As international galleries look for Hong Kong alternative, KIAF 2019 gets boost

Korea International Art Fair 2019 will be held Sept. 26-29 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.A total of 175 galleries from 17 countries, including China, France, the US and Mexico, are participating in the 18th edition of the annual fair.“As the crisis in Hong Kong continues, there are many foreign galleries that are seeking an alternative market to introduce their works. And the art market in Korea appears to be one of their options. It is expected that there will be several representatives fr

Sept. 18, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Herald Design Forum 2019 calls attention to ecology, environment

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the slogan “Do We Need Another Planet?”Internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists have been invited to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as prospects for our future at this year’s forum, now in its ninth year.Opening this year’s forum is a keynote speech by actress Gong Hyo-jin, also an environmental activist who leads a local upcycling project titled &

Sept. 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] Yie Sun-yuul has the world at her heels

In today’s fashion scene, heels are getting lower and lower. But that doesn’t mean they’re going out of style. Rather, there’s more room to experiment with lower and thicker heels.Yie Sun-yuul, head of Yuul Yie, is all about experimenting with heels. The heels are what reflect Yuul Yie’s design philosophy.  They’re inspired by coral reefs, stones on the street, cubes or even the Arabic alphabet. Yet the overall figures are simple, consisting of circles, t

Sept. 15, 2019

Paik Nam-june’s monumental installation at MMCA will avoid major technical changes as of now

Korea’s pioneering media artist Paik Nam-june’s monumental media work “The More The Better” will avoid major technological changes, at least for now.The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea on Wednesday announced that it will try to keep the prototype of “The More The Better” as long as it could.  The museum will keep most of the outdated CRT monitors, while seeking other options that will ensure both safety and function. It will replac

Sept. 11, 2019

The art of silk threads, sheet metal

Yeol, the Korean Heritage Preservation Society, will hold an exhibition inspired by traditional craftsmanship at Yeol Bukchonga in the neighborhood of Bukchon, central Seoul, from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18.Since 2013, Yeol has led an annual project that supports a master artisan and a young artist, showcasing their work in an exhibition. Silk thread master Lim Keum-hee and young metal artist Kim Sang-hoon were picked this year.  Lim, an artisan with 30 years of experience, practices dahoe, the tr

Sept. 10, 2019

Korea Art Week seeks to reach out to public

Korea Art Week 2019 aims to reach a broader audience this year, with a larger number of participants from both the private and public art sectors. Organized by the Culture Ministry’s Korea Arts Management Service, the weeklong event from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 promotes local exhibitions and art markets.  Marking its fifth edition, Korea Art Week will involve some 250 public and private art museums and nonprofit exhibition spaces around the country, a large increase from the 180 that parti

Sept. 9, 2019

[Announcement] Herald Design Forum 2019

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held on Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the theme “Do We Need Another Planet?”The forum, which celebrates its ninth anniversary this year, has invited internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as future prospects. A keynote speech by actress Gong Hyo-jin, an environmental activist who leads a local upcycling project, “Super Magic Factory,” will op

Sept. 9, 2019

William Lim, architect of many things

William Lim wears many hats. He is a Hong Kong-based architect, artist, art collector and educator, though he is best known for having designed the glass building standing on Hong Kong’s Queen’s Road Central.Speaking with The Korea Herald after delivering a lecture on art collecting at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center on Monday, Lim said he is a regular visitor to South Korea.  This time, he went to the historic city of Gyeongju, where he visited Bulguksa, a famous Buddhist temple t

Sept. 5, 2019

Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism to kicks off Saturday

The 2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism is set to begin its 65-day run, starting Saturday. Titled “Collective City,” the event explores the interactive relationship between architecture and urbanism through exhibitions, programs and extra activities. Organized by the Seoul Design Foundation, the biennale was inaugurated in 2017. “We hope to suggest an alternative for the future of cities. The biennale is to function as a place where people can start a discourse on

Sept. 5, 2019

MMCA’s Deoksugung outdoor project remembers Gojong, last Joseon king

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea kicks off an outdoor exhibition in the area around Deoksugung and its main branch in Samcheong-dong on Thursday.“Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future” features works by architects from five architectural firms based in Asia -- Space Popular, CL3, Bureau Spectacular, OBBA and Obra Architects.It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement and the death of Emperor Gojong, the last king of the Jos

Sept. 4, 2019

Yang Hae-gue brings world of transformations, juxtapositions to Seoul

Yang Hae-gue has turned a gallery space into a place full of ill-matched images. Colors on the walls both dazzle and confuse visitors. Sitting in the middle are sonic and mobile sculptures. Scented gym balls roll between movable versions of her signature venetian-blind sculptures. And shallow layers of artificial fog from the corners fill the floor. Berlin-based Korean artist Yang is holding a solo exhibition titled “When the Year 2000 Comes” at Kukje Gallery, Samcheong-dong, Seoul.

Sept. 2, 2019

[Weekender] A peek at upcycle art in Gwangmyeong

The city of Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, has the country’s first gallery dedicated to upcycling and runs programs for both artists and the general public. The ongoing exhibition at the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center has a child-friendly zoo theme: A tiger, an eagle and other wild animals have been recreated out of various waste materials. But the message isn’t just for kids. “The ‘Upcycle Zoo’ exhibition intends to provoke thoughts about what’s happening on

Aug. 30, 2019

[Weekender] From trash to art

A fancy new building with an inviting lawn yard, public art installations and plenty of Instagrammable photo spots, Seoul Upcycling Plaza looks just like a hip place to be. And that’s what city officials hope it will become -- a magnet for trendsetters and a hotbed of new lifestyle movements. Upcycling is, according to the center’s public relations manager Cho Ara, a step beyond recycling. “It is not just about using things again (recycling). It is about giving them a new

Aug. 30, 2019

Do not try to read between the lines -- just walk right in

Tautly stretched lines in different colors form geometric shapes in and outside of the gallery space. They extend from the basement all the way to the high ceiling of the upper floor. Some lines define quadrangles that are leaning against a wall, while others come out from one wall just to meet another. The sculptures, made of yarn, appear lightweight. In terms of visual presence too, they are “barely there.” But the yarn sculptures are visually intriguing, after all. Gallery Hy

Aug. 28, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] A brief overview of Herald Design Forum 2019

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the slogan “Do We Need Another Planet?”The forum, now in its ninth year, will invite internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as prospects for our future.Opening this year’s forum is a keynote speech by actress Gong Hyo-jin, also an environmental activist who leads a local upcycling project titled “Super Magic Fact

Aug. 26, 2019

MMCA initiates new art project with Hyundai Motor

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea announced Friday it has started “Project #” to promote new artists.  Starting this year, it will annually select two art teams and provide them with financial support for exhibitions until 2023. Each team will be given 30 million won ($24,790) by Hyundai Motor for exhibitions, while the MMCA will provide studios at its residency in Chang-dong for six months and exhibition space at the museum’s main branch in Seoul

Aug. 23, 2019

[Weekender] Going vegan on the face

The vegan way of life is not limited to diet or eating but encompasses the full spectrum of a person’s life choices, including things like skin care and cosmetics. With more consumers opposing animal testing and the use of animal-derived ingredients, a number of vegan beauty brands have popped up in recent years.To qualify as vegan, a cosmetics maker must not use any animal products or by-products. Animal testing is out of the question too. South Korea, a country that is keen on keeping up

Aug. 23, 2019

To things that we find ambivalent, inconsistent

Confusion has recently followed after the relocation of “Mona Lisa,” as it created bottlenecks of visitors coming to see Leonardo da Vinci’s most widely known masterpiece. To what end do people toil all the way to see the artwork? Why is it that “Mona Lisa” gets the spotlight while masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens that hang on the wall behind it do not get attention they rightfully deserve?Local artist Kim Hong-shik’s works shown at Gallery Su’s exhibit

Aug. 22, 2019

‘Rain Room’ raises questions about control and agency

In “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Walt Disney’s famous eight-minute animation from 1940 based on a Goethe poem of the same name, Mickey Mouse takes a hold of the magical hat that his master left behind. The apprentice Mickey uses the magical hat to do his chores, but he soon falls asleep, only to wake up to waves of water filling the cavern. Mickey tries to stop the water with his hands, yet fails.Just when Mickey thought he was in control, disastrous consequences were on t

Aug. 21, 2019

Artist couple of Okin Collective found dead

Artist couple Yi Joung-min, 48, and Jin Shi-u, 44, of Okin Collective were found dead at their home Friday, sources within the local art community said Monday. According to the sources, the couple had experienced financial difficulties and conflicts with others in the art world. Police are currently investigating, they said.Okin Collective was a three-member artist collective founded in 2009 to address issues surrounding the eviction of residents of the Okin Apartment Complex in Jongno-gu, centr

Aug. 19, 2019