The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to Korea’s well-known contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. If you are interested in Korea’s modern fine art, you may be familiar with Kim Whan-ki’s masterpiece “05-IV-71 #200 (Universe),” a piece that recorded the highest-ever price for a Korean artwork sold at an auction by fetching 13.2 billion won ($10.8 million) at a Hong Kong auction last year. Born in 1913, Kim was a pioneer of Ko

Arts & Design June 1, 2020

Memories of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising will be brought back next month at the exhibition “MaytoDay,” organized by Gwangju Biennale Foundation. The Gwangju Democratization Movement took place in May 1980 when civilians protested against military strongman Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power in a military coup in December 1979. Martial law troops mobilized in Gwangju to suppress the demonstrations killed more than 200 citizens and wounded more than 3,000 -- the highest number of c

Arts & Design May 30, 2020

The three venues of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) in Seoul, Gwacheon and Deoksugung will temporarily close for next two weeks starting Saturday, reflecting the government’s strict social distancing measures in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, MMCA announced on Thursday. MMCA Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, however, will remain open for now. The announcement came after the government brought back stricter social distancing norms Thursday

Culture May 29, 2020

  The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to Korea’s well-known contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. There is a street named Paiknamjune-ro, in Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, where Nam June Paik Art Center, the only art center in the world dedicated to the artist who founded the video art genre, stands majestically. With its facade of reflective printed-glass, the building looks like a grand piano, an instrument Paik loved as a music major in

Arts & Design May 25, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is hosting an exhibition “2020 MMCA Asia Project: Looking for Another Family” until August as part of the Asia Project, focusing on Asian contemporary art. The exhibition, “2020 MMCA Asia Project: Looking for Another Family” looks into different forms of families, breaking away from the conventional definition of biological or martial relationships, showcasing 15 artworks from 15 artist teams across eight

Arts & Design May 22, 2020

The Kansong Art Museum -- a private museum in Seoul that has collected valuable artifacts since the Japanese colonial era -- has put two state-designated treasures up for auction. The Buddhist sculptures are the first items to be sold by the museum in its 82-year history. The trading of state-designated cultural treasures is also a rare occasion in the auction market. Founded in 1938 as the country’s first private museum, the Kansong Art Museum is a point of cultural pride in Korea.

Culture May 21, 2020

More than 100 artworks by Rene Magritte, reproduced with digital technologies, offer an immersive experience that maximizes interaction with the master’s artworks. The exhibition “Inside Magritte,” which runs until Sept. 13 at the Insa Central Museum in Insadong, central Seoul, provides a multisensory learning experience that uses music, light, virtual reality techniques and video art to bring the artist and his works to life. Directed by The Fake Factory, based in Florence

Arts & Design May 18, 2020

The last time Jang, a 28-year-old translator in Seoul, had her hair permed was early this year. After the country was hit hard by COVID-19, she had to put off visiting a hair salon for a treatment that would prolong her perm. Searching online, she found an electric hair cap that claimed to provide hair treatment effects. “I have been reluctant to visit a hair salon because it was near a place where a COVID-19 patient had visited according to information provided by Seoul Metropolitan Go

Culture May 16, 2020

The 13th Gwangju Biennale -- which was postponed to February 2021 -- will be held across Gwangju, including the town of Yangnim, a historic place that is witness to the city’s modern history, for the first time, and will feature feminism, which has emerged as one of the most important themes around the world. The art event will be held from Feb. 26 to May 9 next year with the theme, “Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning,” pushed back from September this year due to the COVID-19 pand

Arts & Design May 14, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is hosting the largest print exhibition in 13 years to explore the print art, which has been relatively unknown to the public as an art genre. “The exhibition is expected to reaffirm the values of Korean prints and encourage more interest on the potential of the marginalized genre,” said Youn Bummo, director of MMCA. The exhibition, “Prints, Printmaking, Graphic Art,” at the Gwacheon venue features aroun

Arts & Design May 13, 2020

Park Yu-chun, an actor and a member of K-pop group, JYJ, apologized for having lied about the drug charges against him last year in a TV interview aired on Monday. He said he had lost “rational judgement” when he swore to leave the entertainment industry if found guilty. “I really regret that I lied (about using drugs), and I still wonder ‘What if I had told the truth to people and sincerely asked for forgiveness (instead of insisting on innocence),’” Park

Television May 12, 2020

The 13th Gwangju Biennale, which was scheduled to kick off in September, has been postponed to February 2021 due to the spread of COVID-19, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation announced Monday. The art biennale was originally scheduled to be held Sept. 4-Nov. 29 at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall and other venues throughout the city of Gwangju. However, the foundation decided to delay the exhibition as COVID-19 infections continue to spread across the globe. “Considering that artists

Arts & Design May 11, 2020

A moon jar sits in the middle of the exhibition “Empty Fullness: Materiality and Spirituality in Contemporary Korean Art” at Park Ryu Sook Gallery in Seoul. From a distance, it looks like an ordinary piece of porcelain ware. But walking around it, you will find that it looks different from different angles because of the way it was made: The upper and lower parts of the jar were shaped separately and then put together, causing some dents in the firing process. But ultimately, it is

Arts & Design May 10, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, opened its first-ever permanent exhibition Thursday. “MMCA Collection Highlights 2020 Plus” showcases 54 of the gallery’s collection pieces -- paintings, video installations and other works that represent Korea’s modern and contemporary eras. Park Mi-hwa, senior curator at the MMCA, walks viewers through the exhibition on the museum’s YouTube channel. English subtitles are in the works and will be added

Arts & Design May 8, 2020

Over the past five years, Chung Hyun-sook, senior executive producer at the Educational Broadcasting System, has been producing international documentaries in collaboration with other Asian countries. Her ultimate goal as a producer is to make a cultural community for Asian countries. Chung, who has also been chair of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Kids since 2004, has focused on drama and documentaries mainly on kids. But her new fifth documentary, “Family Asia,” which aired Mon

Television May 8, 2020