Fabric installation artist Woo Hannah wins inaugural Artist Award at Frieze Seoul

Korean artist Woo Hannah has been chosen to receive the inaugural Artist Award at Frieze Seoul, part of the global art fair’s curated program of special projects and collaborations, ahead of its upcoming second edition in September. Woo’s winning commission, “The Great Ballroom,” is a large-scale fabric installation that conveys the changes of the human body. It will be installed at Coex in Seoul, suspended from the ceiling during the art fair. Frieze Seoul will take pl

June 20, 2023

Kim Jae-kyung's timber architecture showcased at Hanyang University

Hanyang University Museum currently has on display a solo exhibition introducing the work of architect Kim Jae-kyung, an associate professor at Hanyang University in Seoul and director of the JK-AR architecture practice. Kim's work explores how legacies of East Asia’s wooden architecture can be applied in contemporary ways. Kim has delved into East Asia’s wooden architecture, comparing the styles of Korea, Japan and China, and came to focus on the structure of brackets – &

June 19, 2023

Rooted in Korean traditional painting, Kim Bo-hie captures beauty of Jeju Island

Painter Kim Bo-hie's solo exhibition at the Kumho Museum of Art in 2020 drew a huge crowd after her paintings went viral on social media. People formed long lines just to get into the museum in search of some comfort from her work, which depicts the nature of Jeju Island. The exhibition earned her popularity among a wider audience. In the latest exhibition, “Towards,” at Gallery Baton in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, the 71-year-old artist introduces her newest paintings that port

June 18, 2023

National Museum of Korea shows legacy of ancient Greek, Roman civilizations

The National Museum of Korea has opened its fourth thematic exhibition featuring elements of international cultural heritage, unveiling gems from ancient Greece and Rome. The 126 antiquities pieces on display are from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The exhibition, “Separate But Inseparable: Mythology and Culture of Ancient Greece and Rome,” opened Thursday and runs through May 30, 2027. The collection includes a Roman portrait of Gaius Julius Caesar estimated to be from be

June 18, 2023

Artist Kim A-young wins Prix Ars Electronica's Golden Nica

Artist Kim A-young's video piece, "Delivery Dancer’s Sphere (2022)," has been awarded the Golden Nica in the New Animation Art category at the Prix Ars Electronica 2023, Gallery Hyundai said Friday. The award was given to Kim on Monday in Linz, Austria. Kim is the first Korean to receive the Golden Nica at the Prix Ars Electronica. Established in 1987, the Prix Ars Electronica is the longest-running media art competition for digital arts, culture and music. A total of 3,176

June 16, 2023

'Emosculpture' artist Huh Hwe-tae holds 27th solo exhibition in Insadong

Artist Huh Hwe-tae’s solo exhibition “Huh Hwe-Tae: The Path of Flowers I Found” kicks off Wednesday at Gallery Is in Insadong, Seoul. Huh claims to be the inventor of the art style known as “emography,” a portmanteau of the words "emotion" and "calligraphy." The term “emography” itself was coined by Ryu Young-hak, an art critic and independent curator based in Seoul, after viewing Huh’s calligraphic works in Germany in 2016, acc

June 13, 2023

[Photo News] Lee Kun-hee collection brought to Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art

People visit the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province on Friday to see the exhibition, “Seasons - Lee Kun-hee Collection: Modern and Contemporary Korean Art,” unveiled on Thursday featuring modern paintings donated by late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. Forty-six paintings on display are part of collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, donated by Lee. The exhibition also includes other collections from state museums, showing 90 ar

June 9, 2023

Three emerging Korean artists showcase work at Kumho Museum of Art

The Kumho Museum of Art has been showcasing South Korea's emerging young artists through the "Kumho Young Artist" exhibition since 2004. Organized by the Kumho Cultural Foundation, this annual art exhibition features a selection of six artists each year, with their works presented in two consecutive shows. In the second session of the "Kumho Young Artist" exhibition, artists Lee Hee-joon, Lim No-sik and Hyun Seung-eui have unveiled their works across the museum. The exhi

June 9, 2023

World-leading British gallery White Cube to open in Seoul this fall

White Cube, one of the world’s leading galleries, will open in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, which will become the gallery's second space in Asia after Hong Kong. The space will be unveiled this fall, the gallery announced Thursday. The gallery will be located in Sinsa-dong, close to Dosan Park and other cultural institutions such as the SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation and the nonprofit Atelier Hermes gallery. The gallery space is located in a ceramic-encased building, which is also

June 9, 2023

Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul to expand

Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul will expand its current space in the Fort Hill building in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, doubling the exhibition space with the addition of a ground-floor gallery, the European gallery announced Thursday. The gallery opened its first space in Asia in October 2021 to expand its presence in the Asian market. Austrian gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac has been running galleries for 40 years, operating spaces in Salzburg, London, Paris and Seoul. The gallery represents more than 60 art

June 9, 2023

[Herald Review] Painting and beyond: Diverse sides of Dufy explored in two Seoul exhibitions

French artist Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) encompassed different art styles throughout his career. Influenced by impressionism in the 19th century, his art began to evolve, interacting with other movements ranging from post-impressionism and fauvism to cubism. As a result of multi-faceted approach, Dufy’s name is not as easily recognized in South Korea as Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse or Pablo Picasso -- representative artists in the movements which he incorporated into his works. However, thi

June 6, 2023

Frieze Seoul 2023 to return with strong lineup of galleries in Asia

After the inaugural Frieze Seoul saw a successful launch last year, the global art fair is gearing up for its second event early September with stronger participation from galleries based in Asia, especially those with physical art spaces in South Korea. The portion of galleries from Asia has increased to 41 percent from the last edition of 31 percent. Among some 120 galleries this year, 49 galleries are from throughout Asia, although the number of participating galleries is subject to change at

June 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] New York artist Gregory de la Haba brings energy, force to Hangaram

New York artist Gregory de la Haba’s first show in Seoul is underway at Hangaram Art Museum of the Seoul Arts Center, showcasing some 20 paintings completed over the last two years. As was the case for many people around the world, the pandemic period was a productive one for de la Haba, who set up a studio inside his garage at the back of his house in the borough of Queens when he could not travel to his studio in Brooklyn, New York. Unable to travel or meet friends, de la Haba’s fo

June 2, 2023

National Museum of Korea presents artworks from Britain's National Gallery

The National Gallery, London has arrived in Seoul at the National Museum of Korea with its collection of 52 paintings encompassing the Renaissance, Baroque and post-impressionism from the early 20th century. The British museum’s works, which are currently touring across Asia, were unveiled Thursday in Seoul, curated by the NMK, and focus on how the perspective of western art shifted from God to humans with the advent of the Renaissance, after passing through the medieval period. The exhibi

June 1, 2023

Hakgojae Gallery shows works by Thomas Scheibitz, Park Young-ha

Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul has brought together two artists from Germany and South Korea, Thomas Scheibitz and Park Young-ha. While the two artists' works may feel different in style, visitors may find one thing in common: They both reveal their inner thoughts through visual language and make people think outside the box. It is the second solo show for Scheibitz at the gallery following his last in 2019. The newly opened exhibition titled “Thomas Scheibitz: Jennifer in Paradise,"

June 1, 2023

[Herald Interview] Song Zio says ‘reckless imagination’ behind brand’s growth

As a first-generation Korean fashion designer, Songzio founder and Chairman Song Zio still does sketches and designs patterns – work he has been doing already for 30 years. Despite the pandemic that had kept people at home and led them to spend less on fashion, Songzio saw better-than-expected sales, recording 70 billion won ($53 million) in 2022. Song said creativity is behind the brand’s growth. “No matter what, a fashion brand should prioritize fashion design, although the

May 30, 2023

‘Clean beauty’ pops onto global luxury brands’ radar

From cosmetics to shampoo, global luxury brands have been labeling products as “clean beauty,” a buzzword that has proved popular in recent years. While the term itself may not be new, its definition is largely subjective, and differs for each brand in the ever-evolving luxury industry. Clean beauty has become a major selling point in the market, with brands like Chanel entering the fray, and industry giant Sephora creating dedicated sections on their websites for brands that meet sp

May 28, 2023

Posco Art Museum hosts installation artist Kwon Chi-gyu's solo exhibition

Installation artist Kwon Chi-gyu’s solo exhibition “Resilience” opened Friday at Posco Art Museum in Seoul as the museum's first solo show this year. Inspired by nature, Kwon delved into the concept of resilience with the belief that every life has the power to overcome. Running through June 28, the exhibition will show 20 of Kwon's works under the theme of “resilience,” including his newly created paintings and installations. A visitor to the exhibition w

May 26, 2023

Sculpture fair PLAS 2023 returns to Coex with 'New Dream'

Plastic Art Seoul 2023, an art fair dedicated to sculptures and installation works, kicked off Thursday, strengthening PLAS' ties with other art fairs in Taiwan and Canada. Ninety-six galleries including 11 galleries from overseas are participating at the 8th edition of the fair being held under the theme of “New Dream.” More than 800 artists’ works are on display during the four-day art fair that runs through Sunday at Coex in southern Seoul. PLAS recently entered into

May 26, 2023

Robert Indiana’s iconic ‘LOVE’ sculpture in Seoul vandalized

American artist Robert Indiana’s iconic sculpture “LOVE” was recently found vandalized in central Seoul with “Zombra” graffitied with spray paint on the letter “V.” The sculpture, installed outside the headquarters of Daishin Securities in Jungu-gu, Seoul, is known as the one of a few such sculptures in South Korea. The sculpture was found with the graffiti on Tuesday, according to the securities firm. “We are assuming the work was damaged on Monda

May 24, 2023