Seven masterpieces stolen in Dutch museum heist

Seven masterpieces, including paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Gauguin, were stolen from a Dutch museum in a pre-dawn heist Tuesday, police said, with an expert adding the haul could be worth up to 200 million euros ($260 million).Alerted by an alarm but arriving at the museum in Rotterdam after the thief or thieves had fled, police said they had launched a major investigation that includes interviewing possible witnesses and examining closed-circuit television.“On Tuesday morning seven

Oct. 17, 2012

JYP music studio in N.Y. faces another fine

JYP Entertainment’s recording studio in New York City is expected to face fines for a construction violation.According to NYC Department of Building’s website, the major K-pop agency could be fined $1,200 for using the first floor of the building in Manhattan as a “music studio,” while the basement to third floor is registered as an “office.”The Web document indicates that the maximum penalty of $10,000 could be imposed, depending on the hearing scheduled for Nov. 1.The entertainment agency has

Oct. 17, 2012

Women artists take over Seattle Art Museum

SEATTLE (AP) ― Inspired by the Pompidou Center in Paris, which for nearly two years removed all the men’s art from its modern galleries, the Seattle Art Museum is letting women take over its downtown building this fall.Lovers of art by men can still get their fill in the museum’s Renaissance, Asian and Native art galleries, but those who want to explore art from this past century will be studying the contribution of women to photography, video, painting and sculpture.The show is a subset of the

Oct. 16, 2012

Korean indie scene pays tribute to the Beatles

Eleven artists from the Korean indie-rock scene will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the most recognized rock and roll legends of all time: John, Paul, George and Ringo. “Singing the Beatles” is a special two-day event celebrating the revolutionary band that needs no introduction and who John Lennon himself described as “more popular than Jesus.”“The Beatles … what more of an explanation do you need?” said the band members of the alternative rock group the Moonshiners. “It’s not about whe

Oct. 16, 2012

‘Red Lantern’ to be raised in Korea

National Ballet of China to stage Zhang Yimou’s ‘Raise the Red Lantern’China’s leading ballet troupe the National Ballet of China will be in Korea this week to stage its original ballet “Raise the Red Lantern,” directed by the country’s best-known filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The production is based on Zhang’s famous 1991 film of the same title, which starred actress Gong Li as a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during China’s Warlord Era. Zhang reworked this masterpiece

Oct. 16, 2012

Before Facebook, there was Manet, painting friends

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) ― Long before smartphones turned so many of us into amateur photographers and revolutionized how we depict each other through social media, there were the works of French Impressionist Edouard Manet.Known for portraits of friends and celebrities of his era, the painter often called “the first modern artist’’ came of age during the mid-1800s when photography first became available to the public. He even kept his own collection of photos of the subjects he painted.Manet’s portrai

Oct. 15, 2012

Busan Biennale presents fresh, provocative contemporary art

Artists shed light on painful memories of rapid modernization and labor movementThe 2012 Busan Biennale engages with the audience with experimental and provocative contemporary art by young Korean and foreign artists, keeping the core values of the original form of the art event, which was an exhibition for young artists in Busan. Young local and international artists present thought-provoking artworks that shed light on social and environmental problems stemming from rapid modernization.Austri

Oct. 15, 2012

Psy gallops his way Down Under

The dancing machine Psy has begun another promotional tour with a trip to the land down under, performing on the music reality TV show “X Factor” and morning show “Sunrise.” Psy’s fame among his Aussie fans is still red hot as “Gangnam Style” is currently ranked number one on Australia’s ARIA singles chart. As the brains behind the addictive horse dance choreography sets off around the world on his promotional tours, he has revealed that his next single will be in English, and that he is feeling

Oct. 15, 2012

Kaas to return to Seoul with sounds of Piaf

French singer-actress Patricia Kaas will hold two concerts in Seoul in promotion of her newest live album “Kaas chante Piaf,” or “Kaas sings Piaf.”Kaas, considered one of the most internationally successful French singers today, is set to perform the celebratory show in 45 countries. The “Kaas sings Piaf” concert tour is in commemoration of renowned French musician Edith Piaf, who passed away 50 years ago this year. Piaf was widely regarded as France’s national pop singer and become an icon in t

Oct. 15, 2012

Korean band wins Asia radio festival grand prix

The two-member Korean boy band Bily Acoustie took home the Grand Prix trophy at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Radio Song Festival on Thursday for their performance of “For a Rest,” a mid-tempo acoustic folk song inspired by everyday life. Thirteen finalists from 10 countries including Australia, Brunei, Malaysia and Bhutan performed at the ABU 49th general assembly at KBS Hall on Thursday. All the contestants were unsigned musicians and were judged by an international selection committee b

Oct. 14, 2012

Photographer paints pictures with camera

Rene Magritte paintings recreated by renowned Korean photographer Kim Jung-manThe celebrated photographer Kim Jung-man has always photographed objects as they are, without alteration. But for the first time in his 38-year career, he had to use Photoshop editing techniques to recreate paintings of Belgian Surrealist painter Rene Magritte with photographs. “The recreation of one of the greatest artists was meaningful because no one has ever tried to do it before,” Kim said at a news conference las

Oct. 14, 2012

Calendar

Exhibition“Erwin Olaf”: Gallery Kong holds the first solo exhibition of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf in Korea. The international award-winning photographer exploits his experience as a successful commercial photographer and creates his own distinctive style. Through his photos, Olaf explores social problems of the day such as isolation and hidden racial discrimination. He shows two most recent series “The Keyholes” and “Dawn and Dusk” that involve different mediums such as installation, photogr

Oct. 12, 2012

Eyelike

DJ Havana Brown runs the nightHavana Brown“When the Lights Go Out”(Universal)Call up your friends for a night of drinking, dancing and raving with DJ Havana Brown’s debut album “When the Lights Go Out.”As a newcomer to the scene, this Australian DJ’s first studio album with five tracks is the kind of club playlist you’d hope for during a night out with your friends while letting your inhibitions run free. Brown’s first single, “We Run the Night,” featuring hip-hop hit-maker Pitbull, keeps your b

Oct. 12, 2012

Epic TV drama becomes ballet piece

Lee Won-kuk Ballet showcases Korean-War tale ‘Eyes of Dawn’While Korea’s traditional folktales such as “Chunhyang” and “Simcheong” have been made into ballet pieces by major local troupes here, no company has tried to create an original repertoire featuring the nation’s turbulent modern history.Former Korean National Ballet dancer Lee Won-kuk’s upcoming project “Eyes of Dawn” aims to do exactly that, telling the story of three young souls who live through the Japanese colonial period as well as

Oct. 11, 2012

Psy mends rift; U.S. No. 1 proves elusive

It has been quite a week for the Korean rapping icon Psy. He and fellow entertainer Kim Jang-hoon appear to have solved their differences and Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family lifted the 19-and-older age restriction on one of Psy’s songs from 2010. However, not all of the news is good as it was also announced that U.S. band Maroon 5 has once again stopped Psy in his tracks in his quest for a U.S. No. 1. For the third consecutive week Maroon 5 has kept Psy from topping the U.S. Billb

Oct. 11, 2012

American singer detained for drunken violence

American singer Chris Golightly has been booked without physical detention on a charge of attacking a passerby, Seoul police said Thursday.Golightly allegedly threw a traffic cone at 28-year-old Im, after she refused to give him a cigarette, according to Yongsan Police Station in Seoul. He was drunk at the time.The 29-year-old singer, who is most well known for making the “top 10” at the famous TV talent show “Superstar K3,” had been embroiled in a sex scandal with female fans in the past. From

Oct. 11, 2012