[Herald Interview] 'Businesses should be led to invest in the arts': Arts Council Chair Choung Byoung-gug

Wearing a white shirt and jeans, Arts Council Korea Chairperson Choung Byoung-gug prepares coffee at his Seoul office in the small-theater district of Daehagno before the interview in late July. “Five or six years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding for a 50 billion-won ($37 million) project to build a coffee museum, a coffee library and so on in Addis Ababa,” said Choung, recalling his work as a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Commit

Sept. 22, 2023

Art:Gwangju:23 kicks off with special exhibitions

Gwangju city’s annual art fair, Art:Gwangju:23, kicked off Thursday at the Kimdaejung Convention Center with 105 galleries participating. Some 13 booths are dedicated to special exhibitions. The 14th edition of the art fair in the southwestern city is hosted by the city government and run by the Gwangju Branch of Korean Fine Arts Association. The four-day art fair includes culture talks by Kim Byung-hun, director of Sochon Art Factory, and Yoon Byung-hak, director of Chungjang 22, a cultur

Sept. 21, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Fostering entrepreneurship while maintaining a creative edge

Fashion design is by nature a creative pursuit, but fashion guru Kathleen Kye stressed that balancing one’s entrepreneurial mindset with one’s innovative vision is important in the world of design. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, the CEO and director of fashion brand KYE and EYEYE emphasized that having a business mindset helps foster one’s leadership and problem-solving abilities. In her lecture titled “How to Cultivate an Entrepr

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Fashion designer, architect Francesco Scianni talks aboug defining new fashion trends

At this moment in history, a period of constant change, where "social" plays a key role and where news and information quickly become outdated, understanding and anticipating the public's taste is a complicated task. Speaking at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday at the Shilla Seoul, Francesco Scianni, a member of Project Group SRL, a group that specializes in style consultancy and trends research, and the owner of the brand Lebelleforme and Fashion & Design Lab, said a new

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Edward Lee places automotive design at heart of humanity

When Alpha Motor Corporation unveiled its Wolf electric truck at the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show this spring, Edward Lee, the founder, CEO and chairman of the board of the US-based EV startup, presented a key solution for a healthier future -- design. As the chief architect of Alpha Motor, which earned the title of "2023 EV Manufacturer of the Year, California" at the Corporate LiveWire Global Awards, Lee is dedicated to commercializing cutting-edge automobiles and innovative mobility

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Dan Goods explores universe through art installations

What if you could locate where satellites are in space just by listening to the sounds they make? The Orbit Pavilion at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, where the sounds visitors hear map out the trajectories of 19 satellites orbiting Earth, offers real-time auditory connections to space. But this experience would not be as compelling without the pavilion's giant seashell design, which transports visitors to the celestial landscape of satellites by representing their chat

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Kim Teck-koun pioneers Kia's design philosophy

Kim Teck-koun, Kia's vice president and head of Kia Next Design Group in South Korea, spoke about the carmaker’s new design philosophy, “Opposite United,” at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday. “The design philosophy takes inspiration from the contrasts found not only in nature but humanity. When you think of a stream softly (winding down a valley), there are huge stones along the way. We try to get inspiration (from) how things coexist in ha

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] A.A.Murakami discusses sustainability in art

Coming from the two very different worlds of Tokyo and London, the artist duo of Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves have explored the possibility of sustainable material and low energy use through their work. At the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, the duo called A.A.Murakami spoke on the topic of "Adventure Design and Ephemeral Tech," sharing their insight on thinking imaginatively on the issue of sustainability and making it desirable through art. “We w

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Lina Ghotmeh integrates past with future in nature-friendly architecture

Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh cherishes the connection to the past and weaves it into her architectural creations for a sustainable future. With a deliberate focus on invoking memory, time, and space from the traces of the past, she aims to bridge the chasm between disparate time frames -- the past and the future -- ultimately unifying the human experience with nature in the realm of architecture. During her presentation at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, Ghotmeh expounded on her archi

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Italian architect, designer Cristina Celestino discusses importance of relationships in design

Italian architect and designer Cristina Celestino, delivering a presentation titled “Intertwining Beauty and Sustainability: From Color to Materiality” at the Herald Design Forum 2023 at the Shilla Seoul on Tuesday, discussed how the design and planning of spaces stem from the relationships established in the design process. These relationships involve engagement with local history and culture, and a collaborative partnership with skilled local artisans, she told the audience. Cele

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Diébédo Francis Kéré emphasizes role of architecture in sustainable future

Diébédo Francis Kéré, the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022, emphasized the role of architecture in creating a better future with inspiring stories of designing sustainable buildings. “In the past, it was a competition to create wealth. The decision-makers were forced to create space and investors would have to create space for us to live. But nowadays, together, we have to think, 'How will we achieve all of this with respect to sav

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Design experts discuss 'design for coexistence' at Herald Design Forum

The 13th Herald Design Forum opened Tuesday under the theme of “Design for Coexistence, Exploring New Perspectives on Coexistence,” bringing together renowned designers from across the world to Seoul. “This year, we wish to focus on a realm that traditionally has not been the mainstream of the design world,” said Jeon Chang-hyeop, CEO and publisher of Herald Corp, in his opening remarks. “Taking a step back from the traditional design that we are all used to, we hop

Sept. 19, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Putting yourself in different culture enriches you as architect: Diébédo Francis Kéré, Lina Ghotmeh

Living in different cultures away from their homeland have helped globally acclaimed architects Diébédo Francis Kéré and Lina Ghotmeh think about what they can do in their city as an architect. “When we are in one place, we take it for granted. I am sure here in Seoul, if you think about the metro and everything, you will think they are normal for you. But for me, it is not normal, so I am curious to explore it,” Kéré said at the “Speci

Sept. 19, 2023

Hauser & Wirth opens new space in NYC dedicated to print editions

NEW YORK -- Hauser & Wirth, a leading contemporary and art gallery, has opened a new space in West Chelsea, New York, completing the gallery’s expansion in the contemporary art capital. Hauser & Wirth’s new 18th Street location, the Swiss gallery's third space in New York, is dedicated to printed editions and serves as the flagship bookstore of Hauser & Wirth Publishers. The space also encompasses offices, a bookstore, a 72-seat amphitheater for public events and the

Sept. 16, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Architect Lina Ghotmeh's roots in Beirut live on in her work

Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh's architecture philosophy is rooted in her hometown of Beirut. The port city is situated at the midpoint of the country’s Mediterranean coast, with a history of more than 5,000 years. “At my practice, our projects are born from my methodology of design and research called ‘archaeology of the future.’ It is about finding the uniqueness of each situation, so every project talks about where it is. Archaeology of the future is influenced

Sept. 14, 2023

Former Hongik University professor Kim Sung-hee to head MMCA

Former Hongik University professor Kim Sung-hee will lead the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, the Culture Ministry said Thursday. Kim would take office on Monday, the ministry told The Korea Herald. Kim, 65, was one of three final candidates for the position, according to a source. Kim, former associate professor at the Department of Curatorial Studies and Art Management at Hongik University, co-founded CAN Foundation in 2008, a nonprofit art center in Seoul that supports

Sept. 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Gagosian has lots of work to do in Korea'

When the world’s largest art gallery Gagosian newly appointed Lee Ji-young to lead the gallery’s operations in South Korea, just ahead of Frieze Seoul that ended on Saturday, the art community's attention quickly turned to what plan may be behind the gallery's move. Lee, a gallerist with some 15 years of experience, was most recently the director for Sprueth Margers in Seoul. “Korea obviously is a place where we have been active for many years. I came here 16 years ag

Sept. 13, 2023

New York's The Armory Show at crossroads following acquisition by Frieze

NEW YORK -- The 2023 edition of The Armory Show kicked off Thursday at the Javits Center in New York, and was joined by more than 225 galleries from 35 countries. Established nearly 30 years ago, the art fair is the oldest fair in the US and has been a continuous presence in the international art scene. "The Platform" section of this year's fair saw a number of large-scale installations draw the attention of visitors. Among the works in the section was Jean Shin's “Hudd

Sept. 10, 2023

Frieze alludes to helping Kiaf’s overseas expansion

Frieze hinted it is willing to cooperate with the Galleries Association of Korea if it asks for help in expanding its presence overseas. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at Coex in southern Seoul, Frieze CEO Simon Fox and Frieze Seoul’s director Patrick Lee said, “We would always be delighted to activate Frieze with Kiaf throughout the year.” In 2022, the London-based organizer and Seoul’s leading art fair Kiaf Seoul signed a five-year partnership in a bid to en

Sept. 7, 2023

[From the Scene] Frieze Seoul cementing presence as Asian art hub

Frieze Seoul 2023 and Kiaf Seoul 2023 opened Wednesday in a calmer mood compared to last year when Frieze Seoul first launched, nonetheless attracting more collectors from Asia than before, showing signs that the city is cementing its position as an art hub in Asia. Unlike last year, a meters-long line was not seen on the first day of Frieze Seoul 2023 at Coex, southern Seoul, on Wednesday, as the organizer divided up the time slots for visitors to enter. The fair, together with Kiaf Seoul, la

Sept. 6, 2023