Renoir painting is an unlikely find in U.S. flea market

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― A box of bric-a-brac purchased for several dollars at a Virginia flea market contained an unlikely treasure: a painting by French Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir.The canvas, which shows a scene along the Seine River titled “Paysage Bords de Seine,” is scheduled to be auctioned later this month by the Potomack Company, an auction house in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. It is expected to sell for between $75,000 and $100,000. The small oil painting

Sept. 12, 2012

London show explores Pre-Raphaelite radicals

LONDON (AFP) ― An exhibition celebrating the Pre-Raphaelite movement that shook up the Victorian art world opened at London’s Tate Britain on Wednesday.“Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde” includes masterpieces by the group’s founders ― William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.The group formed in rebellion against the art establishment, and was inspired by the purity of early Renaissance painting and the natural world.The Tate exhibition features well-known painti

Sept. 12, 2012

Rock band Gate Flowers looks beyond Korea

 Up-and-coming band from KBS show ‘Top Band’ plans to perform in Japan, U.S.Rock band Gate Flowers, who finished in the No. 4 spot in the first season of the survival show “Top Band” on KBS, did not get a winning trophy, but they gained something bigger ― fans, the courage to carry on with their music career and their mentor Shin Dae-chul, a prominent figure in the country’s rock scene and the son of legendary guitarist Shin Joong-hyun.It was the four-member band’s honest but rough rock ‘n’ roll

Sept. 12, 2012

Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ video draws over 130 million views from 220 countries

Korean singer Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video drew more than 130 million views from 220 countries around the world in less than two months, recent data provided by YouTube showed on Tuesday.The number of views for the viral song’s music video in the United States topped the list with 19.36 million, followed by Korea and Thailand with 17.06 million and 8.97 million, respectively. Malaysia and Canada placed fourth and fifth with 6.79 million and 3.65 million views. The music video has also been

Sept. 11, 2012

Dancing through gugak on toe shoes

Korea National Ballet experiments with gayageum master Hwang Byung-ki to add ‘something Korean’ to the Western danceForget about tutus, Tchaikovsky and pas de deux ― the very first things that come to your mind when you think of ballet. Korea National Ballet, one of the major ballet troupes here, attempts to create something new and also Korean by featuring gayageum master Hwang Byung-ki this month. “I think Korean ballet has become one of the top class troupes in the world. And I thought it is

Sept. 11, 2012

American independent music eyes South Korean market

Despite K-pop’s formidable hold on local music scene, demand for wider variety growingMuch of the focus has been on the South Korean music industry’s ability to go abroad, with singer Psy’s unprecedented global success bringing the buzz to a fever pitch.While the press was zoning in on Psy’s history-making moment, the American Association of Independent Music’s 16-member delegation boarded a plane for Seoul. A non-profit trade organization representing around 200 U.S.-based indie labels, the Ame

Sept. 11, 2012

Rock guitarist Shin JH to take stage in U.S.

South Korean rock guitarist Shin Joong-hyun will perform his hit songs for a U.S. audience at a record label’s anniversary concert in Los Angeles at the end of September. “Shin has been invited to perform at a concert that celebrates the 10th anniversary of the record company Light in the Attic,” said a marketing official of Guitarnet, a Korean guitar importer and distributor, which is handling Shin’s concert in the U.S. in collaboration with the record company.  U.S. label Light in the Attic re

Sept. 11, 2012

Autumn nights with Jazz

A host of top classical and contemporary Jazz groups to perform in Korea throughout the fall seasonTop-notch groups of jazz musicians are coming to Korea to celebrate the romantic fall season. The European Jazz Trio, a premier ensemble from the Netherlands, will give a concert at LG Arts Center in Seoul on Sept. 16. The trio debuted in 1984 and became internationally recognized after the release of their second album “Norwegian Wood” in 1988. Even though the founding members have since departed,

Sept. 9, 2012

Gwangju Biennale involves visitors in the artwork

Asia’s largest art event invites citizens, visitors to become part of artworkThe city of Gwangju has again turned itself into a huge contemporary art exhibition that experiments with and showcases the latest trends in the art world. The 9th Gwangju Biennale, opened Thursday, offers a variety of artworks not only at the main exhibition hall, but also at sites such as a Buddhist temple, a local market and a theater. Titled “Round Table,” this year’s exhibition features about 300 artworks by 92 ar

Sept. 7, 2012

Calendar

Theater“Hedwig”: The Korean adaptation of John Cameron Mitchell’s rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is being staged for its seventh run. The musical, which tells the story of an East German transgender singer, has been performed in Korea a total of 1,256 times since its opening run in April 2005. For the current run, actor Oh Man-seok, who was cast in the leading role in the 2005 run, is once again starring as the singer. Actor Park Gun-hyung, who recently made his TV appearance in MBC dr

Sept. 7, 2012

Eyelike

Gospel rapper Lecrae’s new album is solidLecrae “Gravity” (Reach Records)Christian rapper Lecrae doesn’t fit the typical mold of a gospel artist. His arms are covered with tattoos, he normally sports his hats tilted to the side and often wears slightly sagging pants.Don’t let that be a distraction. The Houston native is a true talent with a unique ability to deliver thought-provoking messages on life without sounding like a Bible-thumping preacher. His rap approach has earned him praise by many

Sept. 7, 2012

Telling stories of cultural heritage

Director of the National Trust Wales talks about running the conservation charity, essence of travelingJustin Albert knows how to tell stories, and how to travel.The director of the National Trust Wales, a U.K. conservation charity, holds two passports: one British, one American. He grew up in film studios, watching his mother making movies. When he was 14, his mother took him to Japan for the first time. His first visit to Japan was like “reading a fantasy novel,” he remembers. “I wish I had a

Sept. 5, 2012

Each painting tells a story

Art exhibition commemorates the 100th birthday of Korea’s beloved poet Baek SeokPaintings inspired by Korea’s beloved poet Baek Seok will be on display at Tong-In Auction Gallery in Seoul, which will open with a poetry reading on Thursday. The exhibition, organized by The Daesan Foundation and Tong-In Auction Gallery, will feature 33 paintings by 10 of Korea’s well-known painters including Kim Duk-ki, Lee In, Kim Sun-doo and Oh Won-bae to commemorate the 100th birthday of the poet Baek Seok (19

Sept. 5, 2012

The life and death of the Mayans

National Museum features some 200 relics from Mayan civilizationKnown for their calendars, art and astronomical systems, the Mayan civilization (B.C. 1500 to A.D. 1500) in Mesoamerica is one of the most fascinating civilizations. Without using any metals or wheels, the Mayans built the well-known ceremonial platforms for religious rites, as well as pyramids, temples and colossal royal palaces. They had their own fully developed written language as well as sophisticated astronomical observatories

Sept. 4, 2012