The Korea Times

'Immersive Gatsby' is invitation to glitzy party

An immersive theater version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” is currently staged at the Gatsby Mansion, located on the second floor of the Grevin Seoul Museum in downtown Seoul. Courtesy of Mast EntertainmentBy Kwon Mee-yoo“Immersive Gatsby,” an immersive theater production based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel “The Great Gatsby,” has arrived in Seoul, taking audiences into the extravagant Roaring Twenties. Created by the Guild of Misrule and directed by Alexander Wright of other immersive theatrical productions such as "The Wolf of Wall Street," “Immersive Gatsby” is the longest running immersive production in the U.K., premiering back in 2015 and joining the Vault Festival in 2017.Immersive theater is a relatively new twist in a performance, which breaks the fourth wall ― the space that separates actors from the audience in traditional performance art. In immersive theater there are no designated seats and no stage, but audiences can immerse themselves in the performance by interacting with performers. "Immersive Gatsb

Jan 12, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Immersive Gatsby' is invitation to glitzy party

Arts & Theater

Korea's modern history seen through figure paintings

Lee In-sung's “One Autumn Day” (1934) is on view at “Portrait, Figure and People - Modern and Contemporary Figure Paintings of Korea” exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul. Courtesy of Gallery HyundaiBy Kwon Mee-yooToday, the definition of art is almost infinite. Various forms of art such as abstract painting, conceptual art and performance showcase the complex and challenging world of modern art, which departed from the world after photography was invented in the 19th century.However, figurative painting still holds great importance in the history of modern art and even nowadays. According to Alina Cohen of Artsy, figurative painting can be just as challenging, stimulating and groundbreaking when done well.A new look at the traditional genre of painting can bring a new perspective on history. "Portrait, Figure and People ― Modern and Contemporary Figure Paintings of Korea," an exhibition currently on view at Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul, sheds light on the turbulent modern history of Korea through paintings depicting human figures, while commemor

Jan 9, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea's modern history seen through figure paintings

Arts & Theater

Boyd reveals history of subjugated

Australian artist Daniel Boyd poses in front of “Untitled (YMKSMRWAKP)” at Kukje Gallery Busan in southern city of Busan in December. Courtesy of Kukje GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooBUSAN ― Australian artist Daniel Boyd explores an inextricable part of history and the identity of Oceania ― Aboriginal Australians. Boyd pays attention to the beginning of Australia and restores what general historians missed through artworks.At "Recalcitrant Radiance" at Kukje Gallery Busan, Boyd brings historical figures and incidents of Australia seen through his lens. This is the first solo exhibition of the artist of Aboriginal descent in Korea.Boyd's identity plays a key role in his works as he reinterprets the history of his home country based on his Aboriginal identity. While the established history shows a standardized narrative from a Eurocentric perspective, Boyd emphasizes a multiplicity of perspectives through images with various layers of time and space."The questions I have are about where my place is, being in the world and how I relate to things and others," Boyd said during his visi

Jan 7, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Trends

Productive year awaits nation

A new day is about to dawn over the cityscape of Seoul, seen from the Namhansanseong Fortress in Gyeonggi Province on Dec. 27. The year 2020 is the Year of the Rat, which opens up a new 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulRats symbolize wisdom, intelligence and diligence By Kwon Mee-yooThe year 2020 is the Year of the Rat, which opens up a new 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac. As the first animal to finish the Great Race of the Chinese zodiac legend, the quick-witted rat represents new beginnings and versatility.In the Great Race organized by the Jade Emperor to designate the animals for calendrical signs, the small but clever rat crosses the water by riding on the ox and jumps ahead at the finish line to arrive first, becoming the first animal of the Chinese zodiac.Though the tiniest among the zodiac animals, the rat represents intelligence and productivity. As a god of direction and time, the rat symbolizes north in direction and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in time period.Specifically, 2020 is the Year of the White Rat in the

Dec 31, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Remembering ghosts of modern history

Im Heung-soon stands in front of “Ghost Guide” at The Page Gallery in eastern Seoul. Courtesy of The Page GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooArtist Im Heung-soon pays attention to those who are marginalized. He is best known for winning the Silver Lion at the 2015 Venice Biennale for his video "Factory Complex," which looks into the life of female laborers in Korea as well as Vietnam and Cambodia. Im goes by the title of artist-film director, blurring the line between fine art and film. While preparing for his solo exhibition, Im also released the documentary "Things That Do Us Part" in November. The documentary film is an extension project from Im's 2017 exhibition of the same name at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.Im's works are differentiated from typical documentaries as he collects individual narratives neglected in the course of history and reconstructs them by interweaving metaphorical and symbolic footage.The artist shifted his interest to the people who had suffered tragic events in modern history and are still processing those events. That is the i

Dec 23, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Leandro Erlich reimagines perception through reflections

Leandro Erlich's site-specific installation “In the Shadow of the Pagoda” at the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art takes inspiration from the Korean romance legend of “Muyeongtap” (Pagoda of No Shadow). Courtesy of SeMABy Kwon Mee-yooArgentine artist Leandro Erlich reinterprets the Korean romance legend of "Muyeongtap” (Pagoda of No Shadow) in a poetic yet playful installation titled "In the Shadow of the Pagoda" at his solo exhibition in Korea. Titled "LEANDRO ERLICH: Both Sides Now," the solo show is currently on view at the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art in northern Seoul, a branch of Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA). Beck Jee-sook, director of SeMA, said the museum focused on how the artist establishes relationships with each city he exhibits."The Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, opened in 2013, wraps up another rich year with a Leandro Erlich exhibition. Erlich also spent a busy year, holding large-scale solo exhibitions at the CAFA Museum in Beijing, China, and at the MALBA in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier this year. Most recently, he attracted public eyes to his sand car ins

Dec 22, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Leandro Erlich reimagines perception through reflections

Arts & Theater

Delightful, moving 'Big Fish' swims into Seoul

A scene from the musical "Big Fish" / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kwon Mee-yooThe musical “Big Fish,” based on the 1998 novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 film directed by Tim Burton, breathes new life into the father-son story set in the southern U.S. state of Alabama.Korean entertainment company CJ ENM was one of the associate producers of the musical's original production on Broadway in 2013 and six years later, the musical finally arrived at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul.The plot interweaves two different timelines ― in the present-day world, newlywed journalist Will Bloom faces his big talker father Edward's illness, while teenage Edward unravels whimsical adventures featuring a mermaid, a witch, a giant and a werewolf in the fantasy world.Unlike any other previous productions of "Big Fish," the new Korean production helmed by Scott Schwartz begins with a flashback in which young Will listens to his salesman father's mermaid tale."This version of the script has never been done before. I think one of the major differences is the very beginning of the show. The fi

Dec 18, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Delightful, moving 'Big Fish' swims into Seoul

Arts & Theater

Moon Sung-sic seeks for essence of painting

Moon Sung-sic stands in front of his work "Just Life," currently displayed at Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Courtesy of Kukje GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooMoon Sung-sic, also stylized as Sungsic Moon, is an artist who is never complacent. At "Beautiful. Strange. Dirty.," a solo exhibition held at the Kukje Gallery in downtown Seoul, Moon unravels the complexity of the world seen through his eyes in a unique style combining Eastern and Western drawing traditions.Moon is the youngest Korean artist to take part in the Korean Pavilion at the 2005 Venice Biennale when he was in graduate school. Such early success could have been a poisoned chalice, but he continued to explore his artistic world. "I started my professional career as an artist as early as sophomore year in university. I've been drawing what I wanted to draw, but it took a while for me to sort out my thoughts," Moon said at an interview with The Korea Times earlier this month. "I was lucky (to exhibit at the Venice Biennale), but there were many things I had to endure. I became an artist without much in store, but I had to create somethi

Dec 16, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Moon Sung-sic seeks for essence of painting

Arts & Theater

Triumphant return of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

A masquerade ball scene from the musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” which opens up the show's second act / Courtesy of S&COBy Kwon Mee-yooRainer Fried, associate director of "The Phantom of the Opera" / Courtesy of S&COBUSAN ― The most famed, mysterious and captivating masked figure in musical theater, also known as "The Phantom of the Opera," has returned to Korea. A new touring production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical raised its curtain last Friday at the Dream Theater in the southern port city of Busan, where it will run through Feb. 9 before traveling to Seoul and Daegu next year. "The Phantom" is considered a game changer in the Korean musical theater industry, which doubled the size of the market when it premiered in Korea back in 2001. Associate director Rainer Fried, who directed previous productions of "The Phantom" in Korea, feels confident because of Koreans' endless love for the show."I am proud of this production of 'The Phantom of the Opera' and especially proud to bring it to Busan for the first time," Fried said. "There's something about the

Dec 15, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Triumphant return of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

Arts & Theater

Master mechanical engineer's speaker wears young design

Overhand, a vacuum tube Bluetooth speaker designed by Above Studio and manufactured by Knot Lab / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kwon Mee-yooIn the era of digital music, people mostly listen to music through their mobile phone or computer with sleek earphones or digital speakers. However, there is still a nostalgic demand for the analogue sound of the golden era of audio. Such a trend is reflected in the vacuum tube Bluetooth speaker co-created by Knot Lab and Above Studio, which won the Grand Prize for collaboration at the DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza) Design Fair last week.Ryu Jae-ryong of the Knot Lab is an electronic controls and sound systems engineer, currently based in the Sewoon Shopping Center in central Seoul. The shopping arcade, established in 1968, is located near Euljiro, Seoul's urban hub of manufacturing industry. "I have been around the Sewoon Arcade for over five decades. When I first came here, it was about to break ground for the shopping center. At first, Sewoon Shopping Center was so popular that I couldn't get space inside it, so I had to open an office in

Dec 12, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Master mechanical engineer's speaker wears young design

Euljiro's lighting industry seeks originality

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

'Immersive Gatsby' is invitation to glitzy party

Korea's modern history seen through figure paintings

Boyd reveals history of subjugated

Productive year awaits nation

Remembering ghosts of modern history

Leandro Erlich reimagines perception through reflections

Delightful, moving 'Big Fish' swims into Seoul

Moon Sung-sic seeks for essence of painting

Triumphant return of 'The Phantom of the Opera'

Master mechanical engineer's speaker wears young design

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