Strong, rapid brushstrokes show artist’s superrational memories

Layers of vigorous brushstrokes are painted on a canvas. It may look like an abstract painting at a glance, but if you examine it carefully you will find objects hidden among the rapid brushstrokes. Jang Jae-min uses all his senses to remember the places he visits -- smell, hearing, sight -- then recalls the memories while he is painting. His works are done intuitively, and the artist’s intuitive nature comes through on the canvas. The semi-abstract paintings will animate the audience&rs

Oct. 24, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Experts share key know-how for attracting future audiences

Three experts from different fields-- D’strict CEO Lee Sung-ho, Dophiners Films CEO Shin Woo-seok and Z-lab CEO Noh Kyung-rok -- shared their thoughts Thursday about attracting audiences in the future during the 10th edition of Herald Design Forum held at Paradise City in Incheon. The annual event which celebrates the art of design and its value was conducted this year under the title of “Another 10 Years.” The CEO of D’strict, the company that created a successful pub

Oct. 22, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Tomas Saraceno calls for time to ‘Free the Air’

INCHEON -- Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno stressed that “freeing the air” is one of the most important agendas for humanity at the Herald Design Forum 2020, held virtually in Incheon on Thursday. Saraceno is an Argentinian artist based in Berlin whose works span from architecture involving future cities and the environment to climate issues, all striving to work up a “quasi feasible utopia.” At the annual design event, he made a special speech titled “Free th

Oct. 22, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Preparing for the new future

The 2020 Herald Design Forum was held Thursday, sharing design ideas that envision the next 10 years, at Paradise City Chroma in Incheon.  At the event, Hans Ulrich Obrist, an influential art curator, delivered a speech titled “Toward a New Era of Social Imagination,” which also streamed online. The Swiss-born curator shared his thoughts on the role of art and design. Obrist is the director of the Serpentine Galleries in London, which boasts a wide selection of contemporary

Oct. 22, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Israeli designer Ron Arad says design begins with ‘What if’

Israeli designer Ron Arad said that his ideas and inspiration come from questions that begin with “what if?” “The whole thing starts with curiosity,” Ron Arad said during Herald Design Forum 2020, held virtually in Incheon on Thursday. “Everything starts with what if you do that and what if you don’t. What and ifs. I don’t like manifestos. When I was teaching at the Royal College of Art, we never used the word ‘should.’ (We never said) you s

Oct. 22, 2020

Modern artist Byun Shi-ji offers comfort revealing severe loneliness in paintings

You may feel poignant loneliness in the paintings. The man who walks with a cane facing strong wind or a typhoon may look so lonely that it brings tears to your eyes. But at the same time, you will feel solace. What made his life so arduous? The question will linger in your mind as you view the works of Korean modern artist Byun Shi-ji at the Gana Art Center exhibition that features 40 paintings from his final years on Jeju Island, where he died in 2013. Born in 1926 on Jeju Island, the ar

Oct. 21, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] D'strict expresses nature with digital media technology　

A massive wave crashing into the sides of what looks like a giant glass tank, but is actually a wrap-around LED display, grabbed the attention of not just passers-by but international media in May. D’strict, the company that created the public media art titled “WAVE” at Coex K-pop Square in Seoul, used a technology called anamorphic illusion to realistically express the force of nature with superb three-dimensional effects. In August, D’strict unveiled “Starry Bea

Oct. 20, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Finding balanced symbiosis by connecting art, natural sciences

Tomas Saraceno, an architect and artist from Argentina, uses an analogy of dreams to explain the elusive concept of utopia. “Sometimes you have nightmares and sometimes you have dreams. It means you can think about dystopia and utopia as a nightmare or a dream,” he said in an interview. Saraceno, who will join the Herald Design Forum 2020 slated for Thursday as one of keynote speakers, said that utopia, though as changeable as a dream, is “something that is supposed to be b

Oct. 20, 2020

[Herald Design Forum] Herald Design Forum to ponder ‘Another 10 Years’

The Herald Design Forum 2020 will be held virtually Thursday, envisioning the next 10 years of innovation by design. The 10th edition of the annual event, which celebrates the art of design and its value, will be held under the title of “Another 10 Years.” In response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the forum will be held virtually. In compliance with the government’s social distancing guideline, fewer than 50 speakers and officials will attend the event held at Paradise

Oct. 20, 2020

Photographer Gabriele Basilico’s view of Italian cities on show in Seoul

The COVID-19 pandemic has made international travel virtually impossible, but there are ways yet to explore foreign lands and take in the view. Gabriele Basilico, a renowned Italian photographer whose works feature the country’s cities and architecture, provides an intimate look at how cities in Italy have changed in the contemporary era by training his eyes on their architecture and their streets. “Gabriele Basilico, Photographs of Italy,” the artist’s first solo exh

Oct. 20, 2020

South Korean avant-garde art to be introduced at Guggenheim Museum in 2022

South Korea’s avant-garde artists who introduced performance art to the country in the 1960s will be presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2022 as the first major international exhibition of Korean avant-garde art. The exhibition titled “The Avant-Garde: Experimental Art in South Korea, in 1960s-1970s” at Guggenheim Museum will be co-organized with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. The exhibition will be held in tandem at the tw

Oct. 20, 2020

[Herald Interview] Digital Seoul Fashion Week to challenge convention, promote designers globally

The sudden outbreak of the pandemic frustrated the fashion industry earlier this year when the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week was canceled just a month before it was scheduled to take place. After gearing up for the 2021 spring-summer season for months, Korea’s largest fashion event is going digital, breaking the barrier between designers and audiences. “It will be our first show to attempt to show B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business to customer) retail models at the

Oct. 19, 2020

Basquiat's genius on full display at largest-ever show of his works in Seoul

Masterpieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat -- the American artist whose rebellious style influenced art ranging from graffiti to pop art -- are being shown in South Korea’s largest-ever exhibition of his work. The title of the exhibition, “Jean Michel Basquiat: Royalty, Heroism, and the Streets,” at the Lotte Museum of Art reflects what the artist valued in his art. Basquiat chose the three subject matters -- royalty, heroism and streets-- that he cared about in his art in a 1983 i

Oct. 17, 2020

Celebrating Beethoven through music and art in Busan

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth, a cultural event that creatively combines a classical concert and media art exhibition will take place Tuesday at F1963, a culture complex in Busan. “Artist Letter,” a concert and exhibition dedicated to Beethoven, aims to encourage people who are depressed by the prolonging pandemic by delivering the message of how the great musician overcame the difficulties he faced as he lost his hearing. Six str

Oct. 16, 2020

AHAF shows international, in-person exhibition despite pandemic

Asia Hotel Art Fair Seoul 2020 kicked off Thursday afternoon at Nine Tree Premier Hotel Insadong in central Seoul, showcasing nearly 4,000 works from 60 galleries from home and abroad, offering art lovers the chance to collect works amid a series of art fair cancellations. The biannual art fair aims to promote interaction among galleries across Asia as well as introduce promising artists. A variety of work, from paintings to sculptures, is on display inside the 71 hotel rooms on the 10th, 12th

Oct. 16, 2020

Koo Jeong-A’s solo exhibition offers extraordinary experience of shattering prejudice

As soon as you step into the main exhibition hall of the PKM Gallery, canvases that are seemingly blank from a distance come into your sight. In a few minutes, the lights are suddenly turned off, and you may feel as though you are in a vast universe, the canvases gleaming with luminous green stars. The internationally renowned artist Koo Jeong-A’s painting series “Seven Stars” offers an extraordinary experience to visitors. The exhibition “Koo Jeong A: 2O2O” at P

Oct. 15, 2020

Cultural Heritage Administration reopens indoor public facilities under eased virus curbs

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday reopened 14 indoor public facilities, such as museums and memorial halls, under its control nationwide as the government eased tough virus curbs that had been in place since late August. Among the 14 facilities are the National Palace Museum of Korea, Jungmyeongjeon and Seokjojeon of Deoksu Palace, and the Grand Greenhouse of Changgyeong Palace, all in Seoul, according to the CHA. Also included are the museum of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty

Oct. 12, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Guggenheim director optimistic about art in time of crisis

When museums closed for months due to COVID, many offered virtual exhibitions which some say made art more accessible to the wider public, albeit with limitations. Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, is optimistic about the role of art at this time of crisis. “At a time in which we feel doubt and fear about being together, I am optimistic when I remember that art is a form of expression and information-sharing that can open us up to new ways of th

Oct. 11, 2020

[Herald Interview] Yang Hae-gue’s art cuts through regions, generations, times

After spending hours in meetings in the morning for her newly opened exhibition, Yang Hae-gue, a Korea-born installation artist who is one of the most in-demand artists across the globe today -- sat down with The Korea Herald on Monday, skipping lunch due to her tight schedule. “Please do not worry about me,” Yang said in a voice that sounded as if she could continue hours for the sake of her art. The artist, 49, is holding her fifth solo exhibition in Korea at the National Museum

Oct. 10, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Exploring ways to chart a future in design to tackle a fresh wave of challenges

Hans Ulrich Obrist, one of the keynote speakers at Herald Design Forum 2020, slated for Oct. 22, is the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in London. He envisions a future in design that builds bridges between different spheres and fields of work through art, design and architecture. He believes in using these fields to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, such as ecology, inequality and social justice. Obrist worked with BTS through the CONNECT project with the Serpentine Ga

Oct. 10, 2020