The Korea Times

Do national labels still matter in contemporary art?

Does it still matter where an artist is from? It is a question I keep coming back to, even when I know better. Despite years of writing about contemporary art, I still catch myself asking artists and curators some version of this: “What is the Koreanness in your work?” I know it’s a tired and perhaps even reductive question, especially in a global art world that thrives on transnational conversations and hybrid identities. But I ask it anyway. Maybe out of habit. Maybe out of a quiet obsession to trace a thread, to name something uniquely Korean before it disappears into the haze of global aesthetics. That question feels particularly timely now, as the global art world converges on Seoul this month. September has become the undisputed peak of Korea’s art calendar, with Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul drawing the world’s top gallerists, curators and collectors to the city. Major museums and galleries align their schedules to put forth their most ambitious offerings of the year. The streets buzz with exhibitions, after-hours viewings and parties that stretch into the night. So, what

Sep 3, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

FRIEZE 2025 Takashi Murakami returns to Seoul with smiling flowers, 'Superflat' philosophy

Wearing a hat in the shape of his signature smiling flower and a large Panda pendant around his neck, Takashi Murakami greeted Seoul with a grin as playful and vivid as his art. For the Japanese pop art icon, who has shaped the art world with his “Superflat” aesthetic, the outfit itself becomes another extension of his art. Twelve years after his last solo exhibition in Seoul, Murakami returns with “Seoul, Kawaii Summer Vacation,” a compact but impactful showcase of new works presented by Gagosian at APMA Cabinet, a project space inside the Amorepacific headquarters in central Seoul's Yongsan District. This is Murakami’s first Seoul solo since “Takashi in Superflat Wonderland” at Samsung Museum of Art Plateau in 2013 and follows his major 2023 retrospective “MurakamiZombie” at the Busan Museum of Art. This also is global mega gallery Gagosian’s third exhibition in Korea despite not having a permanent space in the country. Cute, flat and complicated The artist’s iconic smiling flowers are instantly recognizable from his merchandise and collaborations with K-pop music

Sep 2, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

[FRIEZE 2025] Takashi Murakami returns to Seoul with smiling flowers, 'Superflat' philosophy

Trends

‘Hallyu’ style defines Korean identity, CICI survey shows

As Korea’s cultural influence continues to rise, from blockbuster K-dramas to the growing global appetite for Korean cuisine, the question of what defines "Koreanness" has become more relevant than ever. A new survey by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) sheds light on this evolving identity, showing how K-culture has emerged as a central force in shaping perceptions of Korea both at home and abroad. Conducted from Aug. 11-31, the survey gathered responses from 406 people — 203 Koreans and 203 foreigners who have either lived in or visited Korea. Participants were asked to select multiple items they associate with Koreanness and identify the directions in which K-culture may develop. When asked what foreigners would associate with Korean identity, an overwhelming majority of both Korean (94.58 percent) and foreign (93.1 percent) respondents chose the “hallyu” (Korean wave) style. This encompasses K-pop, Korean dramas, films, beauty and fashion, all of which have become Korea’s most recognizable cultural exports. In other words, for many Koreans and foreigners alike

Sep 2, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

‘Hallyu’ style defines Korean identity, CICI survey shows

Arts & Theater

FRIEZE 2025 Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center opens in Paju, honors lifework of ‘dansaekhwa’ master

At 89, artist Ha Chong-hyun arrived Friday at a new art center named after him, seated in a wheelchair pushed by his daughter. With frail health but undimmed wit, he said, “Today is the best day,” savoring the rare blessing of seeing a space dedicated entirely to his life’s work while he is still alive. Located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in a repurposed former building that formerly housed a publishing company, the Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center spans nearly 3,000 square meters over four stories and offers an unprecedented look into the life, philosophy and experimental trajectory of Ha, a pivotal figure in the history of "dansaekhwa," or Korean monochrome painting. The art center, operated by the Ha Chong-Hyun Art Foundation, showcases not only the artist's extensive oeuvre — from his early Informel pieces to the groundbreaking "Conjunction" series — but also the restless, generative spirit behind his six-decade-long inquiry: "What is painting?" Foundation chairperson Ha Yoon, the artist’s son, reflected on the significance of the center's opening, slated for Monday. “This was

Aug 31, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

[FRIEZE 2025] Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center opens in Paju, honors lifework of ‘dansaekhwa’ master

Arts & Theater

Park Do-hee turns pumpkin into ode to life in Seoul exhibition

Busan-based artist Park Do-hee will hold a solo exhibition in Seoul, exploring life’s beauty and resilience through a familiar yet symbolically rich subject — the pumpkin. Titled “Ode to Life Painted in Pumpkins,” the exhibit features more than 30 new works centered on pumpkins, reimagining it with motifs drawn from “Sipjangsaengdo,” traditional Korean folk painting dedicated to wishing for longevity and prosperity, at Insa Art Center in central Seoul, Sept. 3-8. Park has long centered her artistic practice on the pumpkin, which she regards as a medium for reflection and meditation. “Through the pumpkin, I seek to unravel the intertwined stories of life, love and the eternal song of existence,” the artist said in a statement. At this exhibition, she extends the pumpkin’s meaning by combining its unpretentious vitality with imagery of the 10 traditional symbols — including cranes, deer, pine trees, sun and moon — that stand for longevity, love, harmony and prosperity. In her hands, the round, generous shape of the pumpkin transforms into more than a fruit — it becom

Aug 29, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Park Do-hee turns pumpkin into ode to life in Seoul exhibition

Korean Heritage

Korea’s traditions come to life in Toronto in September

As Korean culture — from K-pop and Korean dramas to traditional crafts and cuisine — continues to captivate global audiences, Korean Intangible Cultural Heritage Week 2025 arrives in Toronto this fall. Organized by the Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency, the event marks the program's first major overseas expansion in North America. The two-week celebration invites Canadians to experience the richness of Korean intangible heritage not as relics of the distant past, but as vibrant cultural practices that remain relevant today. The centerpiece of the event is the exhibition, “Once Upon a Day of Lady Kim with K-craft,” running from Sept. 11 to 23 at Arta Gallery in Toronto’s Distillery District. Rather than a conventional historical showcase, the exhibition reimagines the life of a fictional Lady Kim, exploring the daily lifestyle and wisdom of Korean women through handcrafted works passed down over generations. The exhibit features 192 pieces across 91 categories, including a gold-and-silver inlaid peony wedding chest by National Intangible Cultural Heritage traditi

Aug 27, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea’s traditions come to life in Toronto in September

Arts & Theater

Inside ‘Sleep No More’ Seoul: How Livi Vaughan turned former cinema into immersive theater

Entering the McKithan Hotel in Chungmuro, Seoul, feels like slipping into a fever dream. Behind its doors, reality fragments into a series of vignettes: A man scrubs blood from his hands in a porcelain basin; a glamorous ball hides secrets and betrayals; a woman in a red dress manipulates a haunting ritual; a maid offers a suspicious milky drink; and a nurse beckons a lone guest to her eerie hut. This is “Sleep No More,” British theater company Punchdrunk’s immersive experience that reimagines Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” through Alfred Hitchcock and film noir, which has finally arrived in Korea after years of anticipation. The show rewrites the rules of traditional theater, trading fixed seats and prosceniums for masked audiences who chart their own paths. “Immersive theater is not just a show, it’s a world, and we plunge the audience into the epicenter of that world,” said Felix Barrett, artistic director of Punchdrunk and creator of “Sleep No More.” “Once they’re in there, it’s a living, breathing environment where a narrative occurs around them and the audien

Aug 26, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Inside ‘Sleep No More’ Seoul: How Livi Vaughan turned former cinema into immersive theater

People & Events

Michigan State University students explore Korean culture during Seoul trip

As Korean pop culture continues to resonate far beyond the peninsula, a group of Michigan State University (MSU) freshmen experienced the Korean Wave firsthand through a new First-Year Seminar Abroad program that brought them to South Korea. From palace grounds to K-pop studios and from historic landmarks to immersive musical productions, the two-week course offered students a dynamic introduction to Korean society and its global cultural impact. The course, titled "K-cultures: Stories and Identity in Korean Cultures," was led by professor Laura MacDonald from MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, who did a fellowship at Ewha Womans University and studied Korean musical theater. Designed to help new students develop critical thinking and intercultural understanding, this year marks MSU’s first-ever overseas seminar to Korea, reflecting the growing appeal of Korean culture among young Americans. For many students, the trip was a way to deepen their understanding of Korean culture beyond what they had encountered online. Emad Shahjahan, a double-major in comparative cu

Jul 25, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Michigan State University students explore Korean culture during Seoul trip

Arts & Theater

Korean musical 'Swag Age' makes UK debut in one-night-only concert

The award-winning Korean musical “Swag Age: Shout Out, Joseon!” will make its London debut this autumn in a concert performance at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Sept. 8. Titled “Swag Age in Concert,” the one-night-only staging will bring the genre-bending production to a global stage for the first time, introducing U.K. audiences to a unique fusion of Korean history, hip-hop and the universal message of resistance and freedom. Set in a fictionalized Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), the musical imagines a society where sijo — a traditional poetic form once embraced by common people as a way to endure life’s hardships — is banned in the wake of a political conspiracy. The story follows the revival of sijo through a national poetry competition and a secret rebel group known as Golbindang, who risk everything to reclaim artistic expression and cultural identity from the grip of a powerful court official who monopolizes the genre. “It is truly meaningful to have this piece held in London at this amazing venue through ‘Swag Age in Concert,’” playwright Park Chan-min said in

Jul 24, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korean musical 'Swag Age' makes UK debut in one-night-only concert

Arts & Theater

‘The Great Gatsby’ readies to roar to life in Seoul in August

After dazzling audiences in New York and London, “The Great Gatsby” is making its way to Seoul, marking a rare moment in theater history where a Broadway-originated production runs simultaneously in three global capitals. The 15-week Seoul engagement begins with previews on Aug. 1, before officially opening at GS Arts Center in southern Seoul on Aug. 8. The musical, adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, was first brought to life on stage by Korean producer Shin Chun-soo. In 2024, Shin made history as the first Korean and first Asian to serve as a solo lead producer on Broadway. Just one year later, the show premiered in London’s West End. Now, with its Seoul debut, Shin admitted that unveiling the show in his home country comes with a unique sense of pressure. “To be honest, I feel even more nervous here than I did for Broadway or the West End,” he said during a showcase at Mood Seoul on Some Solvit, Tuesday. “There, it was an exciting kind of tension. But here in Korea, it's more of an anxious kind of tension — because this is my home turf and I feel the wei

Jul 15, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kwon Mee-yoo

Read more

Do national labels still matter in contemporary art?

FRIEZE 2025 Takashi Murakami returns to Seoul with smiling flowers, 'Superflat' philosophy

‘Hallyu’ style defines Korean identity, CICI survey shows

FRIEZE 2025 Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center opens in Paju, honors lifework of ‘dansaekhwa’ master

Park Do-hee turns pumpkin into ode to life in Seoul exhibition

Korea’s traditions come to life in Toronto in September

Inside ‘Sleep No More’ Seoul: How Livi Vaughan turned former cinema into immersive theater

Michigan State University students explore Korean culture during Seoul trip

Korean musical 'Swag Age' makes UK debut in one-night-only concert

‘The Great Gatsby’ readies to roar to life in Seoul in August

Top 5 stories