The Korea Times

Tradition reborn through collaboration

Installation view of "Tamis Project O" by Lee Seul-gi at Gallery Hyundai / Courtesy of the artist and Gallery HyundaiBy Kwon Mee-yooArtist Lee Seul-gi redefines tradition by adding layers of contemporariness to anthropological objects such as a quilt, sieve and basket in collaboration with craftspeople.At her solo exhibition "DAMASESE," on view from Nov. 15 to Dec. 23, Lee casts a well-wishing incantation she conjured up for all kinds of artisans who are devoted to the fine art of craftsmanship.Upon entering the gallery, visitors will face yellow ginkgo leaves on the floor against colorful walls in Lee's “Ginkgo Project B.”"Gingko trees are known as one of the oldest trees that connect the East and the West. Viewers will experience the relationship with colors as they go into and transform the space," Lee said at a press preview of the exhibit, Tuesday."And these leaves will wither and change color and shape as the exhibition runs through December. When you examine gingko leaves closely, there are lines on each leaf and the lines remind people of line quilting techniques

Nov 14, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

New NTOK CEO aims to bridge 2 Koreas

Kim Che0l-ho, new CEO of National Theater of Korea, speaks during a press conference in central Seoul on Nov. 8. / Courtesy of NTOKBy Kwon Mee-yooAfter Kim Cheol-ho took the helm at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK) in September following a year-long leadership void, he unveiled his plans as CEO to act as a hub of cultural exchanges between North and South Korea.As the nation's flagship theater's 70th anniversary in 2020 is approaching, Kim said at a press conference last week that he hopes to invite a North Korean art troupe for the anniversary festival, which coincides with the reopening of the theater's main Haeoreum Theater. Kim, 65, is an old hand in traditional Korean music. Prior to the NTOK leadership post, he served as director-general of the National Gugak Center and director of the Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra.He previously was involved in musical exchanges between the two Koreas, taking part in a North-South joint concert on composer Yun I-sang at Mount Geumgang and visited Pyongyang University of Music and Dance in 2006 while leading the National Gug

Nov 12, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

'Civilization' seen through photography

Installation view of “Civilization: The Way We Live Now” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon / Courtesy of MMCAPhotographers capture present, imagine futureBy Kwon Mee-yooPhotography has become an inseparable part of human civilization. There's no corner of this world without photographers documenting, recording and interpreting the world through the lens. "Civilization: The Way We Live Now," a new exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon (MMCA), takes a peek into the complex lives of humans.Outgoing MMCA director Bartomeu Mari took part in organizing the large-scale exhibition held in collaboration with the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography (FEP)."Photography was invented in the 19th century and has close relations with contemporary art since it defined the visual culture of the 20th century. However, photography of our generation is very different from the past. This exhibit is evidence we are committed to understand present for imagination of future," Mari said of the exhibit. Mari said "Civilizat

Nov 8, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

'siren eun young jung' questions gender norms through women-only theater

Artist Jung Eun-young poses for a photo at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul on Oct. 23. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kwon Mee-yooArtist Jung Eun-young, also stylized as “siren eun young jung,” is known for her research-based "Yeoseong Gukgeuk" project, and for winning the Korea Artist Prize 2018 recently for "her attempt to borrow the form of contemporary art to deal with disappearing traditional arts and her interpretation of the state of gender identity in the form of staged art."Co-presented by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) and SBS Foundation, the award recognizes artists who contributed to the advance of contemporary art in Korea. Jung's winning this year coincides with raised awareness of feminism and gender issues in the country.Jung's main subject "yeoseong gukgeuk" is a type of women-only theater that was most popular in the 1950s, but became extinct soon after. The artist has been researching and analyzing the sociopolitical background of the forgotten theatrical practice and put it into the form

Nov 4, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

'siren eun young jung' questions gender norms through women-only theater

K-pop

Wanna One's new teaser causes plagiarism controversy

An image from John Cameron Mitchell's film "Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” left, and teaser image of Wanna One's upcoming album / Courtesy of AtNine Film and Swing EntertainmentBy Kwon Mee-yooK-pop sensation Wanna One released teaser images and a video ahead of their first studio album "1¹¹=1 (POWER OF DESTINY)," which is slated for a Nov. 19 release, but were embroiled in a plagiarism controversy over the similarity of their new symbol to the iconic two-face imagery from John Cameron Mitchell's cult musical and film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”As Korean fans notified the creator, who held a concert in Seoul in early October, Mitchell shared his thoughts on Wanna One's use of the imagery and song titled "The Origin of Love" written by Stephen Trask."An ancient myth is fair game to use as a metaphor for a band and its fans coming together but I'm sad to think that their managers felt the need to borrow so flagrantly without attribution and flatten the myth," he wrote on Instagram.In an attached video, Mitchell said, "It felt a little bit rude because they're a

Oct 31, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Wanna One's new teaser causes plagiarism controversy

Arts & Theater

Russian ballet dancers visit Korea for 'La Bayadere'

Svetlana Zakharova, left, and Denis Rodkin pose for a photo during a press conference for ballet "La Bayadere" at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Monday. Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing ArtsBy Kwon Mee-yooTop Russian ballet dancer Svetlana Zakharova and Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer Denis Rodkin will dance the tragic love story of temple dancer Nikiya and Solor in "La Bayadere" with the Universal Ballet Company (UBC) in Seoul on Nov. 1 and 4. Korea's first-ever private ballet company, which celebrated its 34th anniversary this year, will stage Marius Petipa's "La Bayadere" at the Grand Theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul from Nov. 1 to 4. Julia Moon, president and director of UBC, said the company and Sejong Center have a long relationship with "La Bayadere" since UBC introduced the large-scale piece to Korea in 1999. "This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sejong Center as well as the 200th anniversary of Petipa's birth. We are excited to present one of the largest classical ballet repertoires here," Moon said at a press conferenc

Oct 30, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Russian ballet dancers visit Korea for 'La Bayadere'

K-pop

Korean clarinetist Chae picked as Geneva Competition jury

By Kwon Mee-yooClarinetist and Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS) professor Chae Jae-il was picked to be on the jury for the Geneva Clarinet Competition 2018, which will be held from Nov. 3 to 14 in Geneva, Switzerland.Also known as Jerry Chae, the 40-year-old musician became the first Korean to judge the Geneva International Music Competition.Founded in 1939 by composer Henri Gagnebin of the Geneva Conservatory, the Geneva International Music Competition alternates between eight main disciplines ― piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, cello, viola, string quartet, voice and percussion ― and awards a composition prize every two years. This year, piano and clarinet competitions are going to be held. Along with Chae, Vincent Alberola of Spain, Lorenzo Coppola of Italy, Romain Guyot of France, Kari Kriikku of Finland and Richard Stoltzman of the United States are on the list of juries led by jury president Sharon Kam of Israel.Chae is the only Korean winner of the Geneva Clarinet Competition, receiving a special prize in 2007.Other Korean winners of the prestigious international music c

Oct 29, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

'Oslo' reminds audiences of inter-Korean drama

A scene from the play "Oslo," directed by Lee Sung-yol / Courtesy of National Theater Company of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooThe Asian premiere of the play “Oslo,” produced by the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK), deals with an unfamiliar Middle Eastern event, but it resonated with Korean audiences because of its similarities with the recent thaw between North and South Korea.Written by J. T. Rogers, the play premiered on Off-Broadway in June 2016 and transferred to Broadway in April 2017, sweeping the Tony Awards, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Drama League Award and the Obie Awards for the year's best new play. The NTCK nimble-footedly brought the multiple award-winning play to Korea about a year after it swept the Great White Way and the company's artistic director Lee Sung-yol makes his first directorial attempt after appointing to the post. The plot is simple ― it revolves around the Oslo Peace Accords, the first face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed on Sept. 13, 1993. People would recall the his

Oct 29, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Oslo' reminds audiences of inter-Korean drama

Arts & Theater

Yoo Hee-young's abstract paintings reflect his struggle with colors

Yoo Hee-young poses for a photo in front of his painting on view at Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul. Courtesy of Gallery HyundaiBy Kwon Mee-yooArtist Yoo Hee-young's color field abstract paintings look simple at first glance with single-colored canvases divided by straight lines. But the pure colors and geometry on the canvas reflect the artist's meditative mind.The 78-year-old artist, mostly well-known as the director of Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) from 2007 to 2012, unveils his latest endeavor in color field abstract at his solo exhibition at the Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul.This is Yoo's first solo exhibit in 15 years and features his abstract paintings that he completed after the 2000s."I did not stop painting while I was the SeMA director. I continued to paint on weekends and though I didn't hold any solo exhibitions for over a decade, I took part in many group exhibitions," Yoo said during a press preview of the exhibit.Yoo won the ninth National Art Exhibition in 1960 at the age of 21. In his early days, Yoo was an artist of experimentation, which resulted in lyrical abstr

Oct 22, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Yoo Hee-young's abstract paintings reflect his struggle with colors

Arts & Theater

INTERVIEW Cha Ji-yeon pushes every boundary she can

Cha Ji-yeon as Francesca in the musical "Bridges of Madison County" / Courtesy of ShownoteBy Kwon Mee-yooThe four-day affair between housewife Francesca and photographer Robert in the musical "The Bridges of Madison County" might look adulterous, but actress Cha Ji-yeon, who plays Francesca for the Korean production of the musical now on stage at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul, found deep yet subtle feelings of a woman in it."I am very well aware that the subject matter is different from social norms,” she told The Korea Times. “However, the flow of the story under the skin is tightly woven. It revolves around a woman and shows how she changes and gets old. It's a rare chance for an actress to follow a character's life's journey on stage. I am blessed as an actress to play such a delicate role with gorgeous music."Debuting in 2006 playing the sagacious mandrill Rafiki in "The Lion King" at the age of 23, Cha has played some of the most coveted roles among actresses. These include Elphaba in "Wicked," Aida in "Aida," Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca" and Effie White in "D

Oct 19, 2018By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

Tradition reborn through collaboration

New NTOK CEO aims to bridge 2 Koreas

'Civilization' seen through photography

'siren eun young jung' questions gender norms through women-only theater

Wanna One's new teaser causes plagiarism controversy

Russian ballet dancers visit Korea for 'La Bayadere'

Korean clarinetist Chae picked as Geneva Competition jury

'Oslo' reminds audiences of inter-Korean drama

Yoo Hee-young's abstract paintings reflect his struggle with colors

INTERVIEW Cha Ji-yeon pushes every boundary she can

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