Science quizzes, political and economic research in art exhibition

An exhibition of young emerging artists underway at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art makes viewers wonder how far the spectrum of contemporary art can go.Artist Song Ho-jun quizzes the audience at the end of his installation. The quizzes about frequencies for satellites put viewers in a state of confusion. The artist then tells them that the answers are in the information he posted on the exhibition wall. The presentation on his satellite launch project that began in 2008 and ended in 2013 offers te

May 7, 2014

[Herald Review] John Mayer brings warm, groovy performance to Seoul

The internationally renowned singer-songwriter John Mayer delivered a heartfelt performance for more than 12,000 fans in Seoul on Tuesday evening, staging his first concert in South Korea since his debut 13 years ago.Appearing on stage right on time, Mayer was greeted by a large crowd of enthusiastic fans who did not seem to mind the chilly night winds at the outdoor Auxiliary Stadium at Jamsil Sports Complex. Mayer, backed by his seven-piece band, casually kicked off the evening with the folksy

May 7, 2014

Seoul music festival to kick off

When it comes to classical music festivals, Seoul has little to brag about. But efforts to better serve the city’s young and growing classical music fan base led to the launch of an international festival in 2009, and it is showing more promise year after year. Seoul International Music Festival, in its fifth year now, opens Wednesday with a nine-concert program highlighting Italian music and a contemporary composer from Russia. “This year’s festival, set for May 7-29, brings here some of the fi

May 6, 2014

Eyelike: Damon Albarn looks back on 1st solo album

Damon Albarn looks back on 1st solo albumDamon Albarn“Everyday Robots” (Warner Bros.)Twenty years after he became a Brit-pop poster boy as lead singer of Blur, Damon Albarn has released his first solo album.He’s been busy in the meantime, fronting cartoon hip-hop band Gorillaz, forming the supergroup The Good, the Bad and the Queen and even writing a couple of operas. So “Everyday Robots” is hardly the work of a novice -- rather of a man in his 40s looking back with a mixture of wonder and regre

May 2, 2014

The world in ceramic jars

Artist Ko Young-hoon is a critically acclaimed pioneer of hyperrealism in Korea who has blazed a trail in the art movement since the 1970s. Like other hyperrealists, he makes viewers stand in awe looking at his images of old book pages with stones placed on top, flowers or Buddhist head statues.Overwhelmed by the high level of skill and photo-like paintings, it is hard to fathom the depth of his thoughts from 40 years of hyperrealist activities.“I’m not copying an object. I’m creating a new obje

May 1, 2014

Hip-hop no longer just a boys’ club

This is the first in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.While there is certainly no shortage of women who rap in the Korean music industry, there are few female MCs in the Korean hip-hop scene. Standing out among them is Jolly V, with her husky tone, mellow flow and ability to rap fluently in English and Korean.The 25-year-old rapper says one obstacle for women in today’s Korean hip-hop is the high bar set by the legendary singer-rapp

May 1, 2014

John Mayer contemplating ways to aid Sewol victims

American singer-songwriter John Mayer, scheduled to stage his first concert in Korea this month, has expressed his sympathy for the victims of the deadly Korean ferry sinking.Mayer revealed on his Twitter on Tuesday that he has been contemplating ways to provide aid and support for the victims and their families of the ferry disaster.“In Japan and loving it, but thinking about the people of Korea, my next stop. Having conversations about how we can help while there,” wrote Mayer.John Mayer is sc

April 30, 2014

‘Fairytales for adults’

Artist Park Hyun-woong’s paintings look more appropriate for a child’s room than a museum. His paintings are pretty. They depict candy, cute elephants and bears, and European castles that little girls dream about. This is why children’s hospitals and Save the Children are among the major collectors of his works. “Actually my paintings are intended for adults. Every adult has bits of their childhood memories, like elephants they saw at a zoo or travels with parents,” Park said. “My paintings are

April 29, 2014

Outkast returns to home state for CounterPoint

ROME, Georgia (AP) ― Despite the wet and muddy conditions, the energy was high for Outkast’s performance in their home state at the CounterPoint Music & Arts Festival. Organizers suspended the festival due to heavy rain and inclement weather, pushing Outkast’s set back more than an hour Sunday night. But the Grammy-winning rap duo still put on an energetic show that kept the crowd jamming in the late hours. Outkast was one of the final acts to close out the three-day festival in Rome, Georgia, w

April 29, 2014

Jazz pianist Giovanni Mirabassi to stage concert in Seoul Cathedral

This spring, jazz music will fill the air of an unusual concert venue ― a grand cathedral.Giovanni Mirabassi, a renowned Italian jazz pianist, will stage a concert titled “Jazz Standards in the Church” at the Seoul Cathedral Anglican Church of Korea on May 21. Considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Korea, the building is particularly known for its excellent acoustics.The upcoming concert is scheduled to feature a string of familiar jazz tunes from Giovanni’s new album which was recor

April 29, 2014

Picasso’s Guernica used as backdrop to dance

MADRID (AFP) ― Pablo Picasso’s antiwar masterpiece “Guernica,” one of the world’s most iconic paintings, on Sunday served as a backdrop to a dance performance for the first time in its 77-year history.About 80 people sat on the floor or stood as Josue Ullate, a bare-chested dancer in black tights, jumped and leapt in front of the large black-and-white canvas at Madrid’s Reina Sofia Museum.The 20-year-old performed “Quiebro,” a piece lasting about five minutes and inspired by a song written by la

April 28, 2014

[Herald Interview] Ahn Trio returns

In their teen years, the three sisters Maria, Lucia and Angella Ahn, a.k.a. the Ahn Trio, graced the cover of Time Magazine as “Asian-American whiz kids.” In their 20s and 30s, this classical trio built a reputation in the classical music world and beyond, with genre-crossing programs, collaborations with a variety of artists ― not just musicians but dancers, visual artists and many others ― and their attractive looks and fashion. Now in their 40s, the trio is coming back to Korea, their birth c

April 27, 2014

[Band Uprising] English teachers by day, rock stars by night

As the Korean music market begins to receive more international recognition, the local band scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the ninth installment in a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed. When multicultural eclectic concepts meet unexpected sounds and abstract lyrics, the end result becomes the psychedelic post-modern rock band Magna Fall. Expats David Holden of Ireland and Kevin Heintz of the U.S. ini

April 27, 2014

Eyelike: MC5‘s Wayne Kramer returns with jazz album

MC5’s Wayne Kramer returns with jazz albumWayne Kramer“Lexington”(Industrial Amusement)It’s been 14 years since Wayne Kramer released an album, and the former MC5 guitarist says he expects fans of his work with that seminal punk-metal band might be annoyed with his journey into improv jazz in “Lexington.”Baffled might have been a better word choice, but those who stick around until the end will be pleasantly surprised -- and rewarded.Kramer, who in recent years has been busy scoring films such a

April 25, 2014

‘Rebuilding broken lives’

In the wake of disasters, people, whether directly involved or not, are affected in one way or another. For Sendai-based Japanese artist Aono Fumiaki, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami was an unforgettable disaster. The tsunami washed away parts of his studio and his wife’s family home, leaving only linoleum flooring and some bathroom tiles. The artist started to collect debris and destroyed objects from tsunami-hit areas. He restored them, not to their original forms, but as repu

April 24, 2014

Bach meets modern ballet

After its season-opening gala “Thank You!” in February, Korea’s Universal Ballet Company is premiering a new piece choreographed by Spanish artist Nacho Duato. Titled “Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness,” the dance features well-known Baroque compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach and aims to deliver the emotional essence of his music and important moments of the legendary composer’s life. Universal Ballet is the fifth troupe to perform the piece choreographed by Duato, following the Na

April 24, 2014

Reality beyond statistics

We live in a world of statistics. Statistics expressed in the form of percentages, graphs and pie charts are everywhere. Their stated aim is to paint an accurate picture of reality with numbers. But European avant-garde theater group Rimini Protokoll challenges this notion and aims to show what the dry statistics fail to show. With its series of “100% city” shows, it has been giving faces to the numbers, by putting 100 people of a city on stage to answer questions that go beyond regular statisti

April 23, 2014

Neil Patrick Harris crushes it in ‘Hedwig’

NEW YORK (AP) ― It’s obvious from the first moments of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” that star Neil Patrick Harris is doing something special. And it’s not just trying on a new role. He is lowered to the stage in a jumpsuit and ferociously feathered blond wig and immediately begins the show’s first rock-punk song, getting down on all fours, grinding into the microphone stand or licking the guitarist’s strings. The crowd inside of the Belasco Theatre, where the show opened Tuesday, loses its mind,

April 23, 2014