The four-day art fair has returned, bringing together 129 galleries from 20 countries at Bexco. Special exhibitions such as “Herstory,” which highlights pioneering female contemporary artists in Asia and beyond are being held alongside the art fair. The participating galleries are offering works at a wide range of prices, introduc

May 10, 2024

Norman Foster's largest exhibition in Asia highlights sustainability in architecture

Pritzker Prize-winning English architect Norman Foster is one of the leading figures in architecture of the past few decades. Those who are familiar with modern architectural landmarks such as the HSBC Building in Hong Kong would also be familiar with his practice's work innovating architecture with technology. The largest exhibition of Foster's works in Asia currently being held in Seoul is focused on his team’s commitment to sustainability, a goal that has been at the heart of

May 7, 2024

Songzio launches Seoul flagship store

Songzio, the South Korean fashion house known for its avant-garde menswear, will open its first-ever flagship store in Seoul on Saturday. Galerie Noir marks the latest push by CEO Jay Song to cement the brand’s foothold at home and advance its international appeal. A second flagship launch is expected in Paris in August, with a third one in New York in the second half of next year. The four-story Seoul flagship, walking distance from Dosan Park in Seoul’s Gangnam-gu, is a mix of fash

May 3, 2024

Cecily Brown at Gladstone Gallery in Seoul shows artist's fight against herself

Leading contemporary artist Cecily Brown continuously evolves her artistic world through a battle against her desire. Her solo exhibition at the Gladstone Gallery in Seoul, “Nana and Other Stories,” is the extension of her artistic exploration to the previous exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last year titled “Death and the Maid” which encompassed her 25-year artistic career. Brown unveiled seven paintings in Seoul newly created over the past two ye

April 30, 2024