The Korea Times

When fools rushed in

Large-scale artworks are seen on the slopes of Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, ahead of the PyeongChang Biennale later this month. / YonhapThe upcoming PyeongChang Biennale, apparently prepared in haste, is the latest in a growing list of biannual art festivals held across Korea. Regrettably, quantity has come at the cost of quality. The photo shows the works of sculptor Jo Sook-jin displayed at the “Chairs, Walk’’ exhibit, during the Cheongju International Craft Biennale in 2011./ Korea Times fileMany biennales being rendered irrelevant By Kwon Mee-yooAre there too many art festivals with no unique aim? This has become a relevant question with Korea seemingly adding a biennale, or biannual art festival, year after year.The 18-year-old Gwangju Biennale is the oldest event and remains the most relevant one. PyeongChang Biennale (PCB), which debuts later this month, is the newest addition that will be born astride an identity crisis.The slopes of PyeongChang’s massive Alpensia Resort have been decorated with large-scale, site-specific

Jul 11, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

'American Idiot' to hit Seoul in September

After a successful run in the U.S., rock musical "American Idiot’’ is ready to arrive on Korean shores./  Courtesy of John Daughtry and OD Musical CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yoo“American Idiot,” a punk rock musical featuring the music of the band Green Day, will come to Korea in September.Based on the band’s seventh studio album with the same title, “American Idiot” is full of the raw energy and angst of a disaffected generation. The album itself was envisioned as a rock opera by vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong, and the musical is faithful to both the music and concept.Michael Mayer, the famed director of “Spring Awakening,” expanded the narrative of the rock opera in cooperation with the band. The show won a cult fan base among rock music lovers and theater fans alike.The musical revolves around three discontented young men living in a fictional suburban town. Johnny, also known as “Jesus of Suburbia,” and his friends Will and Tunny seek to escape suburbia and find the freedom and excitement of the big city.However, the yo

Jun 28, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

'American Idiot' to hit Seoul in September

Arts & Theater

Snappier side of Chekhov

Actress Park Jung-ja plays Vasili Svietlovidoff in Anton Chekhov’s “Swan Song,” which is staged as part of “14 in Chekhov” at Project Box Seeya in Seoul through July 7. / Courtesy of Project Box SeeyaA group of veteran actors present Russian playwright's lesser-known one-act playsBy Kwon Mee-yoo  There is more to Anton Chekhov than “The Seagull,” “The Cherry Orchard” and “Uncle Vanya.” This is what a group of Korean actors are trying to illustrate as they stage the lesser-known one-act plays of the Russian playwright that are as witty, thoughtful and biting as his longer ones.The “14 in Chekhov” performance at the Project Box Seeya theater in Dongbinggo-dong, Seoul, brings together 14 veteran actors performing the Chekhov plays of “On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco,” “Swan Song,” “A Marriage Proposal,” “The Bear,” and “Misery.”Directing the plays is Oh Kyung-taek, who previously staged Chekhov works such as “The Seagull,” &ldq

Jun 24, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Supernatural romance

Actors of the musical “Ghost,” from left, Kim Joon-hyun, Ivy, Joo Won, Park Ji-yeon and Kim Woo-hyung pose for a photo at a press conference announcing the Korean production of the show at Plaza Hotel in Seoul, Monday.                                                                      / Courtesy of Seensee CompanyJoo Won, Ivy to star in musical version of 'Ghost' By Kwon Mee-yooMore than 20 years after its release, "Ghost" continues to be one of Korea's favorite films of all time. So it's understandable that the stage musical version of the Hollywood tear-jerker is generating significant interest months ahead of its local arrival.When Ghost The Musical begins its run at southwestern Seoul’s D-Cube Arts Center on Nov. 24, it will be sexy songstress Ivy and television actor Joo Won clinching behind the pottery wheel, the production team revealed."There are revenge, comedy and spirits

Apr 16, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

When tradition meets tomorrow

Art group AES+F’s “The Feast of Trimalchio: Arrival of Golden Boat,” which portrays a Roman Empire-era feast at a contemporary resort hotel, is currently on display at the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art inHannam-dong, central Seoul.                                                   / Courtesy of LeeumArt museum's dual exhibition pairs traditional craft with 21st century mediaBy Kwon Mee-yooLeeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, is an unlikely source of mischievousness. Its latest oddball attempt is pairing Korea’s treasured, traditional craftwork with a separate display on cutting-edge contemporary art and movies, and the end result is an inspiring and enjoyable experience.The museum’s upper-floor Black Box gallery is the venue for the ``Opulence: Treasures of Korean Traditional Craft,’’ featuring 65 items, including metal jars, glass-bead necklaces, gold Buddhist statues and crowns, wh

Apr 2, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Crazy, sexy, ghoul

Theo Mercier’s “La famille invisible”                                                                                                 / Courtesy of SongEun Art SpaceSeoul museum creates 'haunted house' of innovative French artBy Kwon Mee-yooIt would be hard to dispute that a large part of the history of art has been written by the French. The nation boasts a wealth of innovative and era-defining artists, such as impressionist pioneers Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir post-work maverick Marcel Duchamp.It remains to be seen whether the young French artists featured at the SongEun Art Space will eventually contribute their own part to the shaping of contemporary art. The southern Seoul gallery is currently displaying the works of 12 of the country’s up-and-coming artists in an exhibition entitled "France in SongEun:

Mar 25, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Lifestyle

Lights, camera, sew!

In its special “All Star’’ series, Project Runway Korea invited back 12 eliminated contestants from the first four seasons for a shot at redemption.                                                                                                          / Courtesy of OnStyleAnnually popular Project Runway Korea off to bright start in new seasonBy Kwon Mee-yooWhile Korea has been invaded by imported reality shows in recent years, it could be argued that the localized version of Project Runway is the best of the pack.The fashion-designer competition series w

Mar 19, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Lifestyle

Movable objects

Performances from “Dance Unfolds Theater”                                                                                                 / Courtesy of LG Arts CenterHow experimental artists are breathing new life into architectureBy Kwon Mee-yoo Buildings are immovable chunks of concrete, steel and glass. A new school of imaginative artists are attempting to do something about that.Choreographers added vibrancy and otherworldly color to every corner of the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul, even between steel columns, tubes and pipes, in a recent experimental performance.Meanwhile, the art world seems to be applying new meaning to the creations of the late maverick architect Chung Guyon, who died in 2011 after a bout with cancer. Chung talked as if his buildings were living organisms that breathed and evolved with their surrou

Mar 5, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Lifestyle

Wonder Girl meets d'Artagnan

Yenny as Constance in “The Three Musketeers”Yenny is latest K-pop star to attempt musical leapBy Kwon Mee-yoo After absorbing a wealth of talent from theater and opera in previous years, Korea’s ever-growing musical industry is now eager to invite an invasion of pop singers.While a slew of artists have attempted a transition from K-pop music to musicals recently, the results have been hit-or-miss. Ock Ju-hyun, formerly Lee Hyo-ri’s sidekick on the girl group FinKL, has exceeded expectations and is now one of the most in-demand individuals in musical theater. Bada, the former SES member, leads a long list of recording artists who were rendered anonymous.Yenny, a member of the popular girl group Wonder Girls, is the latest K-pop star to attempt the musical jump.She is currently playing the role of Constance in the musical version of “The Three Musketeers” being staged at the Chungmu Art Hall in central Seoul. Unlike Ock, who fully devoted herself to musicals after FinKL disbanded, Yenny is attempting to balance her work in Three Musketeers with

Feb 25, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Shows & Dramas

Discomfort about kids on television

MBC TV’s “Dad, Where Are We Going?”Mnet’s “Voice Korea Kids”                               / Korea Times fileBy Kwon Mee-yooMore and more television programs have been using children as their main stars and getting higher viewer ratings in return, proving that fun, cute and whimsical are the smart ways to go in family entertainment.However, experts question whether the networks are overusing or even exploiting children for viewership and raise concerns about the level of stress the young stars are exposed to.MBC’s "Dad, Where Are We Going?,’’ which groups a number of male celebrities and their children on humorous camping missions, and Mnet’s "Voice Korea Kids,’’ a reality singing contest for children between the ages of six and 14, are two of the most-watched shows on television now. And it seems they equally discomfort critics.The producers of ``Dad’’ rely on capturing the reactions of children after putting them in unfamilia

Feb 12, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

When fools rushed in

'American Idiot' to hit Seoul in September

Snappier side of Chekhov

Supernatural romance

When tradition meets tomorrow

Crazy, sexy, ghoul

Lights, camera, sew!

Movable objects

Wonder Girl meets d'Artagnan

Discomfort about kids on television

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