When it was recently announced that NFT-based artworks by Korean modern art masters -- Kim Whan-ki, Park Soo-keun and Lee Jung-seop -- would go on the block at an online auction, the Korean art industry was bewildered. The families and foundations raised copyright issues, claiming that they owned the original works and had never given the rights for those works to be minted as nonfungible token artworks. Minting refers to the process of tokenizing an asset and once an artwork is minted, it bec

Arts & Design June 9, 2021

Although the prevailing notion is that architecture is about art, the environment has always been at the heart of architect Kim Won’s designs. Kim, 78, pursues environment-friendly values when designing buildings, paying homage to nature and to traditional Korean values. “The concept of environment-friendly tends to be used indiscriminately. But my value lies in conforming to nature. We should make the most of nature, and it is foolish to ignore such a gift. But many architects a

Arts & Design June 5, 2021

The Gwangju Biennale is pushing for the 14th Gwangju Biennale to be held in September 2022 as scheduled and the appointment of a new president for the foundation after Kim Sun-jung, the current president, was accused of misconduct as leader of the organization. The Gwangju Biennale, the largest art biennale in South Korea, typically takes place in September. The most recent biennale was delayed twice to April, however, due to the pandemic. The 13th Gwangju Biennale ran for 39 days directed b

Arts & Design June 2, 2021

When uncertainty looms, some resort to fortunetelling or shamanism to uncover clues about their future. The desire to know what fate has in store has escalated during the pandemic times. The exhibition “Fortune Telling” at the Ilmin Museum of Art in Seoul explores this desire through artworks and interactive performances, offering comfort and fun to people who are exhausted after the prolonged pandemic. A special audio guide recorded by a Korean shaman is offered throughout the fir

Arts & Design May 31, 2021

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s well-known video work, “Global Groove” was turned into an NFT-based artwork for the first time and put up for auction online at Christie’s, the global art auction house, Tuesday. The online auction, “Proof of Sovereignty,” runs through June 3 in collaboration with Lady PheOnix, a curator of contemporary digital art. NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, are a unique form of cryptocurrency that is becoming popular when selling digita

Arts & Design May 28, 2021

As cities around the country battle over a proposed museum to house the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection, the government said it would reveal details about the plan by mid-June. “The minister is likely to hold a press briefing in Seoul in mid-June to share the progress made so far regarding a new museum or storage place,” an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told The Korea Herald. “We have formed a task force committee and

Arts & Design May 26, 2021

Korea has recently emerged as an attractive art market on the back of purchasing power of younger collectors, grabbing increasing attention from the world. Globally renowned galleries are opening galleries in Seoul or expanding their presence in the city. Frieze, a major international art fair, recently announced it will hold the first Frieze Seoul next fall, putting the city on the global market map. Seoul will be the first Asian city to host the fair. Pace Gallery, the US-headquartered co

Arts & Design May 25, 2021

A retrospective of Chung Sang-hwa, a renowned Korean contemporary artist who has explored the concept of infinity through his paintings, was unveiled at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The exhibition “Chung Sang Hwa” at MMCA Seoul is a comprehensive exploration of the artist, including recent signature works that feature grid compositions, demonstrating Chung’s own method of “peeling off and filling in.”  “‘To reveal is to value

Arts & Design May 24, 2021

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul launches package for family gatherings Fairmont Ambassador Seoul offers a special promotion for family gatherings. For a special get-together, especially ahead of a wedding, guests can enjoy a small or medium-scale Korean or Western-style course meal at Gallery 7. The traditional Korean meal is paired with traditional liquors, while the Western meal is served with wine. The family package is designed for eight guests and costs 1,385,000 won for the Korean meal and 1

Food May 21, 2021

The golden age of the world’s five most influential magazines has unfolded at the Hyundai Card Storage in Seoul. Walking through the exhibition hall, you may find some interesting facts about the magazines Life, Playboy, Domus, Rolling Stone and the National Geographic. The exhibition “The Issue: Hyundai Card Library Magazine Collection through the Ages” focuses on the five leading magazines, showcasing the inaugural editions along with some 300 notable issues of each publica

Arts & Design May 19, 2021

Frieze art fair, one of the world‘s largest global art fairs, will head to Seoul in September 2022 for the first time, to coincide with Korea’s annual art fair, KIAF Art Seoul. The two art fairs will be held concurrently on Sept. 2, 2022, taking up four exhibition halls at COEX in southern Seoul. Although the fairs will take place at the same time, they will be operated independently, according to the Galleries Association of Korea. Seoul will be the first Asian city to host the 2

Arts & Design May 18, 2021

Every day at 8:21 p.m., David Hockney’s animated sunrise video -- “Remember you cannot look at the sun or death for very long” -- starts playing on the country’s largest digital billboard, located at Coex K-Pop Square. The art dispay is part of Circa’s project to showcase artworks around the world in the pandemic times. Circa’s project, which is taking place in London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Seoul, will show the same work throughout this month, ev

Arts & Design May 18, 2021

Water gently swirls on a round-shaped sculpture topped with a magnetic stirrer. Staring at the swirling water, one may find himself falling into contemplation. The exhibition “Reflection” offers viewers a time to reflect on themselves and find tranquility in the pandemic times. The exhibition “Reflection,” focusing on the philosophy of Buddhism in commemoration of Buddha’s birthday on Wednesday, is being held at K.O.N.G. Gallery in central Seoul. It is the last a

Arts & Design May 17, 2021

Plastic Art Seoul 2021, Korea's largest art fair devoted to sculptures and installation works, will kick off on Sunday at Coex in southern Seoul, under the theme “New Generation.” While the art fair features sculptures, it will also present a variety of different artworks including installation art, paintings and media art. A total of 89 galleries from home and abroad will join the show bringing 2,500 artworks by 700 artists together under one roof. “Last year, sales reac

Arts & Design May 14, 2021

A majority of the collection by Korean abstract art master, the late Suh Se-ok has been donated to Seongbuk-gu, northern Seoul where the artist lived for 60 years. Suh’s family donated a total of 3,290 artworks, including the artist’s works and those he collected throughout his life. The donation was made without any condition, according to the Seongbuk Museum of Art. The donated works will be stored at the Seongbuk Museum of Art until a museum dedicated to the artist is establi

Arts & Design May 14, 2021