Female graduates of Hongik University art school celebrate perseverance at 40th anniversary show

In the 1970s, when it was still a struggle for South Korean women to establish art careers, a group of female students from the Hongik University College of Fine Arts gathered together to break stereotypes and defy conservative social norms. In 1982 they formed Hongik Women Artists Association and held an exhibition, which has continued every year uninterrupted for 40 years. Now the 40-year anniversary exhibition -- “Hongik Root Now! Again!” -- is running at the Hongik Museum of A

Oct. 15, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] What architects can do in post-pandemic era

Ray Winkler, design director of Stufish Entertainment Architects, and British architect Amanda Jane Levete on Thursday shared their visions on what changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the field of architecture and what architects can do in the post-pandemic era at the Herald Design Forum 2021. Winkler showed a glimpse into how architecture can adapt accordingly with the changes brought by the pandemic, while Levete showed what values architecture should continue to pursue. “Tec

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Herald Design Forum ponders ‘What comes after?’

Emerging from the darkest days of the pandemic, many countries, including South Korea, are now talking about “life with COVID-19.” It is against this backdrop that the Herald Design Forum brought together some of the world’s most renowned designers, architects and artists with the aptly themed title of “What comes after.” “Mankind is now in its way into the post-COVID-19 era. Things will greatly change and the field of design is not an exception. The latest

Oct. 14, 2021

Korea’s largest art fair is back -- and there are more art lovers than ever

As the opening of KIAF Seoul 2021 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday drew near, there was already a long line of avid art lovers of various ages waiting to check in at Coex in southern Seoul. Korea’s largest annual international art fair is being held physically for the first time after it went online on its viewing room platform after the global COVID-19 pandemic hit early last year. Nearly 5,000 people visited the fair on the first day, which was open to VVIPs and the press, proving that people

Oct. 14, 2021

BTS’ V makes appearance at KIAF Seoul 2021

BTS’ V was spotted by a Korea Herald reporter Wednesday evening at KIAF Seoul 2021, South Korea’s largest international art fair being held at Coex in southern Seoul. V, wearing a Louis Vuitton jacket and a cap, was seen strolling around the exhibition hall. When the reporter approached him and asked if he was V from BTS, he first denied it: “Nope, no I am not.” After a few seconds of eye contact, he said, “Sorry, yes, I am.” He made a 90-degree bow and

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] ‘Ditch guidelines for sustainable, innovative design’

Three design experts shared their thoughts Thursday on how unique sustainable designs are created during the 11th edition of Herald Design Forum that was held on the floating island of Sevit on the Han River in Seoul. Referring to projects carried out by the Madrid-based company, Jeffrey Ludlow, founder and creative director of Point of Reference Studio, said small sustainability solutions such as signage could have big effects in consuming advertisement media. “Laws and norms are labele

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Understanding in technology, people required for future designers: experts

Future designers should not only have design skills, but also should be versatile in programming and have a deep understanding of people, top experts in the field of industrial and product design said Thursday. Kim Jong-min, Google’s senior user experience engineer, suggested designers pursue their paths as generalists amid the fast-changing information technology environment.　 “In line with technology development, companies want talented workers. They thought it was nearly impossi

Oct. 14, 2021

Andy Warhol’s many personas revealed at Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul show

The Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul has opened its third collection exhibition “Andy Warhol: Looking for Andy” showcasing self-portraits by the American pop artist selected from the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s collection. The works range from Warhol’s early self-portrait photos to his late pieces that reveal various facets of the artist. The highlight of the exhibition is Warhol’s iconic self-portrait that he created before his sudden death in 1987. With his ghostly pal

Oct. 12, 2021

KIAF Seoul 2021 returns to a booming art market

As competition in the Korean art market become more heated than ever, The Korea International Art Fair will kick off on Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul, ahead of its joint shows next year with Frieze, a leading contemporary art fair. The country’s largest international art fair has been highly anticipated among art collectors excited to see artworks in person as the fair is being held physically for the first time in two years. Around 170 galleries from home and abroad are expected

Oct. 11, 2021

Actor Ha Jung-woo holds solo art show in Busan

Actor and painter Ha Jung-woo is holding his 15th solo art exhibition titled “Next Room,” at Grand Josun Busan until the end of the month, gallery Gana Art Busan announced Thursday. With the 26th Busan International Film Festival being held from Oct. 6 - 15, the exhibition, also located in Haeundae area, is expected to garner attention from cinema fans and across the arts scene. A total of 50 pieces, including 24 new works have been unveiled, including Ha’s signature style

Oct. 11, 2021

Avant-garde artist Lee Kun-yong uses his movements for ‘Body Scape’ series

Contemporary artist Lee Kun-yong lets the natural movements of his body dictate where the lines fall on the canvas. Instead of directly facing the canvas he stands behind or against it, and sometimes next to it without seeing his work as he is creating it. Lee named the series “Body Scape,” presenting nine painting methodologies that he created since 1976. “Lee Kun-yong: Body Scape” at Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul shows how Lee developed the series over the decade

Oct. 7, 2021

Leeum Museum of Art suggests redefining who we are

Opening its first thematic exhibition in four years, Leeum Museum of Art poses a fundamental question of what it means to be human at a time when fast-developing technology and the pandemic has exposed widening and persistent social inequality around the world. “We wanted to make the most of our collection for the thematic exhibition and found many of works are related to humans. We found it quite timely to present the exhibition in the pandemic time,” Kwak June-young, a curator a

Oct. 5, 2021

Exhibition about Hangeul held in Paris

An exhibition about the Korean alphabet titled “Hangeul: The Korean Alphabet Meets Design” is being held at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. The exhibition, organized jointly by the National Hangeul Museum and the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, will go on until Nov. 12. The museum explained that the exhibition is held as part of its Hangeul experience project, which aims to promote the Korean language globally. Also, the exhibition is held to reflect the recent Korean lang

Oct. 5, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Hermes art director Sang Jeon builds bridges with customers during pandemic

Closing the distance between French luxury brand Hermes and its customers while the pandemic has kept them physically apart has been the goal of Sang Jeon, Hermes’ art director for digital platforms. “I provide some whimsical and humorous contents on social media to people who cannot visit the store during the pandemic and keep them familiar with the brand, narrowing the physical distance between the two, which grew due to the pandemic,” Jeon said in a recent email interview

Oct. 5, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Jeffrey Ludlow takes on sustainability of signage 　

Jeffrey Ludlow -- a creative director at the Point of Reference studio in Madrid -- has been pondering issues related to sustainability, which are easily overlooked in the design industry. He came to think critically about signage as a major contributor to environmental issues. “Signage is everywhere and it comprises a large component of our urban life. It speaks to us about brands and it gives us directions and labels our world,” Ludlow said in an email interview with The Korea

Oct. 2, 2021

MMCA saves session for elderly for Lee Kun-hee collection exhibition

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea’s exhibition of 54 modern art masterpieces bequeathed by the Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee has become the most popular exhibition in the museum’s history, with reservations filling fast as soon as time slots open each day. In efforts to consider older visitors, the museum reserves the 10 a.m. slot on Tuesdays for the over-65s. The museum provides a total of eight sessions each day, each allowing 20 visitors for an hour

Oct. 1, 2021

Arko Art Center brings together artists who envision future world

The Arko Art Center, a museum in central Seoul, kicked off “Nothing Makes Itself” to explore interaction and interconnection with nonhuman entities and pose the question of how humans can mingle with technology and nature. The installation work “Impulse” hangs from the ceiling as if it were a chandelier. It ceaselessly transmits clear liquid and bubbles into the transparent cylinders to its 27 branches. Some may see it as an upside down tree whose pure sap flows to its

Sept. 30, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Mitch Paone expands design realm driven by love for music

DIA Studio, a creative agency based in New York and Geneva, has evolved over the past decade as a company that helps create brand identities, cooperating with globally influential entities such as Squarespace, Spotify, Adidas, Facebook, Nike, Balenciaga and more. “Our studio created the term ‘kinetic identity’ around 2016. We made a major discovery when creating works for A-Trak and Nike that completely shifted our entire creative process which were inspired by a lot of my in

Sept. 30, 2021

2021 Korea Art Week to open Oct. 7

Korea Art Week 2021, organized by the Culture Ministry’s Korea Arts Management Service, will take place Oct. 7-17 and feature local art exhibitions and events. A total of 17 art tours prepared by different institutions will be available this year, allowing groups of up to 10 people to enjoy guided tours of art galleries as well as public and private art museums with curators. Some 21 art institutions selected through an open competition will present “Beyond Exhibition,” a

Sept. 29, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Ray Winkler takes on challenges of pandemic, inspires as entertainment architect

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe last year, the entertainment industry was hit badly with performances and concert tours canceled or postponed one after another. Ray Winkler, CEO and design director of STUFISH Entertainment Architects, took the crisis as an opportunity to rethink where his team and company stood and how they could overcome the challenge. “Change is constant. If you can’t adapt to the change, you are done. Stufish is still here because we have been able

Sept. 28, 2021