Statue of ‘comfort women’ pulled from Japan exhibit finds new home

MADRID (Reuters) -- A Spanish businessman has bought a statue symbolizing women forced to work in Japanese military brothels which was removed from an exhibition in Japan after organizers received threats over the piece. The “Statue of a Girl Of Peace” symbolizes the “comfort women”, a euphemism referring to women, many of them Korean, forced into the brothels before and during World War II. Estimates vary, but historians say thousands of women may have been involved

Aug. 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] Park Seung-gun still pushing the envelope

Pushbutton will grace the runway in London once again, having established itself as an internationally sought-after fashion brand based in Seoul. Named after a line in Madonna’s catchy 2003 dance hit “Hollywood” -- “Push the button, don’t push the button” -- the label is led by creative director and founder Park Seung-gun. It will present a new collection on Sept. 17 at London Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2020.  It is the brand’s third time on the cat

Aug. 14, 2019

‘Superstar’ Jon Burgerman brings back joy of doodling

The so-called “doodle art genius” who made a splash with his street paintings in Busan and Seoul subways, Jon Burgerman’s works are currently on exhibition at M Contemporary gallery in southern Seoul. Titled “Fun Factory: Superstar Jon Burgerman” and featuring over 230 artworks, this is the Brooklyn-based artist’s second exhibition in Seoul, following “Burgerworld” held in 2015. Burgerman, born in 1979, is a British-born contemporary artist and gra

Aug. 13, 2019

Exhibition highlights King Jeongjo and his legacy

King Jeongjo (1752-1800), the 22nd king of the Joseon era, is one of the most respected rulers of the period, known for his love for the people and innovations he tried to bring to the kingdom.Jeongjo recruited many scholars who pursued pragmatic measures, such Jeong Yak-yong, and established Kyujanggak, a royal library. Hwaseong, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also one of King Jeongjo’s celebrated achievements.The latest exhibition at the Suwon Ipark Museum of Art, titled “Seong

Aug. 12, 2019

Food delivery captured in art

Placing a food delivery order is not a complicated process, just a few clicks or touches on a smartphone perhaps. Then, you just wait until the delivery person rings your doorbell. We do not pay much attention to all the steps that are involved in food delivery because we do not need to. Who really cares about which way was taken to get your food delivered to your place? Korean artist Koo Dong-hee seems to care. Koo’s solo exhibition at Art Sonje Center, “Delivery,” runnin

Aug. 11, 2019

Rihanna to host ‘Fenty Beauty’ makeup show in Seoul

Pop superstar Rihanna will be visiting Seoul in September to host the second makeup masterclass of her beauty brand Fenty, local promoters said Tuesday.The 31-year-old founder of Fenty will hold the “Fenty Artistry & Beauty Talk with Rihanna” at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, on Sept. 17. Rihanna held the first such event in Dubai last year. Makeup artist Priscilla Ono and Hector Espinal will join her to showcase the pop star’s makeup techniques and know-ho

Aug. 6, 2019

Arario Gallery highlights Berlin-based artists from different cultures

On the gallery walls hang paintings of facades that show entrances to different houses the artist found during her trip to Venezuela’s Los Roques archipelago. These paintings, which portray doors and windows in a colorful yet simple manner, are lined up so as to remind viewers of an alley lined with houses.The paintings by Sol Calero are part of the latest exhibition at Arario Gallery in the Samcheong-dong area of Seoul.  The exhibition, titled “A Shiver in Search of a Spine,&rd

Aug. 5, 2019

Bulgari to correct ‘kimono’ description on hanbok

Italian luxury fashion house Bulgari is to change the description on a costume on exhibition, after a Korean anchorman pointed out the error.On Monday, SBS anchorman Jung Woo-young wrote on his Instagram account (@woo0c) that he saw a hanbok on display at exhibition “La storia, Il Sogno by Bvlgari” held at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, Italy. The Italian fashion house, however, noted it as kimono, traditional Japanese garment. According to the description, the “black silk s

July 30, 2019

Curator Yung Ma to head next year’s Seoul Mediacity Biennale

Pompidou Center curator Ma Yung has been appointed artistic director for next year’s Seoul Mediacity Biennale, Seoul Museum of Art Director Beck Jee-sook announced during a press conference in Seoul on Monday.This is the first time a foreign curator will head the biennale since its inauguration in 2000. “It was the very first thing that I did since I know about the complications that last year’s Seoul Mediacity Biennale had,” Beck said.Ma will be in Seoul in December

July 29, 2019

‘An exhibition Yi Jong-ho would have done’

It is perhaps unusual for a deceased artist to be listed as a member of a group exhibition alongside living artists. Especially, when the person is a well-known figure, a retrospective exhibition is often the more favored option.  “In the beginning, I wanted to organize an exhibition that highlights Yi Jong-ho himself, an architect who is respected in the local architecture scene yet not much known to the public. However, I later realized he would have not liked such a spotlight, He w

July 29, 2019

Woo Jaeghil Art Museum in Gwangju dedicated to singular artist

GWANGJU - Woo Jaeghil Art Museum in Ullim-dong, Gwangju, a quiet area near Mudeungsan National Park, is surrounded by trees, hills and mountains.The museum, which opened in 2001 as a private museum, underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2014. The new building is designed by renowned architect Seung Hyo-sang. “The museum first took off as a personal workshop for artist Woo Jae-ghil. But the museum had more than enough space for the artist, so we decided to use the museum also as

July 28, 2019

[Herald interview] 10-year-old Jeju Museum of Art prepares for next decade under new director

With the Jeju Museum of Art celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Director Choi Jeong-ju, who was appointed in October, is looking to ensure transparency in the museum’s management and to offer quality programs. “The Jeju Museum of Art, which took off as a cultural platform for local artists and citizens, has taken firm roots here over the last 10 years. I think now is the time to prepare for the next 10 years,” Choi said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. 

July 22, 2019

Former MMCA curator acquitted of defaming late artist Chun Kyung-ja

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of a former curator at the MMCA who was accused of defamation of the deceased but later acquitted, the court said Thursday. The former curator, identified only as Chung, is one of six MMCA officials who were sued in 2016 by the daughter of the late artist Chun Kyung-ja. Chun’s daughter Sumita Kim accused Chung of defaming Chun, as well as copyright infringement, in connection with the painting “Beautiful Woman.”Chung was ch

July 18, 2019

Designer dismayed at ‘sexy’ hanbok in beauty contest

Renowned hanbok designer Park Sul-nyeo expressed disappointment at the way the country’s traditional attire was reinterpreted for a recent beauty contest.In an interview with a KBS1 radio show on Wednesday, the hanbok designer did not hide her negative feelings about the revealing, even suggestive, variations on the traditional costume. “I’m not saying we should wear only the authentic versions displayed in the museum,” Park said. “But there could have been better w

July 18, 2019

What makes an artist?

A large drawing stretches from one end of the wall to the other, depicting accidents at construction sites in the upper half and several vehicles lined up in the lower half. In the space in between, letters and numbers relay information on the accidents.The 10-meter wide drawing, “Accident,” by Byun Yoo-bin is part of “The Eyes of Astonishing Artists” running at the Seoul National University Museum of Art’s exhibition. “Byun drew the work in a month period. H

July 17, 2019

Seo Dong-joo wins 2019 LMoA Young Artist Award

Artist Seo Dong-joo has won the 2019 LMoA Young Artist Award, the Lotte Museum of Art’s annual award for an up-and-coming artist in South Korea. Seo, the winner of the inaugural award, will be given 20 million won ($16,949) toward his next projects. He will also hold a preview exhibition later this year at the Lotte Museum of Art, where he will introduce new works. Next year, Seo will have two separate exhibitions where his new and past works will be shown. Seo, 37, received a bachelor&rsq

July 16, 2019

‘Summer Love’: Artworks depict the lives of young artists

A desk with an old computer, a chair and a potted plant -- the room installation by Hwang Moon-jung does not require any sophisticated jargon to explain. You just need to sit and play the game installed on the computer: “Great Artist Maker” -- a remake of famous 1990s Japanese simulation game “Princess Maker.” “Great Artist Maker” has you arrange Hwang’s schedule and plan her activities to grow her career and get her recognized as a great artist. Hwang&r

July 15, 2019

Co-directors ramp up preparation for 2020 Gwangju Biennale

Defne Ayas and Natasha Ginwala, co-artistic directors of the 13th Gwangju Biennale, are gearing up for the event, slated to kick off in September 2020.The biennale will look into the “entire spectrum of intelligence,” the two artistic directors said during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday.  “Our curatorial focus will engage with artistic approaches and scientific methods that examine the entire spectrum of intelligence -- ranging from spiritual and shaman legacies,

July 11, 2019

Nam June Paik Art Center looks at ecosystems, up close

A tree welcomes visitors to the Nam June Paik Art Center’s latest exhibition, but it doesn’t produce any oxygen. Paik’s “Apple Tree,” made using 33 TV monitors, emits only electronic images. Exhibition “Ecological Sense” at Nam June Paik Art Center questions how we should perceive our current ecological system. The museum also noted that the exhibition aims to make the audience more sensitive to the changes in our ecological system.It features works by 1

July 9, 2019

Young artists take on human body

Our bodies are constantly changing, often in ways we are unaware of. You look at pictures of yourself taken years earlier, and you can see changes you did not notice as they were happening.Chang Seo-young and Hwang Sue-yon are two women artists in their 30s whose works, which make close observations of bodies, are on show at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Young Korean Artists 2019 exhibition.While Chang, 36, and Hwang, 38, both deal with the body, their approaches are

July 8, 2019