The Korea Times

Artistry of French umbrellas showcased at Platform-L

Installation view of "Summer Bloom" / Courtesy of Platform-L Contemporary Art CenterBy Kwon Mee-yooUmbrellas may be a modern necessity, but few consider them to be worthy of special attention. However, French umbrella collector and maker Michel Heurtault thinks differently. He has brought his prized collections to Seoul. Heurtault's collection of French umbrellas and parasols, as well as those he created himself, are on view along with contemporary art at the Platform-L Contemporary Art Center in southern Seoul. The art center was established by the fashion house Louis Quatorze and it has been exhibiting craftworks as well as contemporary art pieces faithful to the mother company's characteristics. Titled “Summer Bloom,” the exhibit gives a peek into a period when the umbrella was a high fashion item hinting at social status.“It has been over three decades since I started collecting umbrellas and parasols. From childhood I was fascinated by the fabric held tight on the ribs of an umbrella. Maybe there was a master umbrella maker in my ancestry,” Heurtault said

Jun 24, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Artistry of French umbrellas showcased at Platform-L

Arts & Theater

Seventeen's Dokyeom makes musical debut in 'Xcalibur'

Dokyeom, or DK of K-pop group Seventeen, plays King Arthur in the new musical "Xcalibur" at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Courtesy of EMK Musical CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yooDokyeom, or DK of K-pop group Seventeen, will make his musical acting debut as King Arthur in the new musical "Xcalibur" at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Wednesday. "Xcalibur," produced by EMK Musical Company, is one of the highly anticipated blockbuster theatrical productions of the year here. The musical, directed by Stephen Rayne, is the latest collaboration between composer Frank Wildhorn and playwright Ivan Menchell, who are the brains behind many hit musicals including "Bonnie and Clyde," "Death Note" and "Mata Hari." The musical reinterprets the British legend of King Arthur, centering on his leadership and charisma, and his path from being an ordinary man to becoming the legendary king after pulling the sword Excalibur from a sacred stone. The music composed by Wildhorn, one of Koreans' favorite theater composers, is in the Celtic style.Dokyeom plays the lead role alo

Jun 18, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Seventeen's Dokyeom makes musical debut in 'Xcalibur'

Arts & Theater

Yun Hyong-keun exhibit recognized in Venice

Visitors have a look around "Yun Hyong-keun, a Retrospective" at Palazzo Fortuny in Venice. Courtesy of MMCABy Kwon Mee-yoo"Dansaekhwa" (Korean monochrome painting) artist Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007) is considered one of the masters of Korean modern art, who lived through Korea's tumultuous modern history. Yun's distinctive style used a wide brush to create thick strokes in a single color on hemp or linen canvases. He mainly used dark blue, or ultramarine, representing heaven and umber symbolizing earth."Yun Hyong-keun, a Retrospective," being held at Palazzo Fortuny alongside the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, is co-presented by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) and the Civic Museums of Venice and features over 60 works by the late artist.The exhibit was first held in Seoul last year and attracted over 316,000 visitors. The Venice museum took interest in the retrospective and invited the MMCA to bring the art works for display during the world's largest contemporary art biennale.The Venice exhibit became a favorite among ar

Jun 18, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Yun Hyong-keun exhibit recognized in Venice

Arts & Theater

New look on modern art pioneers who abandoned brushes

Jung Chan-young's "Peacock" (1935) / Courtesy of MMCABy Kwon Mee-yooKorea's modern art grew up in a harsh environment as the country went through colonization by Japan in the early 20th century and political upheavals afterwards. "Rediscovery of Korean Modern Artists 1, When Brushes Are Abandoned,” a new exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) at Deoksu Palace sheds light on those who paved way for modern art in Korea, but were unfairly consigned to oblivion as they stopped working for different reasons. Jung Chan-youngJung Chan-youngJung Chan-young (1906-88) is the only female artist featured in the exhibition. Jung made a stellar debut as a female artist with her ink and color paintings of flowers and birds being accepted at the Joseon Art Exhibition in 1929 and 1930.The lotus painting was her first entry in the national exhibition. What makes Jung different from traditional painters is that she made sketches in the field, instead of imagining scenes. "Jung said she was often reproached when she went out with her art tool box to sketch outside,

Jun 17, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

New look on modern art pioneers who abandoned brushes

Arts & Theater

'Something Rotten' is in fact something delightful

Matthew Baker plays William Shakespeare in the musical "Something Rotten!" / Courtesy of M Tree Music and S&COBy Kwon Mee-yooDespite its worldwide popularity, musical theater is an unusual genre. Characters start singing out of nowhere after saying their lines and burst into dance breaks in the middle of songs. Broadway musical "Something Rotten!" cleverly and delightfully imagines the origin of the genre, taking audiences back to the time of William Shakespeare.The musical, written by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and composed by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, premiered on Broadway in 2015 and received favorable reviews and a Tony Award for Christian Borle as Best Featured Actor in a Musical. After closing the Broadway production, the musical launched a U.S. tour and now the touring production has arrived in the Chungmu Art Center in Seoul as their final destination.Kevin McCollum, Broadway's producer with the Hand of Midas who has worked on "Rent," "Avenue Q" and "In the Heights," emphasized the importance of Korea in musical theater. "Broadway is now the longest road in t

Jun 14, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Something Rotten' is in fact something delightful

Arts & Theater

Lee Kun-yong draws with his body

Artist Lee Kun-yong re-eancts his 1979 performance "Snail's Gallop" during a June 3 press preview of his solo exhibition "Form of Now" at Pace Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. YonhapAvant-garde artist gets attention after 40 yearsBy Kwon Mee-yooLee Kun-yong, a trailblazer of performance art in Korea, lets his body do the talking.The 77-year-old artist took off his shoes and socks and hunkered down at Pace Seoul, where his solo exhibition “Form of Now” is on view, during a press preview on June 3.He started to move onward, marking lines with a piece of chalk in his right hand, moving it from side to side. As the artist advanced, part of the lines were erased by the artist's feet."It's simple. Drawing a line is the most basic form of drawing, something even a beginner can do. I draw lines and my body erases what I draw at the same time," Lee recalled his first performance of "Snail's Gallop" at Sao Paulo Art Biennial in 1979."I started drawing chalk lines in a corner of the press conference venue. At first, nobody was interested in a small artist in a squatting position, but as

Jun 12, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Universal Ballet to perform 'Swan Lake' in France

Poster for the Universal Ballet Company's "Swan Lake" at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France, from June 21-23. Courtesy of UBCBy Kwon Mee-yooThe Universal Ballet Company (UBC) will perform “Swan Lake” at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France, from June 21-23, on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. The tour is organized by Valery Colin and the production company Val Prod invited the UBC on their expense for the four performances. Korea's leading private dance company has been actively touring the world since 1985 when it became the first Korean ballet company to go overseas for a performance. It has performed in some 18 countries in Asia, Europe, America and Africa.“Paris is a city all artists admire. Not anyone can perform in Paris and it is more difficult to win recognition in Paris. France is the country where ballet developed into an art form and it is a blessing and adventure to be invited to present a classic ballet in a country of such historical significance. We will do our best to prove this opportunity is the best moment for the UBC,” Julia Mo

Jun 10, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Universal Ballet to perform 'Swan Lake' in France

Arts & Theater

Entrepreneur-artist Ci Kim finds solace in art

Artist Ci Kim poses in front of his coffee stain works on display at his 10th solo exhibition “Voice of Harmony” at Arario Gallery Cheonan in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of Arario GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooSome people might think lightly of Ci Kim's dedication to art as the hobby of a millionaire, but he shows how art can be cherished and can enrich one's life in his monumental 10th exhibition “Voice of Harmony” at Arario Gallery Cheonan, opened in May. Also known as Kim Chang-il, Kim wears multiple hats ― a self-made millionaire, art collector and self-taught artist.“My double-facedness torments me and I often had fits or scream alone in my Jeju residence. I am a keen but timid person and everything I hear sounds like the beat of music. When the sound became dissonant, I get stressed and sometimes I destroyed canvases,” Kim said.Even his family opposed him collecting and practicing art, blaming art for his agony.“As time passed, I got used to the discord and the sound in my head started to harmonize and I felt like a maestro. T

Jun 3, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Entrepreneur-artist Ci Kim finds solace in art

Arts & Theater

Korean gallerists abroad bring diversity to Art Busan

Visitors take a look around Art Busan 2019 at BEXCO in Busan, Thursday. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooBUSAN ― Art Busan, the second largest art fair in Korea in terms of total sales as of 2018, successfully wrapped up its eighth edition Sunday with more international participants. A total of 164 galleries from 17 countries took part in the art fair held in BEXCO in Busan, including a few galleries operated by Koreans overseas, playing an important role in promoting Korean art internationally while introducing lesser-known artists to Korean collectors.Byun Won-kyung, director of Aando Fine Art, based in Berlin, Germany, brought works of Korean artist Nam Tchun-mo as well as a handful international artists. Aya Ben Ron's relief on plywood "7 Sisters ― Shift 2" was put on sale by the gallery. Ben Ron represented Israel at the Venice Biennale 2019, showcasing "Field Hospital X," an installation to cure social illness. Aando Fine Art also presented works by Dragos Badita, Esther Tielemans, Hansjorg Schneider and Sławomir Elsner.Byun has been actively introducing Korean artist to the European art s

Jun 2, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean gallerists abroad bring diversity to Art Busan

Arts & Theater

Park Seo-bo tirelessly pours himself into art

Artist Park Seo-bo speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Gizi, or Park Seo-bo Art Base, in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, May 14. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk88-year-old abstract artist experiments new 'Ecriture' styleBy Kwon Mee-yooThough now a respected figure in the Korean art world, Park Seo-bo, 88, was not always a gentle lamb in the herd. Once a rebellious artist, he is a pioneering figure of abstract art in Korea. In the early 1950s he won prizes at the National Art Exhibition of Korea, which was a major gateway for aspiring artists to debut. However in 1956, he made a statement blasting the institution, boycotting it. Park's 1957 work "Painting No.1" is considered the first Informal art in Korea, a term for abstract art with gestural and improvisatory characteristics. He led the formation of the dansaekhwa movement, the campaign for emphasis on the meditative aspect of art production, which emerged in the 1970s.Park cultivated Korean contemporary art not only as an artist but also as a critic, administrator and educator. He taught at his alma mater Hongik Universi

May 30, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

Artistry of French umbrellas showcased at Platform-L

Seventeen's Dokyeom makes musical debut in 'Xcalibur'

Yun Hyong-keun exhibit recognized in Venice

New look on modern art pioneers who abandoned brushes

'Something Rotten' is in fact something delightful

Lee Kun-yong draws with his body

Universal Ballet to perform 'Swan Lake' in France

Entrepreneur-artist Ci Kim finds solace in art

Korean gallerists abroad bring diversity to Art Busan

Park Seo-bo tirelessly pours himself into art

Top 5 stories