Exhibitions

“Gauguin and After: Voyage into the Myth”: Masterpieces of the French post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin are on exhibition in Seoul. The exhibition, which runs from Friday to Sept. 29 at the Seoul Museum of Art, is the first-ever comprehensive survey of Gauguin’s artistic career presented to a Korean audience. It showcases about 60 artworks on loan from 30 major museums around the world, created during the two major periods of the artist ― Brittany, Paris (1873-1891) and Polynesia (1893-1903) ― that include well-known masterpieces “Vision of the Sermon,” “The Yellow Christ,” “Where Do We Come From, What Are We, Where Are We Going,” and some sculptures and paper works. Admission is 13,000 won for adults; 10,000 won for teenagers and 8,000 won for children. The exhibition is closed on Mondays. For more information, call 1588-2618.

“Muneyoshi Yanagi’s Collection”: A collection of Korean folk crafts put together by late Japanese collector Muneyoshi Yanagi (1889-1961) is on exhibit in Seoul, shedding light on how Korean aesthetics were viewed in imperial Japan. The exhibition, currently held at Deoksugung Palace Museum of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, showcases 139 works and documents collected by Yanagi, who was one of the first in his country to accept Western influence on art and literature during the early 1900s, and who is also known for his affinity for Korean ceramics. The artifacts are on loan from the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in Tokyo. The exhibition continues through July 21. For more information, call (02) 2188-6114.

“Reference a Elle”: Kukje Gallery presents a solo exhibition of works by celebrated Egyptian artist Ghada Amer until June 30. The exhibition features Amer’s new sculptural works that explore politics and sexuality such as “The Blue Bra Girls,” and paintings. Through the artwork, Amer honors a female activist who was beaten and stripped of her clothes, leaving her blue bra exposed, during months of violent protest against the Mubarak regime in Egypt. Another sculpture, “The Heart,” focuses on warm emotions between two lovers in an embrace. The paintings reveal Amer’s mature style, which incorporates popular cultural motifs, appropriated images of anonymous women and complex arabesque and floral arrangements. For more information, call (02) 735-8449.

“Beyond the Veil”: Arario Gallery presents a solo exhibition of Filipino artist Geraldine Javier from June 7 to July 7 at its Seoul gallery. Recognized as one of the most celebrated Southeast Asian artists, Javier is well known for works that mix different media such as embroidery and lace onto the surface of the traditional paintings. She presents 13 works that range from paintings and sculptures to installations and photographs. The artist uses familiar images of nature-like trees that carry philosophical meanings that concern the inevitable fate of human beings such as death, and good and evil. In “Death to the King: Taong Grasa,” Javier depicts a homeless person surrounded by birds looking for something to eat and not knowing whether the person is alive or dead. For more information, call (02) 541-5701.

“Made in Changsin-dong”: The Seoul Museum of History will highlight life in Changsin-dong, a garment manufacturing district in Seoul since the late 1970s. Leftover pieces of fabric are assembled to create a map of Changsin-dong while discarded sewing machine tables are transformed to create a chair and a table. Photographs by Hong Sun-tae, who followed the lives in the shacks in the neighborhood with his camera, will be exhibited along with photo albums belonging to the area residents. Visitors will also be able to look at today’s Changsin-dong using Daum’s Road View service. The exhibition is open through July 21. Admission is free of charge and the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call (02) 724-0145.

“The Guardians of Buddhism”: The National Museum of Korea is exhibiting paintings and other artifacts highlighting the sacred figures of Buddhism who are ranked lower than Buddha or Bodhisattva but are equally important. The show comprises six sections, each section focusing on a different guardian with different blessings and meanings. The exhibition is held through Sept. 8 at Buddhist Arts Hall from Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000.

Festivals

“Daegu International Musical Festival”: The Daegu International Musical Festival, or DIMF, is the only exclusive international musical festival held in Daegu. The event will feature 22 musical works, including 10 invitational works. “Sunfish,” a musical adaptation of the Korean folk tale “Simcheong,” will officially open the festival on June 17. The musical by DIMF is about about a young girl devoted to her blind father. Other invitational works include “Music Box,” a South Korea-Japan coproduction, and Czech and British musicals “The Three Musketeers.” The musical festival will run from June 15 to July 8 at Opera House and other venues in Daegu. For more information, call (053) 622-1947 or visit dimf.or.kr. 

“Taehwa River Eco Art Festival”: Taehwa River in Ulsan Metropolitan City will be transformed into a home for installation artwork from June 5 to 16. Titled “The Circle of Life,” this year’s festival aims to remind attendees of the vitality of nature and its power to recover through sculptures and installations by Korean and foreign artists from all around the world. The artworks will be on display alongside the river. Dance performances and folk craft art sessions will be held during the festival. For more information, visit, www.teaf.co.kr, or call (052) 220-0611.

“2013 Suncheon Bay Garden Expo”: Suncheon in South Jeolla Province will provide visitors with countless opportunities to experience nature at its finest at the 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo Korea. The Expo, held for the first time in Korea, displays beautifully designed gardens that also stand as examples of green development. The expo site stretches to the city’s iconic natural wetland, Suncheon Bay. The expo runs until Oct. 20. The admission is 16,000 won for adults (13,000 won for a group); 12,000 won for teenagers (10,000 won for a group) and 8,000 won for children (6,000 won for a group). For more information, visit www.2013expo.or.kr.

Pop Music

“Ultra Korea”: One of the world’s largest annual outdoor dance music parties, the Ultra Music Festival, is returning to Seoul this summer with some of the hottest DJs from around the globe. This year’s Ultra Korea 2013 two-day music festival summer fest will feature an all-star lineup of some of the most recognized names in the electronic/dance music scene including: A return appearance by Carl Cox along with Kaskade, Sander van Doorn, Tommy Trash, Fedde Le Grand, Boy George DJ Set, Krewella and Riot Gear. The second annual Ultra Korea will be held on June 14 and 15 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium in Jamsil. Ticket prices range from 100,000 won to 130,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“What I Wish From the Spring”: The Position, also known as Lim Jae-wook, is having his first solo concert on June 22 at Ewha Womans University. With his sad and delicate voice, the singer is well known for his megahit song “I Love You,” released in 2000, along with a blockbuster music video featuring Cha Seung-won and Shin Ha-gyun. At the concert, he will be performing several hit songs including “For you,” “Summer Time,” “Desperado” and “I Love You” as well as his newly released songs from his latest EP album, which was released March 28. Tickets are priced at 99,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“2013 Ansan Valley Rock Festival”: As Korea’s biggest rock festival, the Valley Rock Festival presents some of the best line-ups of big musicians from Korea and abroad such as this year’s headliners The Cure, NiN, Skrillex, the Foals, the XX, My Bloody Valentine, Idiotape, Peppertones and many others. This year’s festival has moved from Jisan Resort to the Daebu Sea Breeze Theme Park. The three-day festival will be held from July 26 to 28. Ticket prices are 120,000 won for one-day pass, 230,000 won for three-day pass and 245,000 won for three-day pass plus an admission ticket to the camping ground. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

“2013 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival”: The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is an annual three-day music festival that features some of the hottest acts in the international and local music scene. Since its inauguration year in 2006, the festival has been responsible for bringing in top acts such as Muse, The Black Eyed Peas, The Strokes, Korn, Hoobastank and many others. This year’s festival will be held at the Incheon Songdo 23 Geunrin Park from Aug. 2 to 4 and will feature headlining acts including Fall Out Boy, Suede, Deul Guk Hwa, Porno Graffitti, Glasvegas, Mama Guns and more. Ticket prices are 89,100 won for a one-day pass, 128,700 won for a two-day pass and 148,500 won for a full three-day pass. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Theater

“American Idiot”: Broadway musical “American Idiot,” an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day’s seventh studio album of the same title, will be staged for the first time in Korea. Green Day’s 2004 studio album enjoyed enormous popularity worldwide, selling over 15 million copies with more than 6 million sold in the U.S. alone. The rock musical album tells the story of three young men and their struggles to make sense of the world and find meaning in their lives post-9/11. The musical follows the album’s plot; its script was cowritten by Billie Joe Armstrong and director Michael Mayer. “American Idiot” will be performed from Sept. 5 to 22 at Blue Square’s Samsung Electronics Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 150,000 won. For more information, call 1588-5212. 

“La Dame au Violoncelle”: TV actress Lee Jae-eun, who started her career as a child actress, is making a comeback with a play written by French playwright Guy Foissy. Titled “La Dame au Violoncelle (The Lady of the Cello),” the drama tells the story of an unhappy, depressed woman who is accused of murdering her husband. It is said to be a story of “the quest for happiness.” The play runs from June 5-30 at You-Theater in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 30,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.

“A Tale of Two Cities”: “A Tale of Two Cities,” a musical based on the novel of the same title by Charles Dickens, is being restaged in Seoul after its first Seoul run last year. The piece is set against the conflicts between the rebels and aristocracy during the French revolution and its parallel world in 18th-century London. It tells the story of Sydney Carton, a shrewd young English lawyer who develops a strong, unrequited love for Lucie Manette, a young loving French woman who grew up in England. The show runs from June 18 to Aug. 11 at Charlotte Theater in Seoul. Tickets range from 60,000 won to 130,000 won. For more information, call 1544-1555.

“Kafka on the Shore”: Famed Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s 2002 novel “Kafka on the Shore” is being staged as a play in Seoul. A production by American director Frank Galati, the show premiered in Chicago in 2008 and had a successful Japanese run in 2012. Based on Murakami’s literary blend of magical realism and suspenseful plot, the play follows its 15-year-old protagonist Kafka who runs away from his father’s home to escape an Oedipal curse. “Kafka on the Shore” runs from May 4 to June 16 at DongSoong Art Center in Seoul. For more information, call (02) 764-1008.

“Those Days”: Late folk-rock singer Kim Kwang-seok’s (1964-1996) music is being made into a musical. The piece, titled “Those Days,” features a total of 30 songs written by the late artist, while telling the story of the daughter of a Korean president who goes missing on the day of the 20th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations. It features popular musical and TV actors Yoo Jun-sang and Oh Man-seok, as well as actresses Kim Jeong-hwa and Bang Jin-ui. The show runs from April 4 to June 30 at Daehangno Musical Center in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 55,000 won to 99,000 won. For more information, call (070) 7016-2470.

Dance

“The Dog and The Shadow”: The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is staging its latest work “The Dog and The Shadow” this month. The piece is loosely inspired by a story from Aesop’s Fables of the same title and explores how memories shape us into who we are. In the fable, a dog carrying a piece of meat in his mouth sees his own reflection in the water while crossing a stream. Thinking it is another dog with another piece of meat, he opens his mouth to bark and seize the food. But as he does so, his meat falls into the stream. The dance interprets the dog’s own reflection as one’s accumulated ― and sometimes romanticized ― memories, and delves into why we are often fascinated by them. “The Dog and The Shadow” runs from June 28 to 30 at CJ Towol Theater of Seoul Arts Center. All tickets cost 15,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3472-1420. 

“Onegin”: Korea’s Universal Ballet Company is presenting John Cranko’s three-act ballet using Tchaikovsky’s music in an arrangement by Kurt-Heins Stolze. It is based on Alexander Pushkin’s 19th-century novel “Eugune Onegin,” which features the tragic love story of its young, but selfish and arrogant eponymous protagonist. Two American Ballet Theater dancers ― Korean-born Seo Hee and Roberto Bolle ― have been invited to perform the leads. “Onegin” runs from July 6 to 13 at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater. Tickets range from 10,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, visit www.universalballet.com or call (02) 540-1300.

“Soloist Gala Performance: Jun Eun-sun with Soloists from The Royal Swedish Ballet”: Korean-born ballerina Jun Eun-sun, currently a soloist at the Royal Swedish Ballet, will perform at a special gala performance in Seoul. Jun, who graduated from Ewha Womans University’s dance program in Seoul, was a principal dancer for Korea’s Universal Ballet Company from 1996 to 2002 before moving to Europe. For the upcoming performance in Seoul, Jun will be performing with her fellow dancers at the Royal Swedish Ballet, including Jan-Erik Wikstrom, Jonna Savioja, Daniel Norgren-Jensen and Jeannette Diaz Barbosa. The gala’s lineup includes scenes from “La Bayadere,” “The Nutcracker” and Italian choreographer Luca Vetere’s “Lamento.” The one-day show is set to be held on June 23 at Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul. There will be two performances ― at 2 p.m. and at 5 p.m. Tickets range from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 440-0500.

Classical music

“Beethoven’s Complete 32 Piano Sonatas”: Pianist Kim Sun-wook continues his journey to complete all 32 Beethoven sonatas by this year. The second session of this year’s four-part recital will be held on June 20 at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul at 8 p.m. The project launched last year with Kim playing 16 out of 32 sonatas. Kim will perform sonatas Nos. 22-26 including No. 23 “Appassionata”; No. 24 “A Thrse”; and No. 26 “Les adieux/Das Lebewohl.” Tickets are priced between 30,000 won and 70,000 won and can be purchased at www.lgart.com. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114.

“Great Composer Tchaikovsky”: A concert dedicated to the legendary Russian composer Tchaikovsky will be held at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on June 28. Acclaimed conductor Kim Dae-jin will lead the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Minor Op. 23 and Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Op. 17 “Little Russian.” Rising star pianist Kim Kyu-yeon will join on stage for the first piece. The concert is part of the SAC’s yearlong project highlighting the Russian composer. More concerts are scheduled for Sept. 26, Oct. 23 and Nov. 14. Tickets, priced between 20,000 won and 40,000 won, can be purchased at www.sacticket.co.kr. For more information, call (02) 580-1300.

“DITTO Festival”: The annual DITTO Festival focusing on chamber music is back with bigger names and events through June 30 at Seoul Arts Center and LG Arts Center. This year, Bach will be highlighted. Ensemble DITTO members ― violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, violinists Stefan Pi Jackiw and Daniel Chong, pianist Ji Yong and cellist Michael Nicholas ― will be joined on the lineup by guest stars such as bassist DaXun Chang, pianists Francesco Tristano and Lim Dong-hyek, violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin, conductor Adriel Kim, flutist Cho Sung-hyun and the Ditto Chamber Orchestra. Powerhouses such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with “Chinese sensation” pianist Yuja Wang as well as violinist Anne Sophie Mutter with her 14 protgs will also be part of the festival as special performers. Tickets, priced between 30,000 won and 100,000 won, can be purchased at www.sacticket.co.kr, www.interpark.com and www.clubbalcony.co.kr. For more information about the festival, visit www.dittofest.com.

“The Academy of Ancient Music”: The Academy of Ancient Music, one of the most internationally acclaimed orchestras of Baroque music, is presenting essential pieces of the Baroque masters at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on June 18-19 at 8 p.m. The group led by Pavlo Beznosiuk will perform works of Vivaldi, Purcell and Handel on the first day, accompanied by renowned Korean soprano Lim Sun-hye. On the second day, the orchestra will play the pieces of Corelli, Purcell, Bach, Handel, Haydn and Mozart with violinist Bojan Cicic. Tickets are priced between 40,000 won and 140,000 won and are available at www.sacticket.co.kr. For more information, call (02) 599-5743.