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

[Herald review] Ink wash painter Bang Ui-geol touches mind ‘thousand miles deep’

Ink wash is an art medium that young artists today mostly shun. A look at Bang Ui-geol’s ink wash paintings will make you realize why the centuries-old art form has been largely missing from today's contemporary art scene. The 86-year-old artist is presenting more than 100 recent ink wash paintings -- called “sumukhwa” in Korean -- created in his 70s and 80s at the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum in southern Seoul in an exhibition titled “Bang Ui-geol: Link to Creation.

March 4, 2024

P21 opens new space in Itaewon with paper works by Jorinde Voigt, Xiyadie

P21, a contemporary art gallery based in Seoul, is showcasing work by German artist Jorinde Voigt and traditional Chinese paper-cut artist Xiyadie at its new space in Itaewon in Seoul. The latest exhibition marks the inaugural exhibition at P21's new space, which opened on Feb. 24 after moving from its original place that opened in 2017. “The former space had a strong character by having two separate storefront spaces but also posed limitations as they were very small. But I didn&rsqu

March 1, 2024

[What to see] Korea's emerging artists at Arario Gallery, Choi Wook-kyung at Kukje Gallery's hanok space

If you are a fan of art, you may be familiar with the neighborhood of Jongno-gu in Seoul, which is home to a cluster of galleries. The two leading galleries in the district -- the Kukje Gallery and Arario Gallery -- have opened exhibitions introducing contemporary Korean artists. Rising artists at Arario Gallery Painter Noh Sang-ho unveiled his new paintings, which he created based on images he found "floating in the online realm." Having collected, duplicated and transformed images

March 1, 2024

National Hangeul Museum eyes bigger role ahead of 10th anniversary

The National Hangeul Museum is looking to launch several exhibitions this year to boost its presence as the state-run institution prepares to mark its 10th anniversary on Hangeul Day on Oct. 9. A series of touring exhibitions will take place in cities around the country and abroad year-round, with exhibitions in Korea already underway. The exhibition “Children in a Happy World of Their Own” kicked off in January in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the first of five stops in the t

Feb. 29, 2024

Design Doha shows off diversity of Arab craft, design community

DOHA, Qatar -- Craftsmanship brings together the history, geography and aesthetics of the people of a region while offering a glimpse into their philosophies and lifestyles. Arab craftsmanship has a long-standing history, playing a crucial part in the culture deeply embedded in ordinary people’s lives. Qatar Museums in Doha are presenting the heritage of Arab design at the inaugural Design Doha biennial, which kicked off Saturday, inviting some 70 contemporary artists from the Middle East

Feb. 28, 2024

Ceramic foundation seeks participants for Paris show

The Korea Ceramic Foundation, run by Gyeonggi Province, is seeking applicants to participate in the biannual Maison & Objet design fair in Paris, Sept. 5-9. The foundation is looking to select a total of 16 local craft workshops registered with the province, with the slots evenly split between firms in Yeoju and Icheon, cities known for their ceramics, to set up booths at the Gyeonggi Ceramic Pavilion during Maison & Objet. The Paris exhibition on tableware and household goods drew about

Feb. 27, 2024

[Media Art Now] Song Ye-hwan asks, 'Whose world? How wide?'

The term “World Wide Web,” simply “the web,” was first put to use in 1989, for a system of linked information accessed through the internet. Its earliest form, Web 1.0, was regarded as pages to read and end-users were just consumers. With Web 2.0, users became producers and the user-created content enabled the web to become a platform, accelerated by mobile devices and social media networks. The web has now been evolving into Web 3.0 -- decentralized, autonomous and intel

Feb. 23, 2024

National Museum of Korea to show Buddhist paintings, drawings

The National Museum of Korea is mounting an exhibition through July 21 dedicated to exploring Buddhist paintings and drawings from the 19th to 20th century, a period the museum says is marked by Western influence. Of 37 pieces on exhibit -- all by monk painters -- the painting of Amitabha Buddha preaching in paradise is a textbook example of such influence, according to a NMK official, citing the three-dimensional effect of the drawn figures. Another painting carries the name of the painter hims

Feb. 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Ji-eun dedicates 'Dear Collector' to friends, art lovers

It is art that "collects people," rather than people who collect art, says Kim Ji-eun, who holds the belief that people are connected through sharing art and their personal tastes. It took almost four years for the former anchorperson to release her 549-page book, “Dear Collector,” as her idea for the project first arose during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period of unprecedented isolation, Kim sought to make connections with other people, she reca

Feb. 20, 2024

Sorol Art Museum enlivens Gangneung with illuminating architecture, Lucio Fontana exhibition

Sorol Art Museum opened its doors to the public in Gangwon Province last week, revealing its much-anticipated architecture designed by Meier Partners and presenting the first-ever exhibition of art master Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) in South Korea. Pioneering contemporary artist Fontana is known for artistic attempts to overcome the limitations of the flatness inherent in traditional painting. Located in the center of the coastal city of Gangneung -- one of the most scenic regions in Korea with a

Feb. 19, 2024

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to hold Hallyu exhibit

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will hold an exhibition on Hallyu from March 24 to July 28, showcasing around 250 objects connected to Korean popular culture, including outfits worn by K-pop stars. Titled “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” the exhibition will explore South Korea’s “meteoric rise to the world stage” in terms of its cultural reach and impact, according to the US museum. The exhibit will cover contemporary works, including pieces by designer Park So-hee, head

Feb. 18, 2024

Hong Kong's art landmark touches on ecology with female artists around the world

Hong Kong -- Tai Kwun Contemporary, the non-profit visual art program of Tai Kwun, stands in an interesting place - a former prion complex that has now become a landmark in Hong Kong. Tai Kwun is an arts complex that is home to 16 revitalized heritage buildings, including the former Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison. Since its establishment in 2018, Tai Kwun Contemporary, located in a building designed by world-renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron,

Feb. 16, 2024

‘Concept Korea’ ends on high note on sidelines of NY Fashion Week

The “Concept Korea” show, held on the sidelines of the biannual New York Fashion Week, drew to a close Tuesday with the state-run agency supporting the event for 14 consecutive years calling the latest runway a “success.” Womenswear label Mmam and unisex brands Kimmy.J and Charm’s -- each led by a Korean designer -- showcased their fall-winter 2024 collections, leaving behind a lasting impression, according to the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency, which repor

Feb. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea must have strategy to promote art globally: MMCA Director Kim Sung-hee

As the Korean cultural scene has gained in stature globally, its art scene is being recognized widely as well. With that momentum, Kim Sung-hee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, argues that it is time to draw up a strategy for pushing Korean art on the global scene. “Korea has a variety of art content that has accumulated for thousands of years. Now, we need a strategy at the national level to herald Korean art, turning the popularity of Korean culture

Feb. 14, 2024

NFT art platform ArtToken joins LA Art Fair

ArtToken will join the upcoming art fair LA Art Show 2024, running from Wednesday to Sunday, to bring together five Korean artists at a booth curated under the theme “At the Edge of Existence: Echoes of Surreal Fantasy.” LA Art Show 2024 takes place at the LA Convention Center, with the participation of more than 120 galleries from around the world, exhibiting paintings, sculptures, works on paper, installations, photography, video art and performances. The Seoul-based online non-fun

Feb. 14, 2024

Kwon Byung-jun wins Korea Artist Prize 2023 for work with robots

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has declared Kwon Byung-jun as winner of the Korea Artist Prize 2023 for presenting unique art of his own that delves into humanity and explores a world where people and robots coexist. “Kwon Byung-jun has presented beautiful work that uses an immersive robot theater approach to raise questions about the expansive potential of human communities,” said Kim Sung-hee, director of MMCA. Kwon is the first artist to receive the awar

Feb. 12, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week: Stories from the outside

Photographing celebrities and influencers kept many carrying a press pass occupied at this year’s Seoul Fashion Week, which ended Monday. But what made the biannual event so lively were those looking in from the outside, many of whom have stories to tell. Lauryne Bouyssy and Caitlin Kantner -- French nationals who are pursuing their goals of becoming professional models -- shared theirs with The Korea Herald, as they were illuminated with camera flashes outside Dongdaemun Design Plaza on M

Feb. 8, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week tries on new look: Inclusion and diversity

The runway show that kicked off the five-day Seoul Fashion Week on Thursday last week was a dazzling prelude to the 20 runway collections that followed, each celebrating inclusion and diversity. Designer Park So-young, also known as Sooy Park, delivered a resonating 24-minute presentation of her fall-winter 2024 collection, opening the biannual Seoul Fashion Week at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The 41-year-old designer said she was surprised to be asked to open Seoul Fashion Week in which s

Feb. 7, 2024

At Seoul Museum of Art this year -- architecture

An exploration of how architecture matters in people’s lives will be a key exhibition at Seoul Museum of Art this year as the museum looks forward to renovating its main branch in downtown Seoul. Four exhibitions on architecture will be presented throughout the year starting with the thematic exhibition “Space Time Scenarios” and a solo exhibition of Pritzker-winning British architect Norman Foster in April at the museum’s Seosomun main branch. “Norman Foster’

Feb. 7, 2024