The Korea Times

'Rudolf,' romantic tale of Austrian prince

Im Tae-kyung, left, playing Rudolf, and Kim Bo-kyung, Mary Vetsera, sing “I Was Born to Love You” during a performance of musical “Rudolf,” which is currently on stage at Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul./ Courtesy of EMK Musical CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yooRiveting music of Frank Wildhorn and the tragedy of two lovers in the new musical “Rudolf” is receiving favorable responses from Korean audiences. With music by Wildhorn and lyrics by Jack Murphy, the musical about Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria, and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera, opened in Seoul on Nov. 10.The musical could be considered a sequel to “Elisabeth,” staged in Korea from February to May, as Rudolf is the son of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. However, the show is created by totally different people from a different approach.While “Elisabeth,” written by Michael Kunze and composed by Sylvester Levay, is more historically rooted through its German creators, “Rudolf” focuses on the romantic relationship between the crown prince and his lover Mary.The origin of m

Nov 18, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Rudolf,' romantic tale of Austrian prince

Arts & Theater

Van Gogh revisited (4)

This is the fourth in a series of Vincent van Gogh’s works that will be featured as part of the works on display at the exhibition titled “Van Gogh in Paris: a Dialogue with Modernism” at Seoul Arts Center. ― ED."The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry" (1886) was painted by Vincent van Gogh when he was residing in the Parisian suburb of Montmartre from June 1886.The area was known for many windmills, but by the time Van Gogh lived there with his brother Theo, there were only three of them left ― the Blute-fin, the Radet and the Poivre. Van Gogh often painted scenery dotted with windmills.In this painting, the Dutch painter used brighter colors for the sky. The diagonal lines of fences and clouds leading to the windmill in the middle increase the sense of depth in the picture. An X-ray analysis of the piece revealed that some of the objects and people, such as the human figure in blue, were planned ahead in a rough sketch, not just added during the final phase.

Nov 15, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Van Gogh revisited (2)

This is the second in a series of Vincent van Gogh’s works that will be featured as part of the works currently on display at the exhibition titled “Van Gogh in Paris: a Dialogue with Modernism” at Seoul Arts Center. ― ED.Before heading to Paris in March 1886, Vincent van Gogh was a realist painter mostly using dark colors, as seen in this "Head of a Woman" (1885) from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.It is one of a series of peasant paintings he produced from 1884 to 1885. Most of these portraits show rough features, such as “coarse, flat faces, low foreheads and thick lips, not sharp but full,” according to the museum.However, Van Gogh's brother Teo criticized the works as being too dark, and he realized that he needed to switch to brighter colors in order to succeed. It provided a catalyst for change for Van Gogh and he explored the potential of the use of color while he was in Paris.

Nov 13, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

People & Events

Artist duo pursues raison d'etre of art

Jeon Joon-ho, left, and Moon Kyung-won By Kwon Mee-yooTaking on the age-old question of what is art has paid off well for Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, both 43.With their project "News from Nowhere,” they were invited to this year's dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany and received the Noon Award from the 2012 Gwangju Biennale and the 2012 Korea Artist Prize from the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea.Often mistaken for husband and wife, Moon and Jeon are only artistic partners. They first met in 2007 on a plane, sitting next to each other, on their way to the Asian Art Biennale in Taiwan.“Artists don’t usually talk about each other’s works, just using glib phrases. However, we critiqued each other’s works in depth and then moved on to discuss the utility of art in modern society,” Jeon said at an interview at the duo’s atelier in Jongno, Seoul.From there, they thought of making a video capturing a debate between two artists, which was later developed to “El Fin del Mundo,” a fictional documentary exploring the role o

Nov 13, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Rediscovering landscapes at Plateau

Kim So-ra’s “Landscape: A diffusing movement gradually distancing from a single point” is on exhibit with Rodin’s “The Burghers of Calais” at Plateau in downtown Seoul as a part of “(Im)Possible Landscape” exhibit. The exhibition reinterprets the idea of landscape painting and runs through Feb. 3, 2013./ Courtesy of PlateauBy Kwon Mee-yooLandscape paintings are considered conventional and boring among many in the cutting-edge contemporary art scene. “(Im)Possible Landscape,” a new exhibition by 13 artists at Plateau in downtown Seoul, challenges such stereotype.“This exhibit is designed to reinterpret contemporary art through landscapes. We thought it could be a way of overcoming the dilemma of contemporary art, which is caught in self-contradiction,” Ahn So-yeon, deputy director of Plateau, said. “We feature a new concept of landscapes at this exhibition.”Kim So-ra maximized the use of introductory space where Rodin’s “The Gates of Hell” and “The Burghers o

Nov 12, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Korean 'Les Miserables' brings timeless tale

Enjolras (Kim Woo-hyung), center, and the ensemble of the firstr Korean production of “Les Miserables” sing “One Day More.” The musical runs through Nov. 25 at Poeun Art Hall in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province and will travel to Keimyung Art Center in Daegu, Sohyang Art Center in Busan and Blue Square in Seoul.  / Courtesy of Les Miserables KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooThe curtain went up on the first all Korean production of “Les Miserables” on Nov. 3 at Poeun Art Hall in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, some 27 years after the English production opened at London’s Barbican Centre in 1985.Based on French author Victor Hugo’s eponymous novel, the entirety of “Les Miserables” is sung.The Korean lyrics tried to put as much meaning in the constrictive medium but they sometime failed to convey the delicacy of the rhymes or maintain coherency with the music as with the original lyrics.The actors were generally good but did not surpass expectations. Instead of embodying their roles, they seemed rather consumed by the epic of the musical. Con

Nov 9, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean 'Les Miserables' brings timeless tale

Shows & Dramas

Psy to receive top state honor

By Kwon Mee-yooPsyThe government announced Tuesday it was awarding rapper Psy, who swept the world with “Gangnam Style,” one of its highest cultural honors. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Psy will receive the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit for his contribution to increasing the world’s awareness and interest in K-pop and Korea. Psy will be awarded with the order — the fourth among five grades of orders of cultural merit — on Nov. 19. However, the singer will not be able to attend the ceremony due to his overseas commitments. The 35-year-old rapper’s “Gangnam Style” opened a new era for K-pop by ranking second on the U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and topping the British charts. The music video is currently the second most-watched YouTube video of all time.Psy is currently in Europe to promote “Gangnam Style” and more than 20,000 people came to see him at Trocadero Square in Paris Monday. He will fly to the United Kingdom where he has been invited to be a guest speaker at Oxford University’s Stud

Nov 6, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Choe U-ram's kinetic world comes alive

Choe U-ram stands next to “Pavilion,” a new piece of work on display at GalleryHyundai in Sagan-dong, central Seoul. / Courtesy of the artist and Gallery HyundaiBy Kwon Mee-yooChoe U-ram is a kinetic artist, who makes moving sculptures. He imbues life into his mechanical sculptures which breathe, wriggle and flap limbs. Eight of Choe’s works, including his latest, are on exhibit at Gallery Hyundai in Sagan-dong, central Seoul.Since the mechanical work is time-consuming, the 42-year-old artist produces only a few pieces a year and he is popular overseas. This is his first solo exhibition in Korea in a decade.A seal-like mechanical being breathes in and out at the basement of the gallery. Named “Custos Cavum,” meaning “Watchman Hollow” in Latin, this skeletal sculpture is inspired by seals in Antarctica. Choe christens his works in Latin as if they are scientific names.“Custos Cavum” (2011) are part of the artist’s solo exhibition going on at Gallery Hyundai through Nov. 30. / Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Hyund

Nov 6, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Moon, Jeon win 2012 Korea Artist Prize

Artist duo Jeon Joon-ho, left, and Moon Kyung-won are the winners of the 2012 Korea Artist Prize. / Courtesy of NMOCABy Kwon Mee-yooArtist duo Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho won the 2012 Korea Artist Prize, Monday.Hosted by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (NMOCA) and the SBS Foundation, the Korea Artist Prize aims to support Korean artists advancing overseas and the winners will have priority in the NMOCA’s overseas exhibitions.Moon and Jeon presented “Voice of Metanoia — Two Perspectives” at the 2012 Korea Artist Prize exhibition along with three other candidates, Gim Hong-sok, Yee Soo-kyung and Lim Min-ouk.The duo questions what art is and its role in society through installation and video works. Video piece “AVYAKTA” follows detective William Guest, who is sent from the future to investigate the role of art in society, while “Voice of Metanoia” reviews artistic discourses going on in the world by removing texts from posters from art biennales and triennials.Moon and Jeon also participated in this year’s dOC

Nov 5, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

'Opening Night' blurs inter-genre borderline

“Opening Night” by Flemish director Ivo van Hove was staged at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Thursday to Sunday. / Courtesy of LG Arts CenterBy Kwon Mee-yooTheater and film were blended together by Flemish director Ivo van Hove in “Opening Night” at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Thursday to Sunday.Presented by Toneelgroep Amsterdam and NTGNT, the piece revolves around Myrtle, an actress going through a midlife crisis, convincingly portrayed by Elsie de Brauw, who performs the lead role in the play-within-a-play “The Second Woman.”The sensitive actress is worried that her image might stick as an old woman and becomes confused because the resemblance to her character Virginia is blurring the line between her real self and the role. Consumed by this internal chaos, she calls the director at 4 in the morning to confess her anxiety and confronts the playwright as she cannot understand her character.Then, Myrtle meets a girl named Nancy. Nancy asks for Myrtle’s autograph saying she is a big fan. However, the girl is killed

Nov 4, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

'Rudolf,' romantic tale of Austrian prince

Van Gogh revisited (4)

Van Gogh revisited (2)

Artist duo pursues raison d'etre of art

Rediscovering landscapes at Plateau

Korean 'Les Miserables' brings timeless tale

Psy to receive top state honor

Choe U-ram's kinetic world comes alive

Moon, Jeon win 2012 Korea Artist Prize

'Opening Night' blurs inter-genre borderline

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