Recently, a debate rose in the literary world over the Korean translation of the novel “The Stranger” by French writer Albert Camus. What triggered the debate was the claim by the publishing company Saeum that the original Korean translation had many translation errors. The publisher even argued that “‘The Stranger’ we’ve read so far is not Camus’ original.” The claim instantly drew the attention of readers, with 4,700 copies of the new version sold in just two weeks, according to Saeum. The boo

Culture May 14, 2014

Installation view of the exhibition of Italian contemporary art at SongEun Art Space in Seoul (SongEun Art Space)Besides the rich artistic history of the Renaissance, Italian art, especially contemporary art, has been rarely introduced to the Korean audience in depth. This month, an exhibition of 22 Italian artists offers a chance for Koreans to understand Italian contemporary art. The event is part of the project by SongEun Art Space that introduces contemporary art from various countries that

Performance May 13, 2014

(from left) g.o.d.’s “The Lone Duckling” (IHQ), Baek Ji-young’s “Bulggot” (WS Entertainment)Singers are resuming releases stalled after the Sewol ferry disaster in April.They have delayed their releases amid national grief over the ferry sinking off the southern coast on April 16, which killed 269 passengers and left 35 people still missing. EXO released their second EP “Overdose” on Wednesday, followed by single “Bulggot” by Baek Ji-young. K-pop group g.o.d. reunited and made a full comeback on

May 9, 2014

“GRIB 4” (Bernar Venet Studio)Mathematics and art may seem irrelevant in the world of contemporary art, in which artistic creativity takes precedence over the aesthetic ideals pursued by Renaissance artists. But French artist Bernar Venet said mathematics has inspired his works since the early 1960s, when he started his career as an artist. The first painting Venet created was a mathematical painting that resembles functional graphs consisting of symmetrical curves on a y-axis. “I painted a line

Performance May 8, 2014

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

Performance May 7, 2014

Spring has brought versatile items and light colors to menswear, allowing men to be free from formal dress and try new style combinations. Blazers and pants that are both adaptable to formal and casual looks are gaining popularity. Fresh, light color shades are lifting the mood for the warmer weather.“The casual vibe has been prevalent in menswear for the past couple of seasons, and the hybrid items that can either work in formal and casual situations have been popular,” said Lee Hyun-jung, dire

Arts & Design May 2, 2014

Korea is one of the best markets in the world in terms of the number of fashion-conscious male customers, according to Filip Ekvall, the CEO of H&M Korea. The Swedish CEO talked about his personal fashion style, Korean men’s fashion taste in comparison to other countries and suggestions for spring items in a recent email interview with The Korea Herald. The following are excerpts from the interview.Korea Herald: What is your fashion style? Filip Ekvall: I love classic. Classic can be fun, not bo

Arts & Design May 2, 2014

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

Performance May 1, 2014

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

Performance April 29, 2014

As more travelers pursue efficiency, new hotels opening in Korea have become smaller and more functional.Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo is the latest example of such functional hotels that aim to meet modern travelers’ expectations. Its target customers are young business travelers and tourists wishing to stay close to landmarks and attractions. It is scheduled to open on April 29 in the newly developed residential city of Pangyo, which is home to Korea’s major IT companies. NCsoft, AhnLab a

Travel April 25, 2014

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

Performance April 24, 2014

Local festivals, school trips and ferry tours have been canceled or delayed after the deadly ferry sinking off the southern coast last week, bringing the tourism industry to a grinding halt. Provincial governments are now scrapping plans to start spring festivals in May. Jeolla Province announced it has canceled the popular Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, scheduled to kick off on May 2. Other major spring festivals such as the Icheon Ceramics Festival, originally scheduled to start on Friday, and

Travel April 23, 2014

Kim Hee-sook and her husband came up with a recipe for a crispy sweet pancake, a variation of hotteok, a traditional Korean pancake stuffed with sugar, 18 years ago. They set up a food stall on a street in Insa-dong. Their hotteok made with corn starch and glutinous rice became an instant hit. It is now one of the must-taste street snacks in the popular tourist spot. “Others started imitating us,” she said, constantly flipping the round, flat hotteok. Her hotteok is filled with a mix of up to 13

Food April 23, 2014

A young man follows a middle-aged woman from a distance. She moves through a park in a wheelchair. Once she enters her apartment, she fastens the sturdy door lock tight, making a few blunt clicking sounds. She gets out of her wheelchair and finds a beam of sunlight shining directly into her eyes. The light is reflected off a window in the building across from her apartment block. Behind the window stands the man who was following her through the park. He is tilting the window to point the light

Performance April 21, 2014

The late artist Kim In-soong once asked the May Queen of Ewha Womans University to model for a portrait. The painting depicts the modern young woman sitting on a wooden chair, wearing a flower-patterned dark turquoise sleeveless blouse and matching skirt. The white moon vase and LP turntable on a wooden cabinet in the background provide hints to the year the painting was made. But her classic style ― mid-length naturally straight hair, a silver watch and flats ― give a timeless value to the work

Performance April 17, 2014