The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announced Monday it will temporarily close its four venues in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as the number of infections have spiked in the past few days. The announcement came after the government raised the virus alert level to the “highest” on Sunday. “A few days from now are a very important moment,” President Moon Jae-in said. MMCA Seoul will close starting Tuesday. The three ot

Arts & Design Feb. 24, 2020

With the coronavirus outbreak leading to cancellations of exhibitions and art fairs, galleries are opening online platforms in an effort to revive plummeting sales of artworks. Art Basel announced Friday it would launch Online Viewing Rooms, its first digital initiative offering exhibitors an opportunity to showcase artworks to its global network of patrons and buyers. “As the market continues to evolve, Art Basel has continually reviewed how new technologies can give us fresh opportun

Arts & Design Feb. 24, 2020

Cho Hee-sook has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2020 by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, one of the most influential groups in the cuisine industry in Asia. Cho, who owns Hansikgonggan in Seoul, a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine, started her culinary arts career more than 20 years ago. She has worked at five-star hotels in Seoul and in 2005, she was appointed executive chef at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. “I s

People Feb. 21, 2020

After Kim Se-han, 30, a research scientist at a dairy company, was notified last month to wear a face mask in the office to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, she started to feel a sense of freedom from a troublesome routine: wearing makeup every day. “I used to feel pressure every morning to wear makeup, but now my colleagues and I do not put much makeup on as we started to wear masks at work,” Kim said. “This is really comfortable because I do not have to care abo

Culture Feb. 19, 2020

문화체육관광부는 사랑의교회 내에 위치한 사랑아트갤러리에서 박성남 화가 초대전을 개최할 예정이라고 19일 보도 참고자료를 통해 밝혀 논란을 일으켰다. 종교기관 안에 위치한 화랑에서 열리는 미술 전시를 국가기관이 나서서 홍보한 것은 이례적이다. 문체부 대변인실을 통해 배포된 보도 참고자료에는 “사랑의교회 오정현 담임목사가 그 동안 두문불출했던 박성남 화가를 세상 밖으로 초대한 것”이라며 “사랑의교회가 서초동으로 이주하고 사랑아트갤러리의 개관 후 첫 개인 초대 전시라는 의미가 있다”고 밝혔다. 해당 보도자료를 배포한 문체부 홍보 담당자는 “박성남 화가가 한국 현대 미술계에서 워낙 의미가 있는 인물이고, 주최 측을 통해 부탁을 받았다”고 말했다. 다만 그는 해당 이메일이 “문화체육관광부 대변인실 메일로 배포된 것은 실수였으며 개인 보도자료로 보내려고 한 것”이라고 해명했다. 문체부 대변인직은

한국어판 Feb. 19, 2020

Prominent figures from K-pop agencies have been working with girl groups managed by other companies. Lee Soo-man, founder and chief producer of S.M. Entertainment, participated in the production of girl group LOONA’s second EP, “#,” released Feb. 5. The 12-piece act, whose Korean name translates to “Girl of the Month,” is managed by Blockberry Creative, a small entertainment agency. The EP has topped the iTunes Albums chart in 47 countries including Poland, Spa

K-pop Feb. 14, 2020

The Galleries Art Fair, the oldest art fair in South Korea, will go ahead next week in Seoul’s Gangnam area despite worries over the spread of COVID-19. “We had thorough discussions and have agonized about whether to host the art fair amid a serial cancellation of cultural events including Art Basel Hong Kong, due to the novel coronavirus,” said Choi Woong-chull, the president of the association. “However, most of the galleries wanted to host the art fair as scheduled.

Arts & Design Feb. 13, 2020

Three young women curators were curious about how Chang Jia’s works would be interpreted in 2020 after they received the spotlight for dealing with discrimination against women in the early 2000s, when gender issues were still considered an uncomfortable topic. Stepping into the Doosan Gallery in Seoul, which is holding the exhibition “Don’t Care If You Give Me That Evil Eye,” one is overwhelmed by the wide range of media dealing with female bodies, cult films and fabr

Arts & Design Feb. 12, 2020

Concept Korea NYFW Fall-Winter 2020 commemorated its 10th anniversary on Friday in New York with three Korean standout designers who received favorable responses in previous seasons showcasing their latest collections. Concept Korea, which was held at Spring Studios Gallery in New York, is part of New York Fashion Week, which runs through Wednesday. The government-sponsored fashion show aims to help promising Korean designers expand overseas by providing opportunities to promote their brands

Arts & Design Feb. 11, 2020

An exhibition that pays homage to Achille Castiglioni, a 20th-century Italian industrial designer, is currently running at the Seoul Arts Center. Titled “Achille Castiglioni and his Brothers,” it is the biggest of its kind in Asia. Born in 1918 in Milan, Achille Castiglioni started his career as an architect and a designer in 1944 at a studio run by his two older brothers, Livio and Pier Giacomo. After Livio’s departure, Achille and Pier Giacomo collaborated until the latter

Arts & Design Feb. 11, 2020

Some art galleries here are changing their exhibition plans, as this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong, the biggest international art fair in Asia, has been canceled due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. “Following the severe outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which has recently been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, Art Basel has no option but to cancel the upcoming edition of Art Basel Hong Kong,” Art Basel announced Thursday in a press

Arts & Design Feb. 9, 2020

The TV screen at the exhibition hall shows a bird flapping its wings midflight, while through the headset connected to the TV set, one can hear a conversation in which a Korean woman from the 21st century talks about her neighbor, Yeonji's mom. The woman says Yeongi's mom, a victim of domestic violence, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for killing her husband. "... it feels like we're living in the 19th century," the woman says bitterly to the three other women, who are from Vienna

Arts & Design Feb. 6, 2020

Sejong Center and Seoul Arts Center, better known for their concert halls, are hosting exhibitions showcasing artists who were inspired by music and explored the connections between music and art. A multimedia exhibition featuring digital reproductions of works by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and the first large-scale retrospective of French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec aim to show the ties between music and the artists’ paintings. Kandinsky at Sejong Center Kandinsky, a Russ

Arts & Design Feb. 5, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Monday its four sponsored artists, who are also candidates of the Korea Artist Prize, for this year: Kim Min-ae, Lee Seul-gi, Chung Hee-sung and Jung Yoon-suk. As part of the sponsorship program, they will hold an exhibition of their new works at MMCA Seoul from Oct. 31 to March 29, 2021.  Among the four artists, the Korea Artist Prize winner will be selected in December after a jury reviews the exhibition. Kim, a Royal

Arts & Design Feb. 3, 2020

 Upon entering photographer Lee Jung-jin’s solo exhibition, one may be overwhelmed by huge nature photographs in black and white. Then, upon bending over for a closer look, one might be tempted to touch them due to their unique velvet-like texture. This is because they are printed on Korean traditional mulberry paper, called “hanji.” PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong is hosting the exhibition, titled “Jungjin Lee: Voice,” two years after the artist’s solo e

Arts & Design Feb. 2, 2020