Dansaekhwa master Yun Hyong-keun’s late works unveiled in Seoul

The late works of Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), the master of monochrome painting, or Dansaekhwa, from the late 1980s to 1990s, have been unveiled to the public at PKM Gallery in Seoul. The exhibition is the first that focuses exclusively on the master’s works from his later years. Titled “Yun Hyong-keun 1989-1999,” the exhibition features 24 paintings from the period. Yun’s works garnered the international spotlight through a retrospective held at Palazzo Fortuny in Ven

April 27, 2020

Rise of comfort clothing in the time of virus

The coronavirus pandemic has created a “new normal” in many aspects of our lives, as more people are staying in, spending more time at home than ever before, working from home and taking classes online. Part of the new normal is the fashion trend of comfort clothing. More consumers are responding to the new lifestyle by staying in their pajamas. While some companies require their employees to dress up in business attire during online conferences or meetings, there are also those

April 26, 2020

Masks go premium, becoming fashion statements

Wearing masks has become the norm now for facial protection against the novel coronavirus. Though masks are worn for safety, fashion designers are putting their own spin on the item, turning them into fashion statements.  While campaigns are taking place online to support the global fight against the virus, fashion designers here have decided to become part of the movement, with the Strong Together challenge.   The challenge involves decorating face masks with printed patterns or enco

April 26, 2020

British artist with styles of van Gogh unveils kinetic paintings in Seoul

Billy Childish, a painter who hails from the UK, opened his first solo exhibition in Seoul at Lehman Maupin in Jongno, central Seoul. The works of Childish remind that of Expressionism painters in the early 20th century, chracterized with strong brush strokes and vivid colors, Titled “Wolves, Sunsets and the Self,” the exhibition runs until June 27, featuring seven new paintings by the artist. His paintings, which look as if they are alive, come from the artist’s unique meth

April 24, 2020

Looking back on 50 years, Gallery Hyundai ready to leap forward

Gallery Hyundai, one of the representative commercial art galleries in Korea, is holding a special exhibition to commemorate its 50th anniversary, showcasing major works of art once displayed at the gallery over the past half century. The special exhibition runs in two phases for three months at the gallery located in Jongno, central Seoul. The first part, unveiled through an online preview on the gallery’s website, will run until May 31 and features some 70 masterpieces by 40 contempor

April 23, 2020

Color-blind artist puts a new glaze on donuts

Who doesn’t love donuts? More than 1,700 ceramic donuts welcome visitors to the Hakgojae Gallery in Jongno, central Seoul, each with a different look. “As long as people enjoy my donuts, I would say my works are a success,” artist Kim Jae-yong, who bills himself as a donut lover, told The Korea Herald. “I really feel happy when I see smiles on people’s faces. That is it. I want to give happiness to people.” “Donut Fear” is sculptor Kim&rsqu

April 20, 2020

'The Future of Silence' asks what language means amid COVID-19 pandemic

In a dark room, 10 Haenyeo -- female divers of Jeju Island who harvest sea food -- appear on four video screens. Standing in a row, they sing a work song in the Jeju Island dialect, one of the world’s critically endangered languages. The 10 women slowly fade out one by one from the screen, illustrating the reality of the dwindling number of Haenyeo. At the end of the 5-minute video, the last Haenyeo disappears eventually and with it the song. The video work, “The Perfect Harmony&

April 19, 2020

Corporate logos tweaked for coronavirus times

Logos send impactful messages, and many companies are tweaking their logos to encourage social distancing and convey messages of hope. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday posted on the internet a cheer-up logo that can be used for free. The red, blue and black logo reads “Cheer up, Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province. Cheer up, Korea.” “We hope that this ‘Cheer up, Korea’ logo gives whatever small help it can give to the people suffering from COV

April 19, 2020

New MMCA show on nature offers healing amid virus pandemic

In this time of strict social distancing, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, is offering an Instagram preview of its latest exhibition, “Axis of Horizon.” A 30-minute live preview of the exhibition, guided by curator Yang Ok-kum, will be available Thursday at 4 p.m. on the museum’s Instagram channel (@mmcakorea). The full exhibition, originally scheduled to open in early April at the Seoul venue, is on hold due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The exhibition features

April 14, 2020

COVID-19 is spurring galleries to evolve

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country earlier this year, it was something the art world never expected. It was particularly challenging for art galleries, which believed artworks were best appreciated in person at the gallery. But the unprecedentedly prolonged viral threat has changed things. Galleries had to come up with creative ways to reach out to people who are practicing social distancing. They held virtual reality exhibitions, online press conferences and private tours. And the g

April 10, 2020

MMCA awarded Exhibition of the Year at Asia Art Pioneers Award

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) was co-awarded at the Asia Art Pioneers Award 2019 for the exhibition “Awakenings: Art in society in Asia 1960s-1990s” which was held last year at the museum’s Gwacheon venue. The exhibition, which was co-hosted by South Korea, Singapore and Japan, encompasses artworks from 100 representative artists from the late 18th century in 13 Asian countries. The tour of the exhibition started in Japan in October 2018 an

April 9, 2020

Coloring back into Joseon era

  While coloring books have recently come into the limelight as a great stress reliever for adults, coloring minhwa with colored pencils has recently been attracting more interest amid the prolonged COVID-19 threat. Minhwa, which refers to Korea’s folk painting style, prospered during the Joseon era (1392-1910). The art form, though it originated among commoners, was widely enjoyed among people regardless of their social classes. Minhwa reflects people’s wishes, as each draw

April 8, 2020

Global project ‘MaytoDay’ to remembering Gwangju Democratic Uprising to launch in May

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation is embarking on a global project titled “MaytoDay” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, hosting exhibitions around the world in an effort to promote the spirit of the democratization movement. The project, “MaytoDay,” will take place in five cities in four countries -- Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and Argentina -- from May to November. The project will also be showcased at next year’s Venic

April 7, 2020

MMCA launches online museum series for kids

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea has launched an online museum series for children who are spending most of their time at home amid the COVID-10 outbreak, to help them better understand the modern art. The museum is unveiling a total of five episodes on its YouTube Channel, uploading new episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The episodes will cover four renowned artists: Park Seo-bo, Marcel Duchamp, Ahn Kyu-chul and Choi Jeong-hwa. The videos aim to help kid

April 2, 2020

Art of drawing letters: Beauty of calligraphy unveiled at MMCA for first time

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is hosting a calligraphy exhibition for the first time in its history, titled “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” aiming to show the beauty of calligraphy through the masterpieces from 1920s to modern era. The exhibition was unveiled online Monday through livestreaming on MMCA YouTube channel with curator Bae Won-jung guiding through the artworks for 90 minutes. The exhibition was scheduled to open in March, but w

March 31, 2020

Art auction markets perform well despite COVID-19 threat

The two main art auction houses in Korea saw better performance than expected in March despite the COVID-19 outbreak clouding the art market. Seoul Auction, the nation’s largest auction house, saw its auction success rate at 60 percent at the first auction of the year, held Tuesday. The total sales amounted to 5 billion won ($4.1 million), according to the company. “We worried about the auction result because the viral infection has frozen the art market, but it turned out to be

March 27, 2020

Feminist photographer Park Young-sook inspired by sacrificed ‘witches’

When Park Young-sook, the first-generation feminist photographer, visited the Gotjawal Forest on Jeju Island for the first time last year, she had to walk through dead vines and thought of the forest as an abandoned place. Then women who were sacrificed in witch hunts came to mind. “I felt like the place turned into a spiritual place where women who were labeled as ‘witches’ in Europe came crossing the sea and peacefully lived at the desolate, lonely forest,” Park said

March 26, 2020

Nam Hwa-yeon showcases artworks inspired by legendary, controversial dancer

A lack of information about legendary Korean dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911-1968) allowed Nam Hwa-yeon to come up with her own interpretations of Choi’s historic achievements for the solo exhibition “Mind Stream.” The interdisciplinary artist created artworks that range from media art to sculptures based on her research about the dancer. Nam represented Korea at the 2019 Venice Biennale 2019, along with Siren Eun Young Jung and Jane Jin Kaisen. Not many materials remain in Sou

March 23, 2020

Instsallaiton artist Anicka Yi chosen for Hyundai Commission show at Tate Modern

The Korean-American artist Anicka Yi was chosen as the sixth artist of the Hyundai Commission to hold an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London this year. 　 Yi is an installation artist whose work explores the links between art and science, addressing questions around migration, class and gender. Born in Seoul in 1971, Yi is now based in in US, according to Hyundai Motor, the co-organizer of Hyundai Commission. “Anicka Yi has developed a reputation for highly innovative work. Her inst

March 16, 2020

Paik Nam-june retrospective to open in Amsterdam

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s retrospective exhibition will open Friday at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the second stop of the exhibition’s international tour. Titled “The Future is Now,” the show will feature more than 200 works by the artist, including those in the museum’s collection. The exhibition will run through Aug. 23. The major retrospective exhibition of Paik is on a two-year international tour, starting at the Tate Modern i

March 11, 2020