Art of mathematical logic

For many, the thought of solving math problems doesn’t bring positive feelings, but evokes memories of stress from agonizing over equations.An exhibition commemorating the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians currently underway in Seoul attempts to ameliorate such discomfort in an artistic way. Instead of equations and graphs, the exhibition “Matrix: Mathematics ― Heart of Gold and the Abyss” features artistic aspects of mathematics in the forms of painting, sculpture, design, media, so

Aug. 14, 2014

Art’s influence on film, fashion, music

Art has inspired many areas of culture. Recently, designers, musicians and a filmmaker who seek inspiration from art have teamed up with artists for collaborative exhibitions. The “Phantasmagoria” exhibition underway at Insa Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul, presents new painting series by celebrated pop artists Mari Kim and Kim Nam-pyo and two short films by filmmaker Min Byung-hun that trace the artists’ respective quests for creative inspiration. Known for supernatural images of an unlikely mix

Aug. 13, 2014

Acclaimed jazz guitarist Pat Metheny to perform this fall

Internationally acclaimed U.S. jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will make his way to Seoul this fall to stage a concert with his new project group Pat Metheny Unity Group.Led by Metheny and featuring Chris Potter on the saxophone, Antonio Sanchez on drums, Ben Williams on bass and Giulio Carmassi on piano/keyboard, the quintet will perform in Korea in October as part of its worldwide concert tour.Known for his versatile style that incorporates elements of contemporary, post-bop, Latin and fusion jazz,

Aug. 13, 2014

Lana Del Rey latest to postpone Israel show

U.S. singer Lana Del Rey performs on the Pyramid Stage on the second day of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts in Somerset, England, June 28. ( AFP)Washington (AFP) ― Lana Del Rey has become the latest Western musician to call off a concert in Israel as security fears from the Gaza conflict take a toll on the entertainment industry. The U.S. pop balladeer, whose latest album “Ultraviolence” debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. charts, had been scheduled to play her first concert in Is

Aug. 12, 2014

Smartphone drawings on show

“Untitled” by Kate Barber. (DiGiFun Art Festival)Applications for smartphones and tablets have become a creative tool for users. It is easy to make art on the devices, without paper or paints. Smartphone paintings will go on exhibit at the Seoul Metropolitan Library from next week. The exhibition, “DigiFun Art Festival,” will showcase some 400 sketches, drawings and paintings done on mobile devices by 300 artists and members of the public. They will be on view on the first to fifth floors of the

Aug. 11, 2014

NewMedia Festival opens in Seoul

An international art festival promoting alternative and independent films and artwork kicked off in Seoul last Thursday.Seoul International NewMedia Festival, a fringe festival in its 14th year, opened under the theme “Ethnography Now” in various locations throughout Seoul, including the Korean Film Archive, Sanwoolim Theater and Seoul Art Space Seogyo. The festival runs from Aug. 7-15. A total of 140 experimental films and artworks in seven categories will be presented during the festival.  An

Aug. 11, 2014

‘All About That Bass’ gives singer a breakthrough

NEW YORK (AP) ― Not everyone was initially “All About That Bass.” Meghan Trainor, the 20-year-old who is having a pop culture moment with the song about body acceptance, said she initially wrote the track and pitched it to other artists, but was turned away. “Labels were like, ‘We love it, but you have to reproduce it. You got to get it more synth-y, pop-y,’” said Trainor, who worked with producer Kevin Kadish on “Bass.” “We looked at each other like, ‘Man, I thought this was a hit, but I guess

Aug. 11, 2014

Beauty in conflict, vulgarity and action

A man holds his smartphone up in the air to take a snapshot of a protest over the Sewol ferry disaster. Artist Noh Sun-tag spots him and photographs the man and another protester pressing his smartphone camera button for him. Noh has observed scenes of protest and various social conflicts through his lens. His photographs are on display at the Korea Artist Prize exhibition, the annual artist award by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The exhibition showcases works by fou

Aug. 10, 2014

Miley naughty and nice in return to Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― Miley’s back, y’all. Miley Cyrus made her delayed-due-to-illness return to the town where she grew up Thursday night, bringing a flying hot dog, a dwarf dressed as the Liberty Bell, a dozen recognizable hits, a taunt to the girls who beat her up in school and a lot of inappropriate touching. Drawing a crowd of mostly young women ― and a hefty number of moms ― the show was a little bit pop concert, a little bit late-night pay cable and a little bit great.In the audienc

Aug. 10, 2014

Eyelike: Ra.D returns with groovy beats

Ra.D returns with groovy beats“Soundz” Ra.D (LOEN Entertainment)Ra.D is back at last with his signature mellow tunes and relaxing beats. And it seems that the singer has been busy over the last six years, for his third studio album features 12 tracks, all written and produced by the artist himself. Ra.D brings many variations of love-inspired music on his new album, which overall is best described as calm yet groovy. The lead single “For Me” is a light and funky R&B track featuring pronounced ba

Aug. 8, 2014

Using good music to change perceptions

This is the 11th in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.Though she’s only been a professional DJ for two years, DJ Navi says she hopes that she and other female DJs can break down current perceptions of women in the DJ world. “I believe all those DJs and myself, we have to break those perceptions. Even my friends who are DJs, we get a lot of that. ‘Oh, they look pretty, but their music isn’t good enough,’” she sai

Aug. 7, 2014

Mariah Carey to hold solo concert in October

Globally recognized R&B diva Mariah Carey will return to Korea this fall to hold her first solo concert in Seoul in more than a decade, Yescom Entertainment said Wednesday. Carey is slated to perform on Oct. 8, however, according to officials at Yescom, the exact time and venue for the upcoming concert have not yet been decided. It has been reported that the fall concert will be Carey’s third time in Korea, after her first solo concert performance in 2003 and a short visit in 2009 to promote her

Aug. 7, 2014

Chasing the K-pop dream

“Time to get up girls!” The call comes at 6 a.m. as it does every morning, pulling Ray from her bunk bed at the start of another 16-hour day in search of stardom.Ray and the five other young women sharing a small Seoul apartment make up the K-pop band Billion ― which at times can feel like the number of miles they are from achieving their goal.K-pop glamour has conquered much of Asia and beyond, but for every headlining boy and girl band, there are many more like Billion struggling for a break o

Aug. 5, 2014

Palmer to be Broadway’s first black Cinderella

NEW YORK (AP) ― Like many girls, actress and singer Keke Palmer grew up dreaming of meeting a prince who would whisk her away to a life of love and happiness. In her case, it’s going to happen ― eight shows a week on Broadway. Palmer said she’ll be stepping into the title role in “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” starting Sept. 9 at the Broadway Theatre. She will become the first African-American to play the part on the Great White Way. “It’s honestly one of those things that I can’t believe

Aug. 5, 2014

[Herald Interview] Opera singers’ life on stage and off

Soprano Cathleen Kim refrains from talking before performing.Sparing the vocal cords helps not only vocally, given that she has to pull off stratospheric coloratura arias on stage. It also helps her stay focused on the character she has to become. Then as she walks on stage, she feels that something inside her flips the switch that turns her stage persona on. “From the very first step onto the stage, I become a different person. I become the character,” Kim said. The process is very different fo

Aug. 4, 2014

[Herald Review] Rockin’ in the rain

The sweat-dousing, sauna-like humid weather and Typhoon Nakri’s heavy rains did not top tens of thousands of rock lovers from flocking to Penta Park in Incheon over the weekend to attend the annual Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. With a near decade-long run, Pentaport is still one of the country’s most attended summer festivals. The three-day event brought around 80 acts this year, including headlining overseas acts Kasabian and Travis as well as local pop rock icon Lee Seung-hwan.  English roc

Aug. 4, 2014

Singer joins hunger strike by Sewol victims’ families

South Korean pop singer Kim Jang-hoon said Monday that he will join a hunger strike by family members of those killed in the Sewol ferry disaster to press politicians for the early parliamentary passage of a special law aimed at determining the cause of the disaster.“I’ll join the hunger strike by the bereaved family members at the Gwanghwamun square from 2 p.m. today,” Kim wrote on his Facebook page.“The special law is for all of us and the country, not just for the bereaved families, but (I do

Aug. 4, 2014