[Herald Design Forum 2020] Film director makes ‘viral’ commercials that consumers choose to see

Famous for commercials and web dramas that tell witty and visually intriguing stories with a comic twist in the end, Dolphiners Films is one of the hottest production studios in the Korean advertising business. The creative studio rose to fame with Canon commercials released on YouTube in which celebrity chef Choi Hyun-seok (2015) and former soccer player Ahn Jung-hwan (2016) get killed by a bear while trying to take photos of it. Then it made funnier commercials for ssg.com in 2016, E-mart an

Oct. 10, 2020

Ilmin Museum of Art offers trip back to 1920s Seoul

When you think of Seoul 100 years ago, what comes to mind? The exhibition “The Gold Rush: 1920 Memory Theater” at Ilmin Museum of Art will take you back in time through newspapers and magazines of the era, along with masterpieces painted by modern and contemporary artists. The exhibition at Ilmin Museum of Art in central Seoul, which opened Oct. 8 and runs through Dec. 27, offers a break from the COVID-19 pandemic times. In the 1920s, during the Japanese colonial era, the city was

Oct. 9, 2020

MMCA sheds light on underappreciated modern art pioneer

Park Re-hyun pioneered Korean modern art during the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945) and the years when Western culture flooded into Korea after its liberation from Japanese rule. While Park began her art studies in Japan and her paintings that feature Japanese aesthetics were once highly acclaimed, the artist sought to erase that legacy and went on to develop her own style, contemplating the fundamental aesthetics of Korea. Deeply fascinated by cubism, the style pioneered by Pablo Picasso, s

Oct. 4, 2020

Valuable folk painting returns to Korea after 70 years

A rare painting by Korean folk painting master Kim Hong-do from the Joseon era (1392-1910) has returned to Korea after decades, finding a new owner in the home country. The painting by Kim (1745 -1806) fetched 490 million won ($419,000) at the auction held by Seoul Auction, the largest auction house in Korea, on Sept. 22. Bidding started at 400 million won. Among three entities competing over the painting, the Ansan city government in Gyeonggi Province won, becoming the owner of the artist

Sept. 29, 2020

KIAF's art talk offers tips on purchasing art for younger generation

An art talk show on collecting art for the millennial generation was livestreamed Thursday on the sidelines of the Korean International Art Fair -- the largest art fair in Korea, which kicked off Wednesday online due to the pandemic -- as purchasing art has become a growing trend among the younger generation. “The popularity of artwork collection has increased dramatically among the millennial generation,” said Jackline Byun, founding director of K Artists Art Advisory, at the tal

Sept. 25, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] 8 renowned innovators to speak about future design at Herald forum

What will the future of design look like in the coming decade? Eight innovators who are expanding the boundaries of design in various fields will speak about what they imagine the future and the role of design is at the Herald Design Forum. Israeli industrial designer Ron Arad, famous for his warm and humorous expressions using diverse materials including wood, metal and glass, is a pioneer of design art. He is the former head of the design products department at the Royal College of Art in Lond

Sept. 24, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Herald Design Forum to discuss next 10 years

The annual Herald Design Forum, hosted by Herald Corp., has entered its 10th year. Having started with the intriguing title “Design changes the world” in 2011, the design forum has connected the insights of world-renowned design gurus, and inspired many who believe in the power of design for the past decade. Seeking to become the Davos Forum of the art and design world, the Herald Design Forum has grown into Asia’s largest design knowledge platform. At this year’s design

Sept. 24, 2020

[Herald Design Forum 2020] Herald Design Forum 2020 goes live

Herald Design Forum 2020 is to be broadcast live on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. An online forum was decided upon in consideration of participants’ health and safety amid COVID-19. However, the content of this year’s forum is more abundant than ever. Beginning with a congratulatory speech by Richard Armstrong of the Guggenheim Museum, one of the world’s most innovative art and design galleries, the forum will also feature a keynote speech by Ron Arad, one of the world

Sept. 24, 2020

For the first time, the national art museum welcomes dogs as guests

An increasing number of people in South Korea live with companion animals, with approximately 30 percent of households having at least one. As the concept of dogs being a part of the family has grown considerably stronger in the country, more people are asking how people can better coexist with dogs in society. In response, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, has unveiled the first-ever exhibition in Korea that can be enjoyed with companion dogs. The exhibition, titled

Sept. 23, 2020

Seoul Fashion Week goes digital

After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week earlier this year, the fashion week showcasing the spring-summer 2021 collections will be held next month, reaching out to the global audience on an online platform. Some 45 South Korean fashion designers are participating in the 2021 SS Seoul Fashion Week -- 35 established designers for the Seoul Collection show and 10 rookie designers for Generation Next. The fashion shows, scheduled from Oct. 20-25, will be held

Sept. 22, 2020

A-shaped painting hints at unperceived empathy

A large painting shaped like the letter A is installed in the middle of a dark room at the Arario Museum in Space. As gallerygoers walk around the structure and turn each corner, they encounter a different theme. The 14-meter-long painting, titled “The Unperceived,” features a collection of surreal scenes scattered across a linen canvas. The scenes were inspired by painter Lee Jin-ju’s personal memories and experiences. “The Unperceived” -- which gave its name to

Sept. 20, 2020

The fashion show must go on

Models strutting and posing on the runway in a hall packed with celebrities and fashion industry movers and shakers. A crowded backstage where makeup artists stand tightly next to models, applying colorful eye shadow and lipstick. This year, it may be difficult see any of these scenes unfold as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted on-site fashion shows. In their place, the fashion industry has begun to embrace online shows. The Korea Creative Content Agency was the first to adapt to the “n

Sept. 19, 2020

Koo Hye-sun to hold solo exhibition at BIAF 2020

Since finalizing her divorce from actor Ahn Jae-hyun in July, Koo Hye-sun has been busy as an actor, director, artist and musician. Her latest engagement is an art exhibition at the upcoming Bucheon International Animation Festival. Koo, who has directed three feature films and five short films since 2008, is one of the feature film judges at BIAF 2020. She will be joining a panel of world-class directors, including Anca Damian, who won last year’s grand prize, and director Kim Bo-ra of

Sept. 18, 2020

Korea‘s largest art festival reaches out with VR programs

The 2020 Korea Art Week will kick off Thursday under the theme of “Your Life Is Art,” providing a variety of art programs offered by nearly 300 art institutes across the country and reaching out to the public through virtual reality programs. The country’s largest art festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, this year aims to promote local exhibitions and the art market hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual art festival will run through Oct

Sept. 18, 2020

KIAF’s first-ever online viewing room unveiled at VIP preview session

Korean International Art Fair unveiled its online viewing room during the VIP preview session that kicked off Wednesday. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Korea’s largest art fair has moved online with 139 art galleries from 11 countries presenting artworks online. The annual art fair was scheduled to be held in late September at Coex in southern Seoul, but the organizing committee decided to host Korea’s major art fair online through Online Viewing Room that opens to the public

Sept. 16, 2020

MMCA's online campaign recognized at International Business Awards

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea was awarded the bronze prize at the 17th International Business Awards for the museum’s online campaign “My Museum, MMCA,” which ran last year to commemorate the museum’s 50th anniversary, MMCA announced Wednesday. Around 3,800 organizations from 60 countries were nominated this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including for achievement, COVID-19 response, public relations, customer service

Sept. 16, 2020

BTS' RM donates 100 million won for MMCA art publications

RM, the leader of K-pop group BTS, donated 100 million won ($84,426) to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Foundation, Korea towards the production of the museum’s art publication that will be donated to public libraries and schools across the country. The donation was made to mark the singer‘s 27th birthday, on Sept. 12, the foundation said Monday. The art publications, some of which are currently out of print, include those on Korea’s representative modern

Sept. 14, 2020

Korea‘s major art auction houses implement live online bidding

K Auction, the second-largest auction house in Korea, will introduce a live online bidding system for the first time at an upcoming bimonthly auction event scheduled for Sept. 24 at K Auction’s headquarters in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. “Introducing the live online bidding system has been long in discussion, and the prolonged pandemic situation motivated us to kick off the new system,” Son Yee-chun, public relations director and principal auctioneer at K Auction, told The K

Sept. 12, 2020

Korean soloist’s ballet choreographing selected for Benois de la Danse’s online project

The Korean modern ballet, “Into the Pulse,” choreographed by Kang Hyo-hyung -- a soloist at the Korean National Ballet -- was selected to be included in the line-up of an online project by Benois de la Danse. The online project titled “Benois de la Danse. Pages of History” showcases archival recordings from gala concerts that took place at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. Founded by the International Dance Association in Moscow in 1991, Benois de la Danse is a prestigiou

Sept. 11, 2020

Fair sells hanbok online via livestreaming

Korea’s annual expo of Hanbok, traditional Korean costume, kicked off Thursday through an online platform. Hosted by the Hanbok Advancement Center and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the major hanbok fair brings together 73 hanbok ateliers in Korea. The Hanbok Advancement Center newly launched the online hanbok store (hanbokexpo.com) for the first-ever online hanbok expo, offering nearly 800 of traditional and modernized hanbok and accessories with a 30 percent discount on ave

Sept. 11, 2020