Stories behind prized art collections

Following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.Starting an art collection is not an easy task. It takes thorough research and study of artwork and artists, and careful consideration before spending money, especially when you expect a profit from the artwork in return. But for some of Korea’s most seasoned collectors, spotting the right artwork is love at first sight. The first artwork purchased by president Byun Ki-wook of Samh

March 12, 2013

DJ Zedd to spin live in Seoul

The 23-year-old Russian-German DJ and music producer Anton Zaslavski, best known by his stage name Zedd, will be spinning live in Seoul at the Walkerhill Hotel’s Walkerhill Theater on April 6.The young DJ, who was named MTV’s 2013 “Artist to Watch,” has made a name for himself as one of the top producers in the EDM scene and has produced remixes of well-known artists such as Lady Gaga, Skrillex, The Black Eyed Peas, Diddy, Fatboy Slim and many others.DJ Zedd is a classically trained musician who

March 11, 2013

Hwang emerges as Swan Queen

Universal Ballet Company’s principals Hwang Hye-min and Ohm Jae-yong have been dancing together for some 10 years, as Romeo and Juliet, Onegin and Tatyana, and Albrecht and Giselle. The two, famous for their chemistry and caliber onstage, in fact tied the knot last year and became husband and wife. The star dancers were featured as prince Siegfried and Odette in the opening show of the troupe’s season opener “Swan Lake” on Friday ― proving why they dance well as a team. UBC performed the piece i

March 10, 2013

Bieber recovering after fainting at London concert

Justin Bieber is recovering after fainting backstage at a concert in London.A spokeswoman for Bieber said late Thursday that the 19-year-old pop star was given oxygen and took a 20-minute reprieve after fainting backstage at London's O2 Arena.Bieber posted a shirtless photo of himself in a hospital bed late Thursday with the caption: “Gettin better listening to Janis Joplin.” Before that on Twitter he thanked “everyone pulling me thru tonight.”“Best fans in the world,” he wrote. “Figuring out wh

March 8, 2013

Eyelike:

Etana packs a punch on ’Better Tomorrow’Etana“Better Tomorrow”(VP Records)Etana delivers a mature and confident sound with top-notch lyrical content and unique vocals on her third studio album, “Better Tomorrow.” The Jamaican singer’s soulful roots are strong as she pays homage to earlier eras of reggae on tracks such as the empowering “Queen” and the infectious “Reggae.” She finds a fresh perspective on the happy song “Beautiful Day,” and “All I Need” is full of emotion and desire. Her strong-m

March 8, 2013

Psy likely to unveil new single at April Seoul show

The man who swept the world by storm with his smash hit single “Gangnam Style” will be returning home to hold a live solo concert titled “Happening” at Seoul World Cup Stadium on April 13 where he is expected to unveil his highly anticipated follow-up single, announced Psy’s agency YG Entertainment in a press release. Although the news of Psy’s newest single being near completion and soon to be released sometime next month had been floating around in recent weeks, no new announcements have been

March 8, 2013

Tongyeong festival to meld Westwood, Handel

The Asian premiere of “Semele Walk,” a funky and fashionable 21st century adaptation of Handel’s opera-oratorio “Semele,” will be staged on March 22-23 at the Tongyeong International Music Festival held at the Tongyeong Citizen’s Center in South Gyeongsang Province.Wearing costumes designed by Vivienne Westwood, the British designer known as the godmother of punk fashion, singers will strut down a catwalk next to the orchestra alongside fashion models. The dramatic expressions, Mohawk-inspired h

March 7, 2013

Singer Jang lands top spot on Japanese enka chart

Singer Jang Yoon-jung’s second Japanese single “Saigo no Kawa,” or “Last River” in English, has reached No. 1 on the enka chart, a chart for traditional Japanese popular music, on March 4.The enka chart lists popular songs that have been aired on different music stations, and songs that people like to hear repeatedly.“A foreign singer getting the No. 1 spot on the enka chart is very unlikely, and this proves her popularity,” said Inwoo production, the singer’s agency. Her Japanese EP, released o

March 7, 2013

Little PSY goes solo after 'Gangnam Style' cameo

The impish boy who showed off his dance moves alongside PSY in “Gangnam Style” is hoping to go viral, too.The 7-year-old nicknamed “Little PSY” is releasing an electro pop song next week through iTunes. The boy whose real name is Hwang Min-woo says he wants to gain global fame like his “big brother,” PSY.Sporting a black suit and a sleek haircut, Min-woo performed at a news conference in South Korea on Wednesday. He is the latest recruit in the increasingly global K-pop industry.Min-woo is a sec

March 7, 2013

SHINee to hold video chat with foreign fans

Korean pop idols SHINee are set to have a video chat session with foreign fans.The online fan meeting will be held at CGV movie theater of Incheon International Airport on Friday at 1 p.m. for an hour, the idol group’s agency SM Entertainment said.During the meeting, the members will watch a video made by fans and will introduce episodes related to their title track “Dream Girl.” The event is set to air through SM Entertainment’s official YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/smtown) and A-Pop channe

March 7, 2013

Ballet dancer tiptoes into fashion business

Ballet dancer Kang Ye-na enjoyed drawing cartoons while growing up, always featuring dancers as her protagonists. But she never knew she’d be designing ballet leotards decades later. The 39-year-old has debuted as a designer, after many years of dancing as a principal in the Universal Ballet Company (UBC). She launched her own dancewear brand “Yenaline” last month, introducing style-conscious leotards with vivid patterns and exuding a luster of colors.“For the last 10 years, I thought about what

March 6, 2013

German museum returns art looted by Nazis

MONTREAL (AFP) ― A German museum for the first time on Tuesday returned a painting despoiled by the Nazis to the estate of a late German Jewish art dealer.Concordia University in Montreal, acting on behalf of the executors of the estate of Max Stern (1904-1987), announced Staatsgalerie Stuttgart’s restitution of an early Northern Renaissance painting belonging to Stern.Clarence Epstein, who leads the restitution project, received the painting at a ceremony at the Canadian embassy in Berlin. He w

March 6, 2013

Photographs that delight viewers

The question viewers ask in front of artist Han Sung-pil’s photographs and video works is simple ― is it real or fake? In Han’s photographs, two different worlds coexist in one place, leaving viewers looking hard to distinguish which image is real, and which is manipulated.An image of a bird and the blue sky that is actually painted on a huge water tank the artist found on Jeju Island blends well into the real natural landscape of Jeju. His solo exhibition at Arario Gallery in Seoul presents aro

March 6, 2013

Universal to launch first K-pop boy band

Universal Music Korea has confirmed its plan to launch its first-ever K-pop group this year. The five-member boy band will go by the name “Boys Republic,” but the personal details of the members, including their names and ages, have not yet been released to the public. “Boys Republic is the first K-pop group that has been organized directly by Universal Music,” representatives of Universal Music Korea said in news reports. “The group has been training for two years in singing, dancing and acting

March 6, 2013

Exploring ethics of art

Visitors to contemporary art exhibitions are often left feeling clueless at the end of a viewing. Unless guided tours are offered, a majority of them just remember bits of images that seem impressive to them without fully comprehending the meanings and intentions of the artists. The exhibition at the Samsung Art Museum Plateau, surrounded by office buildings in central Seoul, asks viewers to pay extra attention to understand the meaning of artworks by Korean contemporary artist Gim Hong-sok. The

March 5, 2013

Korean music festival at 2013 SXSW

This year will mark Korea’s largest presence yet at SXSW, America’s largest music industry festival, which will be held from March 8-17 in Austin, Texas.“K-Pop Night Out at 2013 SXSW,” featuring 11 Korean groups, three times as many as last year, will take place at the legendary Elysium live club from March 12-13. On Feb. 12 the SXSW’s official page added f(x) to the lineup, along with other artists including Galaxy Express, Guckkasten, Jeong Cha-sik, No Brain, The Geeks and Yi Sung-yol. The sp

March 5, 2013

Psy asks Afrojack to remix ‘Gangnam Style’

Psy has reached out to DJ and producer Afrojack to be the man to tackle the Herculean task of remixing arguably the biggest song of 2012. In an interview with Billboard Magazine, the DJ, who is from the Netherlands and is a household name in house music, admitted that “Gangnam Style” was his favorite song of last year because “it’s genius.” Afrojack, who has remixed songs by notable artists such as Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Madonna, said that the remix of the song would be “way clubbier” a

March 5, 2013