The organizing committee of international art fair Kiaf Seoul has appointed Koo Ja-yeol, also known as Christopher Koo, as its new chairman. He succeeds Bahk Byong-won, who has led the committee since 2013. Koo, who is also chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, will oversee the direction of the committee and take charge of public activities, including building relationships with enterprises, according to Kiaf Seoul. Koo was appointed chairman of KITA in February 2021 for a th

Arts & Design Feb. 17, 2022

When Ha Chong-hyun appeared at the press conference for his solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery on Tuesday, the 86-year-old artist evidenced the longevity of his distinct artistic style, some 50 years after he debuted his signature painting series “Conjunction. When unveiling his “Post-Conjunction” series at the solo exhibition, the leading Korean contemporary artist recommitted to his “war against oil paints and burlap canvas.” This “war” began in the

Arts & Design Feb. 16, 2022

Strongly believing that visual art has power to influence the human condition, UK-based interdisciplinary artist Hong Young-in has been exploring ways to contribute to the society as an artist. The exhibition “Young In Hong: We Where” at PKM Gallery is Hong’s first solo show after presenting her work at the 2019 Korea Artist Prize organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Born in 1972, Hong studied at Seoul National University and Goldsmiths Co

Arts & Design Feb. 15, 2022

Gallery Hyundai, a major commercial art gallery in South Korea, plans to launch a non-fungible token-based art platform called ETNAH, that will feature digital works by renowned domestic and overseas artists. ETNAH will have a three-month test run starting May and be officially launched in August. Do Hyung-teh, president of the gallery, has formed AIT as a startup to launch the NFT art platform in collaboration with Andrew Ku, CEO of ALTAVA Group -- an IT company based in Seoul and Singapore

Arts & Design Feb. 13, 2022

Two Korean interdisciplinary artists -- Lee Mi-re and Jeong Geum-hyung -- will participate in the main exhibition of the upcoming Venice Biennale in April, which will take place at the Central Pavilion and Arsenale. Lee and Jeon are among 213 artists from 58 countries who were invited to join the international exhibition, the main exhibition of the biennale where 80 countries will also showcase works through their national pavilions. Among the artists participating in the international exhibit

Arts & Design Feb. 12, 2022

Architect Kim Won has put up for sale some significant pieces from his collection of art to help raise funds for an NGO for which he serves as a chief director. Among the 50 works donated by Kim that are on sale at Gallery Now in Seoul are ink paintings by architect Kim Swoo-guen (1931-1986), a prominent contemporary architect. The architect gave the paintings to Kim Won as a gift a year before his death. Kim Won was Kim Swoo-guen’s protege.  “Kim Swoo-guen began contempor

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

Painter Moon Sung-sic sticks with using pencils in creating his art. Inspired by daily life, he represents the mundaneness of everyday by scratching the thick oil paint surface with pencils as if striving to show his perseverance as an artist. “Pencils are the most basic materials in painting, spontaneous and simple. I think this resembles my unexaggerated and unpretentious personality,“ Moon told reporters at Kukje Gallery’s Busan venue on Jan. 21. He said he felt that his

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation and GIZI Foundation will launch the “Gwangju Biennale Park Seo-bo Art Prize” at the 14th Gwangju Biennale scheduled to open in April next year to recognize a promising artist participating at the biennale. GIZI Foundation, established by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo, has committed $1 million to the prize, with $100,000 in prize money to winning artists or collectives through 2042. The winner will be selected among those who participate in t

Arts & Design Feb. 8, 2022

After the much-anticipated auction of Kansong Art Museum’s two state-designated national treasures last week ended up failing to find bidders, eyes are now on what Korea’s oldest private museum will do with the national treasures. During the auction held by K Auction on Jan. 27, no one bid for the two national treasures -- National Treasure No. 73, Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, and National Treasure No. 72, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi

Arts & Design Feb. 7, 2022

Yongyangbongjeojong is a pavilion in southern Seoul that Jeongjo -- who ruled in the Joseon era from 1776 to 1800 -- used for respite when he visited Hyollyungwon in Suwon, where the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado is located.  Designated as Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 6, it was named for the unique scenery of the mountain and river that surrounds the pavilion. King Jeongjo once said, “The high mountain in the north and the running Han River look like a wriggling dragon

Culture Feb. 5, 2022

Korea’s “dansaekhwa” abstract movement grabbed global attention in the early 2000s, but many more of Korea‘s abstract artists who developed their own styles and struggled to stand on their own feet have not received similar attention. To help give them their due, one of Korea’s biggest art galleries is holding the exhibition “Seeking ‘Eidos’: Korean Abstract Painters 7,” to shed light on seven pioneers of Korea’s abstract art. Hakgoj

Arts & Design Feb. 3, 2022

Yu Kyoung-suk found joy by making special tteokguk, or rice cake soup, this year. As the year became 2022, he came up with a fancy tteokguk -- topped with flower-shaped dumplings and jidan (egg garnish) -- to share with his wife and their two sons. He squeezed juice from beets and carrots to add colors to the dumpling dough to make a special tteokguk this year. “When the New Year comes, Koreans eat tteokguk made using rice cake slices from garaetteok (a stick of long rice cake) which sy

Culture Jan. 30, 2022

Basic ingredients - 400 grams rice cake slices (tteokguk tteok) - 130 grams minced beef - 2 green onion stalks - 2-3 eggs For beef seasoning - 1 tablespoon soy sauce - 1 tablespoon sesame oil - 1 teaspoon minced garlic - 1 teaspoon sugar - pepper to taste - a little cooking oil to coat frying pan For soup - 5 cups of dried kelp (dashima) broth - 1/2 big spoon soup soy sauce - 1 small spoon minced garlic - salt and pepper to taste Directions - If rice cake slices

Food Jan. 29, 2022

Two state-designated national treasures failed to sell at an auction held Thursday in Seoul, after South Korea’s oldest private museum sparked controversy for putting the national treasures up for auction. The two artifacts were the first national treasures to be put on the block in the country. National Treasure No. 73, Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, and National Treasure No. 72, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi Year, were put up for auction at

Arts & Design Jan. 27, 2022

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will operate all four of its locations over the Lunar New Year holiday from Monday through Wednesday, offering exhibitions free of charge. The Seoul branch will be closed on Tuesday, or Lunar New Year’s day. The exhibitions on view are “Ai Weiwei: Defend the Future” at its Seoul branch; “To the World Through Art, Highlights of MMCA Global Art Collection from the 1980s-1990s” at the Cheongju branch; “

Arts & Design Jan. 25, 2022