Lee Bul showcases ‘micro versions’ of her signature, gigantic works

Lee Bul rose to fame in the Korean art scene with her radical performance art involving the subject of abortion in 1989. At an exhibition space in Seoul, the 25-year-old artist hung herself upside down while nude and spoke of her physical trauma to the audience. In 1990, she held another performance wearing a monstrous oversized costume that was reminiscent of disfigured human forms on the streets in Tokyo. The performances in her earlier art career were to express prejudice and oppression again

Sept. 6, 2015

Fostering creativity while cultivating skill

A quick walk through the campus of Korea Animation High School (nicknamed Anigo among locals) makes it immediately apparent that it is not an ordinary Korean high school. The campus is big and brightly colored, and students roam freely with dyed hair and piercings, dressed in casual clothing. Each floor, and even the stairwells connecting the floors are decorated with the students’ artwork.“We try to give our students an environment that maximizes their creativity,” teacher Kim Young-mi told The

Sept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Giriboy becomes Everyman on ‘Lonely 4Songs’

　Giriboy　“Lonely 4Songs”　(Loen Entertainment)　In all of Giriboy’s songs, the common denominator is Giriboy’s ability to write lyrics that are highly relatable. He doesn’t disappoint on “Lonely 4Songs,” an EP devoted to expressing the process of coping with loneliness that most people go through after a breakup. Written entirely as a collaboration between Giriboy and Han Yo-han, a producer-guitarist who has worked with Block B’s Zico and most recently on Blacknut’s song “What I Can Do” for “Show

Sept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Beat Win lacking X factor on ‘Insatiable’

　　Beat Win　“Insatiable”　(Loen Entertainment)　It has been reported that at the media showcase for the album “Insatiable,” Beat Win announced they would “break” the Korean pop music industry. Unfortunately, their first EP “Insatiable” -- which came out after the group regrouped into five members -- does not seem to take them quite there. “Insatiable” starts off with a bold intro called “Attention,” warning other artists about who they’re dealing with, but things spiral very fast. The lead track “S

Sept. 4, 2015

[Album Review] Verbal Jint shows off on ‘Yeoja’

　　Verbal Jint & Sanchez　“Yeoja”　(Loen Entertainment)　Sanchez was cast personally by Verbal Jint to put “Yeoja” together, and it’s easy to see why: Sanchez’s thin, high voice provides a nice contrast to Verbal Jint’s distinctive low voice and staccato rapping style. The lead track “Favorite!” is a new version of the 2007 track Verbal Jint released with Dynamic Duo, which turned the hip-hop track into a pop track with Sanchez’s vocal style reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s. “My Type 2.5” is also a

Sept. 4, 2015

POSCO Art Museum presents beauty of bamboo trees

POSCO Art Museum is holding a solo exhibition for Moon Bong-sun, an ink-and-wash painting master known for his delicate depiction of natural subjects, until Oct. 6. The exhibition presents 42 ink-and-wash paintings of bamboo trees and stones that symbolize integrity and fidelity in traditional Korean painting. Also on view are calligraphy pieces and a video introduction to the works of Moon.  “Bamboo in Snow” by Moon Bong-sun (POSCO Art Museum)Highlighted pieces are paintings of bamboo trees in

Sept. 2, 2015

New unification song introduced

A new song representing the desire for Korean unification was introduced on Tuesday at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts in Seoul.Titled “One Dream, One Korea,” it is the result of the New Era Unification Song campaign that was launched in April to create the first unification song since the 1947 song “Our Wish.” The campaign brought domestic civic groups and Koreans living abroad together with some of the top names in Korean music, who donated their talent for the cause. “One Dream, One Kor

Sept. 1, 2015

Classic pansori tale with new, modern-day facelift to hit stage

One of the most vocally challenging traditional Korean pansori performances is receiving a cutting-edge, contemporary makeover in the National Theater of Korea’s upcoming production of “Song of the Red Cliff.”Being referred to as a new evolution of changguek (Korean opera), the performance is slated as the opener of the state-run theater’s 2015-2016 season and will be held for five days starting Sept. 15. “Song of the Red Cliff,” or “Jeokbyekga,” is one of the five surviving stories of tradition

Aug. 31, 2015

Girls’ Generation holds ‘Tencent K-pop Live’ concert

Girls‘ Generation was the eighth artist to hold a monthly live broadcast concert via the “Tencent K-pop Live” series on Tencent‘s video service QQ.The “Tencent K-pop Live” concert series is a collaboration between Chinese information technology giant Tencent and content distribution company Cantara Global. It is part of Tencent Video’s “Live Music” business, which began last year as a comprehensive music service offering content from artists in Japan, Korea, the U.S. and Europe. Girls' Generatio

Aug. 31, 2015

[Herald Review] Beast puts on ‘Beautiful Show’ with voices only

At a press conference ahead of the group's annual concert "Beautiful Show," Beast's Dujun was full of enthusiasm."We're so excited and thankful. This is the one day of the year we look forward to most, and we're so happy," he said.The show was the group's first exclusive concert in a year, and the members said they were eager to show how they had matured.Beast (CUBE Entertainment)"For this concert, we've taken out a lot of the stage effects and have prepared performances that will move our fans'

Aug. 30, 2015

[Album Review] Ben's 2nd EP has much more to show than lead single

Ben"My Name is BEN"(Sony Music)It's hard to understand why Ben or her management decided to choose the song "Looby Loo" as the lead track of her second EP "My Name is BEN."The song is bubblegum cute and is about a friend comforting another friend who has just gone through a breakup with cliches along the lines of "Congratulations! You're better off without him. Let's go get our hair done!"The song is fine in and of itself, but does nothing to show Ben's talents as a singer, which she definitely

Aug. 30, 2015

[Album Review] E Sens is raw, truthful on 'The Anecdote'

E Sens"The Anecdote"(KT Music)　 Rapper E Sens is often recognized as the "other rapper" in the duo Supreme Team with Simon D, who recently topped the charts with his solo track "Simon Dominic." But in his first studio-length album "The Anecdote," which created buzz because it was released while he serves time for drug use, E Sens shows that he can more than hold his own.The album is filled with honest, often bitter autobiographical lyrics about his struggles in the Korean rap industry. E Sens co

Aug. 30, 2015

Int’l dance fest to offer melting pot of artistic culture

A performance by the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia, who will take part in the upcoming 18th Seoul International Dance Festival starting Sept. 30 (Courtesy of Luis Castilla)Bringing the engaging sights and sounds of Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Palestine, Africa and more, the 18th annual Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance) will be kicking off its festivities next month, offering dance-lovers a filling smorgasbord of contemporary dance performances to view from around the world. From traditiona

Aug. 28, 2015

Ock Joo-hyun to play Mata Hari in musical

Singer-turned-musical actress Ock Joo-hyun will play the 1900s exotic dancer and female spy Mata Hari in an upcoming musical production, the show’s production company in Seoul said Tuesday.  Ock Joo-hyunAccording to EMK Musical, the show, “Mata Hari,” will premiere in March next year with Ock in the lead role. Ock, who debuted in 1998 as a member of the now-disbanded girl group Fin K.L. is one of the most sought-after musical actresses in Korea. Her previous roles have included such coveted char

Aug. 25, 2015

April debuts with hopeful song ‘Dream Candy’

April, DSP Media’s new girl group, made their debut with the release of their first EP “Dreaming” and the lead track “Dream Candy.”The group, known to fans as the “younger sister group” to DSP‘s signature group Kara, includes six members: leader Somin, Chaewon, Hyunjoo, Naeun, Yena and Jinsol, born in consecutive years from 1996 to 2001. April (DSP Media)“Our average age is 17.5,” said Jinsol, the youngest member, at their media showcase at Coex in Seoul. “We heard we were the youngest girl grou

Aug. 25, 2015

[Herald Review] Apink take fans to their ‘Pink Island’

In a K-pop world filled with girl groups offering sexy and sometimes even provocative performances to get in the limelight, Apink has claimed a nearly unrivaled position with unwavering confidence in their clean, friendly girl-next-door image.The girls maximized that charm at their second exclusive concert, “Pink Island,” in Seoul last weekend, allowing themselves to let loose, joke around and have fun with their fans. Apink (A Cube Entertainment)“Tonight, this is an island just for Apink and Pi

Aug. 24, 2015

Discover new generation of artists

When it comes to art exhibitions, the artists’ name recognition often determines whether or not general viewers will go see them.  But museums and galleries are on the lookout for those unknown to the public. They discover and support young talents with fresh ideas and compelling modes of visual expression that may put them on a list of such established names in the future. To give such artists an opportunity to introduce their work to a broader audience, two museums in Seoul are currently holdi

Aug. 24, 2015

Beauty meets art in AmorePacific R&D Center

The creativity of young artists has met technological innovation in cosmetics at the research and development center of AmorePacific, Korea’s leading cosmetics-maker.A total of 16 cutting-edge artworks ranging from sound art to architecture will be on display in the courtyard of the research center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, until Oct. 25. The exhibit is part of the annual public art project by the AmorePacific Museum of Art, established in 1979 by the cosmetics-maker to house the art collect

Aug. 23, 2015

SG Wannabe returns with characteristic Korean R&B

Korean R&B trio SG Wannabe has returned after a four-year hiatus with brand new EP “The Voice.” The two title tracks “Love You” and “Good Memory” have been topping major online music charts since their release on Wednesday.“Love You” exemplifies the distinctive SG Wannabe style, said member Kim Yong-jun at a showcase for the new album’s release in Hongdae, Seoul, on Thursday. The song is the brainchild of composer Cho Young-soo, who has previously written a number of the trio’s previous hits suc

Aug. 23, 2015

[Herald Interview] HyunA says her goal is bubbly, energetic type of sexy

There isn’t much variety to the words used to describe HyunA: All roads lead to “sexy.”HyunA (Cube Entertainment)That image of the 4minute member and solo singer who appeared in Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” music video remains alive and strong in her latest EP “A+,” which dropped Friday. Promotions for the EP started off with an adults-only trailer that showed the 23-year-old partying hard in Los Angeles, and the music video for the strutting lead track “Roll Deep“ is expected to follow in the same vei

Aug. 21, 2015