US video art pioneer’s show opens in Korea

Suwon IPark Museum of Art is holding a solo exhibition dedicated to Gary Hill, a US-based artist considered one of the pioneers of video art, titled “Gary Hill: Momentombs.” The exhibition in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, features 24 works from the 1970s to date.Hill gained recognition in the art scene in the 1970s and 1980s, when he began to produce video installations that incorporated sound and text. The artist, who often explores issues connected with the physicality of language, the

Dec. 2, 2019

Rhii Jew-yo wins MMCA Korea Artist Prize 2019

Rhii Jew-yo was announced the winner of the Korea Artist Prize 2019 Thursday evening. Rhii was one of four finalists for the prize, organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The others included Kim A-young, Park Hye-soo and Hong Young-in.  Rhii won for her work “Love Your Depot,” a storage system that consists of a broadcasting station, media lab, and a five-story tower.Rhii’s work is an alternative art storage space conceived after the artist

Nov. 29, 2019

[Eye Plus] Beauty of silver threads

Ipsa is the traditional Korean art of inlaying thin threads of silver or gold onto harder surfaces such as iron to create exquisite decorative patterns or images. The craft reached its pinnacle in the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and expanded under the ensuing Joseon Kingdom, when it was widely used for everyday objects such as incense burners, metal jars and candlesticks. In ipsa art, everything is done by hand. From preparing thin wires to hammering them onto the finely chiseled and engraved surf

Nov. 29, 2019

Colors and more colors: new social media-friendly exhibition opens in Seoul

As the art scene becomes more social media-friendly, a new exhibition -- literally full of colors -- opened Friday, openly welcoming Instagram users. Sfactory, a culture complex in the hip Seongsu-dong neighborhood in eastern Seoul, has organized an exhibition inspired by colors, titled “Museum of Colors,” targeting 20- and 30-somethings.Influential artists on social media are featured, in the exhibition, including Russian photographer Kristina Makeeva, Korean artist Yoon Sae-rom, Sc

Nov. 28, 2019

PKM Gallery’s exhibition brings together 6 internationally renowned artists

PKM Gallery is holding an exhibition where visitors can glimpse works by artists who have drawn a great deal of attention in the contemporary art world.PKM Gallery’s exhibition “Eternal Now,” co-curated by Park Kyung-mee of PKM Gallery and Saskia Draxler of Galerie Nagel Draxler in Cologne, Germany, features works by six artists: Hito Steyerl, Francis Alys, Kader Attia, Koo Jeong-a, Lee Bul and Martha Rosler. The works on display show each artist’s unique take on differen

Nov. 26, 2019

Arko show highlights midcareer artists

Arko Art Center is holding its 2019 Mid-Career Artist Exhibition, which comprises two separate solo exhibitions dedicated to Bae Jong-heon and Heo Ku-young. The annual art show started in 2000 as a way to offer South Korea’s midcareer artists financial support and an exhibition venue.Bae, 50, and Heo, 53, are showing works that feature everyday scenes and everyday objects. Bae works with discarded materials, structures and urban landscapes, often connecting his works to social issues.

Nov. 26, 2019

Pompeii's grand baths unveiled, with hidden tragedy

POMPEII (AFP) -- Magnificent thermal baths designed to be the jewel of Pompeii but destroyed by a volcanic eruption before they could be completed opened to visitors for the first time on Monday after a painstaking excavation.Marble pillars and blocks lie where they were abandoned when the city was submerged by a pyroclastic flow from Mount Vesuvius in the 79 AD disaster.But excavators also found a victim of the disaster, the skeleton of a child who had sought shelter there in vain.The architect

Nov. 26, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Fashion event embraces ASEAN diversity

BUSAN -- Celebrating the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, a fashion show introducing the latest fashion trends of ASEAN member states was held Monday. The Busan Metropolitan Government organized the ROK-ASEAN Fashion Week from Friday to Monday, holding events ranging from fashion shows to networking sessions. The highlight of the four-day event was Monday’s ASEAN Fashion Show, during which designers from ASEAN countries presented their creations on the runway. Featured designers includ

Nov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] K-beauty connects Korea, ASEAN

BUSAN -- Reflecting the popularity of K-beauty trend and high demand for K-beauty products around the world, K-beauty Festival is being held at BEXCO during the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.K-beauty has been an influential trend across the world, propelled by the high popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas. Korean cosmetics companies have been exporting a wide range of skincare and makeup products. Total exports reached $6.89 billion last year, according to the Korea Cosmetic Association. The f

Nov. 25, 2019

Kim Whan-ki’s blue dot painting sets record for Korean painters

South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki’s major dot painting set a record for Korean painters at an auction in Hong Kong.“Universe 5-IV-71 #200” by the late Kim sold for HK$88 million ($11.2 million) at a Christie’s auction at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. It is the first Korean painting to fetch more than 10 billion won ($8.48 million) at an auction, topping Kim’s previous record-setter, “3-II-72 #220,” a painting of

Nov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Handicrafts of Mekong on display in Busan

ASEAN Culture House under the Korea Foundation is to host mini fair “Bazaar Mekong: Handicraft and Design Goods,” introducing the art and design culture of the five Mekong countries.The exhibition opens Friday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Culture House’s Community Hall in eastern Busan. It is to showcase handicraft wares from five countries along the Mekong River, Southeast Asia’s longest: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.According to the org

Nov. 24, 2019

Painting by S. Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki fetches 13.2b won in Hong Kong

HONG KONG -- A major dot painting by late South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki sold for HK$88 million, or 13.2 billion won ($11.2 million), in a Christie's auction in Hong Kong on Saturday.  It was the first time that a South Korean painting had fetched more than 10 billion won in an auction. The major work, "05-IV-71 #200," titled "Universe," was part of a collection that began being auctioned Saturday. Measuring more than 2.5 meters in height and width, "Unive

Nov. 24, 2019

National maritime museum opens on west coast

A national maritime museum has opened in Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Province, opening up its entire exhibition space and its maritime artifact collection to the public. The Taean Maritime Museum partially opened its exhibition space in December last year and introduced some of its collection. About 60,000 visitors have come to the museum to date, the institution reported.  The museum has recently finished works to open its other exhibition halls, in which the museum will present its 30,00

Nov. 18, 2019

Namsangol Hanok Village incorporates modern artifacts inspired by Korean traditional themes

The exhibition “Hang in Hanok” at Namsangol Hanok Village shows how the traditional Korean village incorporates contemporary works of art that its artifacts have inspired. The project, co-organized by Namsangol Hanok Village and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, consists of four Korean traditional themes: hanbok (traditional Korean garments), scrolls, lamps and scenery.  The modern artifacts based on these themes were designed by four designers and two art institutes. Installat

Nov. 15, 2019

[Video] Exhibition offers unique joy of taking pictures

Karl Lagerfeld famously said, “Pictures capture a moment that is gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” Whipping out a camera and taking photos yourself helps you grab the precious memories. This is mainly because when you see yourself in pictures, you can flashback to how you laughed, posed and even smiled during that particular click. The Korea Herald’s intern reporters visited today’s trendiest photo studio exhibition, located in Garosugil, southern Seoul, and explore

Nov. 12, 2019

Korean society through the eyes of a female minjung artist

Just a few minutes ahead of the exhibition tour on Thursday, Nho Won-hee, 71, asked visitors for their names. With a pen in her hand, Nho approached her painting “People in the Square” (2018) and started to write their names on the canvas.“It’s OK,” she said of her rather unusual decision to modify a work on display on the spot. “I have already been adding the names of the people who came to see the exhibition. I have been adding any names of individuals, both

Nov. 11, 2019

J Ahn’s photographs capture daily life in urban setting

Photographer J Ahn is holding her solo exhibition at Art Space J in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Titled “City Colors II,” introduces photographs taken on Ahn’s travels to major urban tourist destinations, such as New York, Paris and Seoul. 　 The latest exhibition, which is the second edition of her 2009 exhibition “City Colors,” features 52 photographs. Each city has its own color, and the photographer’s aim is to capture the different colors. “I grew up

Nov. 10, 2019

Structural artist weaves a tangled web

Bolting out of his chair during a press conference at a restaurant next to Gallery Hyundai, artist Tomas Saraceno headed straight for a small maintenance closet where cleaning tools were kept. Saraceno opened the door, looked up at the corners and pointed at a spider web. “There is a work of art,” he said. This rather eccentric Argentine artist based in Berlin was at Gallery Hyundai on Oct. 30 for his solo exhibition, which features a series that has gained attention not just wi

Nov. 10, 2019

Collaboration between Nike, G-Dragon creates buzz

Sportswear brand Nike will soon release a new edition of the iconic Air Force 1 sneaker in collaboration with G-Dragon. Named AF1 (Air Force 1) Para-Nose, the sneakers mark the first project for the leader of Big Bang since being discharged from the military last month.  Air Force 1 is Nike’s signature line, touted as an icon of street fashion and beloved by sports fans around the world since its release in 1982. Trendsetter G-Dragon has been leading his fashion label Peaceminusone s

Nov. 8, 2019

[Herald Interview] Shaping crude warmth into tableware and more

For a pottery artist leading a tableware brand, the table is where the magic begins, then spreads to the whole house. Yido, launched in 1990, is a pottery ware brand led by Yi Yoon-shin. Yi has achieved a unique success with Yido. As the local upscale tableware market was ruled by foreign brands, Yido carved out its place as a handcrafted brand inspired by traditional practices.“Though we have worked on interpreting traditional pottery in a modern language, the innate characteristic of pot

Nov. 7, 2019