Catalog to introduce Cheong Wa Dae art collection

The government is going through the works of art stored and displayed at Cheong Wa Dae, aiming to publish an art catalog and introduce works that have been collected since the Republic of Korea was established in 1948. “We are sorting through the artwork collected at Cheong Wa Dae. The results will be published as an art catalog, which is expected to come out this year,” an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told The Korea Herald. Whether an exhibition of th

June 13, 2022

Media artist Alex Verhaest’s new works question utopian ideas

Artists are inspired in many ways. Media artist Alex Verhaest, whose first solo exhibition in South Korea is running at Barakat Seoul, was struck by her best friend Sofie Verraest’s doctoral dissertation on utopian ideas. The dissertation, “Eutopia Unbound: Imagining Good Places in Narratives from 1945 to the Present,” claims that four types of utopias -- communitarianism, futurism, isolationism and hedonism -- appear in the modernist imaginations of postwar-Western literatur

June 12, 2022

Pioneering Korean artists in NY living like family: Kim Whan-ki, Han Yong-jin, Moon Mi-aie

When painter Kim Whan-ki (1913-1974) headed to New York City in 1963, the city was emerging as a new global art mecca attracting artists from around the world. Kim spent the rest of his life there, delving into abstract art and further developing the poetic approach to painting that he had begun exploring in Paris in the late 1950s. New York City was unfamiliar to the Korean-born artist. There were few artists from his home country who settled in the city and witnessed the latest developments

June 6, 2022

Korea-Italy collaborations to be featured at Milan Design Week

Craftworks made in collaboration between Korean artisans and Italian designers will be on display at Korean Craft 2022, which will be held during Milan Design Week 2022, a major design art fair due to take place June 6 to 12. The 10th edition of Korean Craft will showcase works that feature different beauty ideals realized by Korean artisans and Italian designers. Among the works on display will be the “Altar for offering to the gods” series created by Korean brassware artisans L

May 30, 2022

Pioneering artists of the time at Gallery Hyundai, Page Gallery

Artists are constantly expanding their own artistic world. Some defy conventional art to differentiate themselves, like South Korea’s avant-garde pioneer Lee Seung-taek and British pop artist Philip Colbert, who are both currently showcasing new works in Seoul. 　While Lee is known as a progenitor of Korea’s conceptual art from the 1950s, Colbert is an emerging British pop artist who has been expanding the realm of pop art to virtual reality. 　Born in 1932, Lee began working in i

May 30, 2022

Leeum Museum of Art names Cha Jea-min winner of ‘Artspectrum 2022’

Leeum Museum of Art has announced artist Cha Jea-min as the winner of “Artspectrum 2022,” the museum’s biennial exhibition that aims to introduce emerging young artists. The exhibition has been a gateway for many Korean artists who enjoy international renown today. The museum’s first exhibition of the year presented eight emerging Korean artists from different fields of art -- video artist Cha Jea-min, installation artist Kim Dong-hee, participatory artist Kim Mo, insta

May 28, 2022

[Well-curated] Twisted art, fine craftworks and film about female director by a female director

If you are a big fan of director Tim Burton or an even bigger fan of his “Edward Scissorhands,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or “Alice in Wonderland,” you won’t want to miss a special exhibition now in Seoul. “The World of Tim Burton” traces the footsteps of the iconic American director, presenting around 520 of Burton’s unique artworks across mediums such as paintings, drawings and photos. As part of the retrospective’s

May 27, 2022

[Feature] Double-edged sword: celebrities’ influence on Korean art scene

Lee Hwa-rang, a 26-year-old Seoul resident, considered herself “completely illiterate” when it came to art. That is, before she became a fan of rapper Kim Nam-joon, or RM from BTS, a well-known art collector. She then started to take what the fandom calls the “RM Tour” -- visiting the museums and galleries he frequents. “I started to go to exhibitions last year. At first, I was curious what he would have felt seeing those art works,” Lee said. “I tho

May 25, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Millennials’ preference for experiences fuels luxury fashion market’

South Korea is rising in the ranks of the luxury market’s agenda, propelled by consumers’ pent-up desire to purchase high-end fashion goods as pandemic lockdowns are lifted and the country takes steps to return to normalcy. While many choose to buy high-end fashion items both offline and online, some prefer to rent them at much cheaper prices. To meet this demand, an increasing number of local companies have enrolled in rental services. “We have built an ecosystem of luxury to

May 23, 2022

[Weekender] Matisse is having a moment in S. Korea

When “Henri Matisse: Life and Joy” -- a retrospective exhibition of Matisse held in Seoul -- was drawing to an end in April, thousands of visitors came to see original works by the pioneering French painter and sculptor. “People continued to come to the exhibition despite the spread of the omicron variant, which began in February. Some 5,000 visitors were coming on a single day toward the end. It received a great deal of attention and love,” said director Seo Hyung-won a

May 21, 2022

Jeju Biennale 2022 to show how humans live in symbiosis with other life forms

Jeju Biennale 2022 will take place across Jeju Island in November, addressing the message of living in harmony with all creatures and respecting nature, discourses that rose to the surface in the aftermath of the pandemic. The third edition of the biennale, helmed by artistic director Park Nam-hee, will evolve around the theme “Flowing Moon, Embracing Land,” taking place at the two main venues, Jeju Museum of Art and Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, from Nov. 16 to Feb. 12. The

May 19, 2022

Terracotta sculptor Kwon Jin-kyu’s spirit lives on at Seoul Museum of Art

When Kwon Jin-kyu (1922-1973) returned to his homeland of Korea in 1959, he was already an acclaimed sculptor in Japan. At age 37, he left behind many opportunities and headed home to take care of his elderly mother in Korea. He also harbored a strong desire to explore his own art in his homeland. Kwon pursed the archaic medium of terracotta and lacquer, which were not commonly used for sculptures at the time in Korea. Terracotta is a durable material naturally resistant to mold and bacter

May 17, 2022

[Art Busan 2022] GRAY sees growing interest in contemporary works from Korean collectors

GRAY, a US gallery based in Chicago and New York, was one of the most popular galleries at Art Busan 2022, with visitors stopping by its booth to take a selfie in front of David Hockney’s 8.7-meter-long photographic drawing and view Pablo Picasso‘s “Tete d‘homme et nu assis.” “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to exhibit at Art Busan in person. The last art fair we did in person in Asia was Art Basel Hong Kong in 2019, and it is great to be back

May 15, 2022

[From the Scene] Another record-breaking year for Art Busan as collectors mature

BUSAN – Art Busan, the second largest art fair in South Korea, hit yet another record-breaking sales figure this year, attracting established collectors and younger generations of collectors. South Korea’s thriving art market turned its focus to the southwestern port city over the past few days, as Art Busan 2022 kicked off Thursday with a VIP opening session and ran through Sunday. “As of Sunday morning, we are expecting to see around 60 billion won ($50 million) in sale

May 15, 2022

[From the Scene] Art Busan continues upbeating art market, expects to break another sales record

BUSAN -- South Korea’s thriving art market has turned its focus to the southwest, as Art Busan 2022 held VIP opening sessions on Thursday and Friday, attracting people from across the country. “It seems the collecting culture is maturing,” said an official from Gallery Hyundai. “I saw people hesitating before choosing works last year, but now it seems many collectors know what they want.” At the entrance to the booth of the gallery -- which is one of the oldest

May 13, 2022

Fashion houses collaborate with popular characters to stir up youth nostalgia

As Y2K-era fashion trends -- characterized by vivid, primary-colored outfits popular in the late 1990s and the early 2000s -- have crept their way into the closets of today’s young people, an increasing number of fashion houses are rushing to feature vintage characters on special items. Local golf wear brand Waac has launched a collaboration project with Japan’s icon of cuteness, Hello Kitty, as part of its summer collection. With the recent move, the company will open the Hello Kitt

May 12, 2022

Sculptures of motherhood donated to Ukrainian Embassy

Artist Yang Soon-yeal‘s two sculptures called “Mother Ottogi” have been donated to the Embassy of Ukraine in Seoul, as a wish for peace and an expression of respect to motherhood in war-torn Ukraine. The newly created works, funded by D.K.KIM Foundation, show "indomitable and fearless" mothers in Korea and Ukraine, according to the artist who has explored motherhood, which she believes to be a fundamental value of humanity. “I heard about a Ukraine mother

May 10, 2022

Art Busan to feature exhibitions, conversations with art professionals

Art Busan, one of South Korea’s major art fairs, will kick off on Thursday with its VVIP opening featuring conversations with leading art professionals and exhibitions of works from world-renowned artists. The art fair will run through Sunday at the Bexco Exhibition Center in Busan. The four-day event will include works of 133 galleries in 21 countries including Gray -- a gallery based in Chicago and New York that represents David Hockney, Alex Katz and Jaume Plensa -- and is among the

May 9, 2022

NFT 101: Gangdong Arts Center seeks to educate public on NFT art

“Digital Era NFT Art 101,“ an exhibition that aims to bring emerging nonfungible token projects to the public, is being held through May 29 at Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul. Some 70 artists are participating in the exhibition, alongside conferences and educational programs on NFT art that are being held. The NFT art exhibition is co-organized by Gangdong Arts Center, which is run by the Gangdong Cultural Foundation, and ArtToken, a Seoul-based digital art platform. The show spans

May 8, 2022

Hito Steyerl unveils new artwork ‘Animal Spirits’ that values ecology, humanity

One of the most influential artists today, German artist Hito Steyerl transcends boundaries – as a visual artist, filmmaker, writer and philosopher. The artist questions where humans fit in an increasingly threatening world, where ever-evolving digital technology and capitalism has expanded to cryptocurrency. She is also a writer who has published academic journals and books such as “Duty Free Art -- Art in the Age of Planetary Civil Wars” and “The Wretched of the Scree

May 4, 2022