British sculptor sits somewhere between design and art

British artist Tom Price makes chairs: not ordinary comfy ones sold at furniture stores, but those with a sculptural appearance, which may cause viewers to question their functionality and comfort. They can also be put in a living room, which will be sure to establish a unique mood in one’s home. Making the chairs involves a long and complicated process. From the initial idea to choosing materials and finding a way to apply them to chairs, the process involves artistic exploration of materials a

Nov. 15, 2012

K-pop double trouble

This is part of a series featuring new hallyu stars. ― Ed.The 24-year-old twin brothers Jung Dae-ryong and So-ryong were seven years old when one of their friends first introduced them to K-pop music. “That’s when it all began,” said Dae-ryong. “We loved to dance and sing, that was life. That’s still our life.”After being signed at 18, the boys trained for six years before debuting as the hip-hop performing duo, Tasty. Their name “Tasty” refers to the bringing together of different styles, chore

Nov. 15, 2012

Psy heats up New York; slips on Billboard chart

South Korean rapper Psy made an appearance during Madonna’s concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. His sudden appearance as a special guest took place while Madonna was performing a remix version of her song “Give it 2 Me” mixed with Psy’s “Gangnam Style.”After she sang the first verse, the legendary diva took a step back and Psy jumped up from the middle of the stage. The two danced his signature “horse-riding dance” as well as other dances in front of the nearly 20,000 people

Nov. 15, 2012

Seoul’s changing landscape captured by citizens

Imagine a vast area of farmland in Apgujeong without high-rise buildings. These old scenes of Seoul captured by citizens and photographers will unfold at the Seoul Photo Festival from Nov. 21-Dec. 30. The third photo festival will showcase photographs taken by professional photographers as well as citizens that offer glimpses into life in old Seoul. “We try to show memories of Seoul citizens by showcasing as many of their photos as possible, because the photos invite us to take a look at persona

Nov. 14, 2012

Chinese art star Yue brings ‘laughing men’ to Europe

PARIS (AFP) ― The painted grins are stretched so wide they seem to hurt. And that is pretty much what Yue Minjun intended, the Chinese artist explained at the Paris opening of his first major show in Europe.A former electrician turned contemporary artist, Yue shot to international attention in 1999 when his signature laughing-man self-portraits made a much-noted eruption at the Art Biennale in Venice.“If I paint laughter it is because I feel pain towards human life,” the 50-year-old, one of Chin

Nov. 14, 2012

[Herald Interview] The man behind musical ‘Aida’

Theater director and artist Keith Batten knows what it means to work overseas, especially when it comes to staging some of the most popular musicals in the world. He has directed over 60 productions, including Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical “Aida,” and the Broadway production of “Spiderman,” in 12 countries around the world. His last visit to Seoul took place back in 2005, when he was in charge of directing the local production of “Aida.” The musical, which tells the story of Aida, Nubia’s pr

Nov. 14, 2012

‘Musei Vaticani’ to let art lovers see Renaissance up close

Musei Vaticani, or the Vatican Museums, are having their first exhibition in Korea, presenting some of the best-known pieces of the Renaissance era.The exhibition, also named “Musei Vaticani,” will be held from Dec. 8 through March 31, 2013, at Hangaram Art Museum of Seoul Arts Center under the theme of “Geniuses of the Renaissance.” This is the first time the Italian museum group, one of the three largest museums in the world alongside the British Museum and The Louvre, is visiting Korea.“The c

Nov. 14, 2012

Collage from Beatles album fetches $88,000

LONDON (AP) ― Sotheby’s says an original piece of artwork from the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album has fetched 55,250 pounds ($88,000) at an auction.The auction house said the original 1967 collage for the insert to the album sold to a bidder in London on Tuesday. The sale marked the first time the collage by Sir Peter Blake was on the market. The auction house said Blake was introduced to the Beatles by his dealer, and that he and his wife worked closely with Paul McCartn

Nov. 14, 2012

Lee Hi’s debut single continues to dominate

Lee Hi’s hit debut single “1,2,3,4” remains at the top of the charts for two consecutive weeks, the best chart performance for a rookie artist this year. The 16-year-old breakout artist released her first single on Oct. 28 and has been reigning on the music charts ever since. The retro-pop style track has remained at the No. 1 position on many of the major Korean music charts including Mnet, Melon, Naver and Daum. “1,2,3,4” also ranked at the top of the K-pop Billboard chart immediately upon its

Nov. 14, 2012

Two artists create synergy

Korean artists Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho met in 2007 when they were both growing tired of the politics of the art world.It prompted them to ponder on the role of art from scratch.The 43-year-old artists’ search for the answer has eventually taken them on the path to Kassel Documenta, the world’s largest contemporary art event — only the second time Koreans have been invited. They also won artist of the year by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea.“We wanted to break the high wall

Nov. 13, 2012

Seven Korean musicals to be performed in Tokyo

A total of seven Korean musicals will be performed in Tokyo’s affluent Roppongi district, according to local entertainment company CJ E&M.The Korean company is collaborating with Amuse, a prominent Japanese entertainment agency, for a project to stage Korea’s homegrown musicals with all-Korean cast starting next April. The shows are: CJ E&M’s “Cafe-in,” “Poongwoljoo,” “Finding Mr. Destiny” and “While You Are Asleep,”; PMC Production’s “Music in My Heart” and “Brothers Were Brave”; and Aga Compan

Nov. 13, 2012

Brown Eyed Soul to kick off nationwide tour

The sweet, melodic vocals of the soulful group Brown Eyed Soul can be heard live starting next month. The group announced that it would embark on a nationwide tour starting Dec. 15. The tour will hit seven cities, beginning with Gwangju and moving on to Ilsan, Daegu, Daejeon, Suwon, Busan and Seoul.The tour, which has been named “Soul Play,” will be the group’s second nationwide tour after 2011’s “Soul Fever” tour. The Korean R&B quartet is known for their soaring vocals and harmonizing sound. T

Nov. 13, 2012

Pansori meets the horror genre

What would it be like to watch a pansori performance that’s very much like a horror film?The National Changgeuk Theater of Korea is presenting “Janghwa Hongryeon” this month in an attempt to create a “changgeuk,” traditional Korean opera, that’s more accessible to today’s public. The piece combines Korea’s traditional vocal and percussion music, pansori, and the folktale’s engaging plot. The traditional tale of two sisters, who become vengeful ghosts after being killed by their evil stepmother a

Nov. 12, 2012

‘Gangnam Style’ wins top MTV Europe award

The “Gangnam Style” phenomenon continued to forge ahead as Psy yet again added more notches to his global superstardom belt. The ubiquitous smash hit won the Best Video award at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, while Psy became the first Korean artist ever to perform at the annual awards ceremony. David Hasselhoff, well known for his role as a lifeguard on the popular U.S. TV series “Baywatch,” presented Psy with his award. “Can I have a minute? Because I am a

Nov. 12, 2012

Double treat: Mariinsky Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’ and Mariinsky Theater Orchestra

Internationally acclaimed ballet company Mariinsky Ballet kicked off its much-anticipated Seoul run of Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake” on Sunday at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The famous ballet tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. She tries to break the curse with her love interest Pince Siegfried, but fails when he is tricked by the cruel magician.The renowned Russian troupe was founded in the 18th century and is now considered one of

Nov. 11, 2012

9th Gwangju Biennale lauded for provocative approach

The 9th Gwangju Biennale came to an end with Asia’s biggest contemporary art event being lauded for adopting thoughtful and provocative approaches to art. Artworks reached out to viewers, shedding light on global social and political issues, providing moments of self-reflection to viewers, and bridging the gap between contemporary art and ordinary citizens. Some works reflected on the founding spirit of the biennale, which is in the memory of the 1980 civil uprising for democratization. Korean a

Nov. 11, 2012

Two German orchestras to go head-to-head in Seoul

Nov. 21 will be an interesting day for classical music fans: Two noted German orchestras will perform in Seoul on the day.Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra) will be performing at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall in southern Seoul at 8 p.m. while Deutsche Radio Philharmonie will be playing at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts at the same time. Both orchestras are performing in Seoul for the first time.“November has always been the hottest month for

Nov. 11, 2012

‘Gangnam Style’ goes double platinum in U.S.

Pop singer Psy’s single “Gangnam Style,” which has more than 2 million digital single sales, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America Inc. (RIAA) of the U.S. on Saturday.The music video, a mock tribute to Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, broke a number of world records since the single’s local release in July.It last month broke the Guinness World Record for “Most Likes on YouTube” with 2,141,758, beating the previous record of LMFAO’s “Party Rock

Nov. 11, 2012