When artist Woo Hannah entered a new phase of her life in her mid-30s, she felt she could finally talk about femininity -- a topic she had long felt cautious about touching on. “I recently began to notice changes in my body, maybe last year. I was busy at the time and one day I was completely out of energy. I thought ‘Okay, this is no joke,’” Woo said at her studio in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul on Aug. 18. Woo, who won the inaugural artist award at Frieze Seoul in August, unveile

Arts & Design Sept. 6, 2023

As the second edition of Frieze Seoul is around the corner, the city is full of events and exhibitions led by galleries, auction houses and museums, bringing the attention of the art world to the city. One can hop around the major art gallery areas in Seoul – Samcheong-dong, Hannam-dong and Cheongdam-dong – to see quality artworks during the week. Frieze Seoul 2023, one of the leading global art fairs, will take place from Wednesday to Saturday at Coex in southern Seoul in collaborat

Arts & Design Sept. 5, 2023

Korean artist Lim No-sik enjoys exploring art in various styles. Initially, the 34-year-old artist was deeply immersed in realist paintings, then expanded to an etching style in his more recent works. While some may be surprised at how frequently he changes his style, he refuses to remain in any box for too long. “Many artists stick to a certain style, but I am not that kind of artist. I feel like I have to constantly change in terms of pursuing art before people define what my art is like

Arts & Design Sept. 5, 2023

The world functions in dynamics of power and hierarchy. Although such power is sensed from time to time, it is hard to recognize sometimes. That power could be religion, natural forces or something else, artist Lee Jae-seok muses. Most of Lee's works were inspired by his experience during his mandatory military service from 2010 to 2012 that lasted for a year and 10 months. “I was 22 years old when I entered the military service. My experience at the military, which is based on a st

Arts & Design Sept. 4, 2023

Renowned international galleries and an auction house, Sotheby’s, have opened new spaces in Seoul ahead of the second edition of Frieze Seoul which kicks off Wednesday. Two newly arrived galleries -- Britain's White Cube and Japan’s Whitestone Gallery -- will unveil their spaces through group exhibitions in southern and northern Seoul, respectively. White Cube will open an inaugural exhibition, “The Embodied Spirit,” directed by the gallery’s global artistic di

Arts & Design Sept. 4, 2023

People go through numerous experiences in life. Some will be forgotten naturally, but some, whether pleasant or not, remain in the abyss of the unconscious. Some memories are so strong they dominate one’s life. Lee Jin-ju recalled an unpleasant incident from her childhood and called it “trauma” – she did not know as a little kid that the memory would stick around for so long. “I did not think of it as a big deal at the time. But the unpleasant memory has lingered, p

Arts & Design Sept. 4, 2023

Living in urban Korea, just stepping outside brings into view a plethora of buildings. But the average person here most likely doesn't give much thought to what kinds of spaces were created for the public and how they actually affect people's lives. These public spaces can include: a school, where 12 years of one's life are spent, a rest area by a river or stream, an observatory, a multipurpose facility under an expressway, a swimming pool popular with the elderly or a museum buil

Arts & Design Sept. 2, 2023

Sunlight streams into the school library from a small courtyard where students can sit outside with a book during breaks. The courtyard is among 19 such spaces in Singil Middle School, which opened two years ago in southwestern Seoul. As soon as the bell rang indicating a 15-minute recess, students headed to the courtyard on the second floor, where a snack vendor market sold drinks, chips and other small snacks. Other students got started on homework in another courtyard, while taking in the fre

Arts & Design Aug. 30, 2023

When it comes to building a public space, the Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Diébédo Francis Kéré does not consider people as “passive receivers,” but as owners of the building. “In public buildings in Africa, it is often the case that no one feels responsible for the building. Things are broken, and no one takes (the time) to fix it. You have the feeling it’s owned by the government -- but who is the government? It will be different if peo

Arts & Design Aug. 27, 2023

The 190-kilometer Nam River weaves through Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, carrying with it the history of the city. Behind stone walls, the city's riverside fortress, Jinjuseong, was once used as a military base against Japanese invaders in the late Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and during the Joseon era (1392-1910). On a cliff above the river sits the Chokseongnu Pavilion, which was built in 1241 and is part of Jinjuseong Forest. The wooden architecture, featuring six timber columns at the

Arts & Design Aug. 24, 2023

When Yeongju Swimming Pool opened in 2018, a 74-year-old resident surnamed Kim was so relieved that she could finally swim at a quality facility. “For an older person like myself, swimming is good exercise. This facility is very pleasant and cheap to learn swimming. There is a private swimming facility where I used to go, but it is old and worn out,” Kim said on May 31. Kim has lived in the North Gyeongsang Province city with some 100,000 residents since 1974 after getting married.

Arts & Design Aug. 22, 2023

Architecture brings life to a deserted place. And in the case of the 21,000-square-meter park in Seodaemun-gu, northwestern Seoul, it rejuvenated one that had been neglected. The public park had been taken over by homeless people, who drifted in day and night from Seoul Station, about 10 minutes' walk away, until it was remodeled and Seosomun Shrine History Museum was built in the underground space there in 2019. Other people had avoided the park, created in 1973, because of the atmosph

Arts & Design Aug. 21, 2023

A painting by renowned Korean artist Chang Uc-chin (1917-1990) titled "Family" has returned to South Korea 60 years after Japanese collector Shiozawa Sadao bought it in 1964 at Chang's first solo exhibition in Seoul. The painting, the first piece the artist sold, is known to have been cherished by the artist, who placed the painting by his bedside. With the money he earned by selling the painting, he bought a violin for his daughter. The whereabouts of the painting had been unknow

Arts & Design Aug. 18, 2023

The second collaboration between Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul will bring together some 330 galleries from around the world in early September at Ceox, a convention center in southern Seoul, with the festive atmosphere in the city boosted by the city government's support. “Kiaf Seoul will be supported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government this year. We had transportation issues for foreigners during the two fairs (Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul) last year, which is expected to be resolved w

Arts & Design Aug. 17, 2023

Hemyeong Kim will have a solo exhibition under the title “Hemyeong” at British Auctioneer Bonhams’ headquarters in Mayfair, central London, from Oct. 7 to 13, becoming the first Korean artist to present a solo exhibition at one of the world’s oldest auctioneers. The exhibition will coincide with the Frieze London global art fair from Oct. 11 to 15 in Regent’s Park. Kim’s exhibition at Bonhams’ will feature her “Constellation Links” series, ac

Arts & Design Aug. 15, 2023