When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country earlier this year, it was something the art world never expected. It was particularly challenging for art galleries, which believed artworks were best appreciated in person at the gallery. But the unprecedentedly prolonged viral threat has changed things. Galleries had to come up with creative ways to reach out to people who are practicing social distancing. They held virtual reality exhibitions, online press conferences and private tours. And the g

Arts & Design April 10, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) was co-awarded at the Asia Art Pioneers Award 2019 for the exhibition “Awakenings: Art in society in Asia 1960s-1990s” which was held last year at the museum’s Gwacheon venue. The exhibition, which was co-hosted by South Korea, Singapore and Japan, encompasses artworks from 100 representative artists from the late 18th century in 13 Asian countries. The tour of the exhibition started in Japan in October 2018 an

Arts & Design April 9, 2020

  While coloring books have recently come into the limelight as a great stress reliever for adults, coloring minhwa with colored pencils has recently been attracting more interest amid the prolonged COVID-19 threat. Minhwa, which refers to Korea’s folk painting style, prospered during the Joseon era (1392-1910). The art form, though it originated among commoners, was widely enjoyed among people regardless of their social classes. Minhwa reflects people’s wishes, as each draw

Arts & Design April 8, 2020

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation is embarking on a global project titled “MaytoDay” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, hosting exhibitions around the world in an effort to promote the spirit of the democratization movement. The project, “MaytoDay,” will take place in five cities in four countries -- Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and Argentina -- from May to November. The project will also be showcased at next year’s Venic

Arts & Design April 7, 2020

As soon as Choi Seoul-gi, 26, gets home from work, she checks on the six plants she bought last summer: an orange jasmine, a Guiana chestnut tree, a Swiss cheese plant, an alocasia, a bird of paradise and another plant she can’t remember the name of. When she moved to a studio apartment last year, she was a bit lonely. That’s why she started bringing plants home, almost one every month. “As human beings, we have a desire to be loved, but the important thing is that we also ha

Culture April 5, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea has launched an online museum series for children who are spending most of their time at home amid the COVID-10 outbreak, to help them better understand the modern art. The museum is unveiling a total of five episodes on its YouTube Channel, uploading new episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The episodes will cover four renowned artists: Park Seo-bo, Marcel Duchamp, Ahn Kyu-chul and Choi Jeong-hwa. The videos aim to help kid

Arts & Design April 2, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is hosting a calligraphy exhibition for the first time in its history, titled “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” aiming to show the beauty of calligraphy through the masterpieces from 1920s to modern era. The exhibition was unveiled online Monday through livestreaming on MMCA YouTube channel with curator Bae Won-jung guiding through the artworks for 90 minutes. The exhibition was scheduled to open in March, but w

Arts & Design March 31, 2020

The two main art auction houses in Korea saw better performance than expected in March despite the COVID-19 outbreak clouding the art market. Seoul Auction, the nation’s largest auction house, saw its auction success rate at 60 percent at the first auction of the year, held Tuesday. The total sales amounted to 5 billion won ($4.1 million), according to the company. “We worried about the auction result because the viral infection has frozen the art market, but it turned out to be

Arts & Design March 27, 2020

Entrances to Seokchon Lake, a famous sightseeing destination for its cherry blossom trees that bloom in spring in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, will be temporarily shut down until mid-April to prevent people from visiting the area during the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision came after the Songpa District Office announced the cancellation of its annual Cherry Blossom Festival last week. The festival was originally scheduled to take place from April 3 to 12. Seokchon Lake is one of the most popu

Culture March 27, 2020

When Park Young-sook, the first-generation feminist photographer, visited the Gotjawal Forest on Jeju Island for the first time last year, she had to walk through dead vines and thought of the forest as an abandoned place. Then women who were sacrificed in witch hunts came to mind. “I felt like the place turned into a spiritual place where women who were labeled as ‘witches’ in Europe came crossing the sea and peacefully lived at the desolate, lonely forest,” Park said

Arts & Design March 26, 2020

  Spring has arrived even as COVID-19 continues to plague countries around the world. Although you may have to confine yourself at home and minimize social activities, there are still ways to get a taste of spring. One idea is ordering cut flowers or plants for home delivery, or stopping by a florist on your way home to pick up flowers for loved ones who are going through the “corona blues.” Kim Seo-yoon, who runs Baum and Blum in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, says although the

Culture March 25, 2020

A lack of information about legendary Korean dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911-1968) allowed Nam Hwa-yeon to come up with her own interpretations of Choi’s historic achievements for the solo exhibition “Mind Stream.” The interdisciplinary artist created artworks that range from media art to sculptures based on her research about the dancer. Nam represented Korea at the 2019 Venice Biennale 2019, along with Siren Eun Young Jung and Jane Jin Kaisen. Not many materials remain in Sou

Arts & Design March 23, 2020

Kim Yong-chul, a university graduate, has spent most of his time at home applying for jobs and studying for tests since late last year. But as the novel coronavirus has hit the country, in a crisis so far extending some two months, he has started to feel uneasy staying with his family at home for nearly 24 hours a day. “My father is working from home for over a month now, and it has become stressful for me to stay at home, even having three meals all together every day” Kim said. &

Culture March 22, 2020

As several COVID-19 infection clusters have emerged at churches, bringing religious institutions to the public’s attention as potential sources of contagion, some Christians worry that these incidents could feed hostility against Christianity. After the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, considered a cult by mainstream Protestant churches, became the epicenter of the outbreak in South Korea, cases have emerged at a number of other churches across the country. Criticism of churches escalated

Culture March 19, 2020

The Korean-American artist Anicka Yi was chosen as the sixth artist of the Hyundai Commission to hold an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London this year. 　 Yi is an installation artist whose work explores the links between art and science, addressing questions around migration, class and gender. Born in Seoul in 1971, Yi is now based in in US, according to Hyundai Motor, the co-organizer of Hyundai Commission. “Anicka Yi has developed a reputation for highly innovative work. Her inst

Arts & Design March 16, 2020