Lifestyle - The Korea Times

COVID-19 brings world-class Korean dancers together

World-class Korean dancers and Jo Ju-hyun, third from right, artistic director of “The Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2020,” pose at Korea House in Jung-gu, Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonNo one ever expected that this year's ballet festival would be able to bring all the top 10 talented Korean dancers from world-class ballet companies around the world together on one stage. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made the star-studded performance possible. The dancers returned home to join “The Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2020” to show off their skills in front of local audiences.The festival, which began in 2001 as a biennial event and has been held yearly since 2007, will present unprecedented performances by Korean dancers from June 27 to 28 at the Seoul Arts Center, despite the high number of performances being cancelled or pushed online.Ballet dancers Park Sun-mi and Han Sung-woo, with the American Ballet Theater; Kang Ho-hyun, with the Paris Opera Ballet; Lee You-rim, with the Hungarian National Ballet; Jung Ga-yeon, with the Joffrey Ballet; Lee San

Jun 26, 2020By Park Ji-won

COVID-19 brings world-class Korean dancers together

Supreme Court rules artist not guilty of fraud for selling heavily assisted paintings

Cho Young-nam / Korea Times fileThe Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a ruling that cleared a singer-painter of fraud for selling his paintings that were created with the help of assistants.Cho Young-nam, once a popular folk singer, was accused of fraudulently selling 21 pieces of art to 17 people for a total of 153 million won ($126,792) from September 2011 to January 2015. Cho called the paintings his own, but it was later found out that assistants he had hired actually painted them, and he only added some final touches.A district court sentenced him to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years for fraud. But in August 2018, the appellate court found him not guilty of fraud because his artwork embodied Cho's original ideas and the role of his assistants was limited to helping him technically.The fact that Cho's paintings were created with the help of another person was not deemed to be absolutely necessary information for buyers, the Supreme Court concluded, effectively accepting the defendant's argument that using assistants in art making was a widespread practice. The court

Jun 25, 2020

Supreme Court rules artist not guilty of fraud for selling heavily assisted paintings

Exhibition seeks peace, healing in memory of Korean War

Visitors take a look at Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei's "Law of the Journey" and "Bombs" on view at the "Unflattening" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooWhile the leaflets flying across the border between North and South Korea have sparked unexpected tensions between the two countries, a handful of blue leaflets appeared at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) as part of the "Unflattening" exhibition in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The postcard-sized leaflet is named "Safe Conduct Pass" and says "War is not over just yet. Keep yourself safe with this document and follow the instructions ― See, read, keep this document and show this to as many people as possible."Also written is "Do the following to anyone in possession of this document: Make them breathe, do not discriminate against them, maintain a social distance from them, and respect them.""Safe Conduct Pass" by Documents Inc. is an artistic rendition of the ideological promotional leaflets

Jun 24, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Exhibition seeks peace, healing in memory of Korean War

70 years after the war, peace still elusive on Korean Peninsula

'Rent' director delivers rock spirit transcending time

A scene from the Korean production "Rent" staged at D-Cube Arts Center through Aug. 23 / Courtesy of Seensee CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yoo"Rent" director Andy Senor Jr. / Courtesy of Seensee CompanyRock musical "Rent," which celebrates its 24th anniversary this year, is showing its age as it revolves around a group of bohemian artists in New York in the early 1990s, but the show never gets old at the same time.A Korean production of the Broadway musical raised its curtain at D-Cube Arts Center in western Seoul last week, for the first time in nine years. The previous Korean productions were helmed by Korean directors who tried to interpret the resilient rock spirit for Korean audiences, but the show's producer Seensee Company decided to seek changes this time and invited a "Rent" expert from Broadway to breathe new, authentic life into the show. Andy Senor Jr., the director of this production, has a longstanding relationship with the show, written by Jonathan Larson. He debuted as an actor in "Rent" back in 1997, playing the iconic role of Angel, in shows on Broadway, in the West End and on

Jun 21, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Rent' director delivers rock spirit transcending time

Award-winning artist vows to quit after sexual harassment revealed

By Park Ji-wonAfter allegations of sexually harassing female co-workers, an award-winning male artist known for his works on immigrants in Korea apologized over his “frivolous” remarks in the past and pledged to cease creative activities as a sign of taking responsibility for his misconduct.Criticism surged against the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, which hired the artist as director of a government-funded project, for mishandling the situation.Yang Chul-mo, a member of mixrice, a husband-wife artistic duo who won the Korea Artist Prize (KAP) in 2016, wrote on Facebook Friday after sharing an article accusing him of sexually harassing his coworkers during the foundation's project Collective Chungjeongro that “This is an article about me… I have been making frivolous remarks and people around me have been warning me. On this occasion, I would like to make an apology to those who have been hurt by my remarks…. I won't continue working on creative activities and have quit mixrice.”Seen is an artwork of mixrice. Courtesy of National Museum of

Jun 21, 2020By Park Ji-won

Award-winning artist vows to quit after sexual harassment revealed

Nam Tchun-mo wins art book award

Nam Tchun-mo By Kwon Mee-yooKorean artist Nam Tchun-mo's art collection "Beam Lines Spring Stroke" won the visual art section of the Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst (Stiftung Buchkunst Prize). The catalogue, published by Hartmann Books, centers on Nam's solo exhibition "Gesture in Space," held at the Ludwig Museum in Koblenz, Germany, last June to September, as well as his early works. Nam was the first Korean artist to hold an exhibition at the German museum. Byun Won-kyung, director of Aando Fine Art in Berlin, which represents Nam in Europe, said the book features Nam's body of work, including his drawings, paintings and sculptures and installations at exhibitions.Nam, born in 1961, is considered one of the new-generation artists of "Dansaekhwa" (Korean monochrome painting). The artist explores how to embody "lines," one of the basic elements of art, in three-dimensional quality. His line reliefs on canvas create dynamics of light and shadow and blur the boundary be

Jun 17, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

'Princesses' revisits Korea's dark past

Cast of “Princesses 2020” pose for its poster. / Courtesy of New Universe Theatre CompanyTheater production looks back on 100 years of sexual exploitation of women By Park Ji-wonFrom the very start, theater play “Princesses 2020” was far from a one-size-fits-all type of performance. After audience members purchased tickets at Arko Arts Theater in Seoul, the organizers asked them to choose one of three “symbolic” entry options ― “Upper Hole, Lower Hole or Back Hole” ― to enter the theater. Those who chose the back option were ushered to explore the backstage area. The title “Princesses” has multiple meanings. In the play, the main character's name is Gong-ju (meaning “princess”) but in Korea's modern history the term could be taken to mean a prostitute, particularly in the post-World War period. In the Korean title, the word Gong-ju is created using a combination of two Chinese characters ― “gong” meaning hole and “ju” meaning owner. The title rather crudely refers to the women as “ow

Jun 17, 2020By Park Ji-won

Ottogi third-generation Ham Yon-ji shines in theater, YouTube

Ham Yon-ji as Cha Me-ho in the musical “ChaMe” / Courtesy of Page1 CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yooHam Yon-ji, who plays the lead role of Cha Me-ho in the Korean musical "ChaMe," has several titles under her belt. She is the third-generation of the owner family of the instant food company Ottogi and a rising YouTube star who has over 145,000 followers.In the musical, Ham plays a timid job seeker who is overwhelmed by her social media persona Cha_Me, who shows up in the real world and lives the life Me-ho dreamed of. Instead of coveting the life of an imaginary identity, Me-ho slowly finds her true self at her own pace. However, in real life, Ham is a social media star with a YouTube Silver Play Button.Ham, who graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, debuted as Scarlett O'Hara in the French musical version of "Gone with the Wind" in 2015. Her other theater credits include Mary in the French musical version of "Gone with the Wind" in 2015 Sunni in the play "Save the Green Planet," Constanze Weber in the Peter Shaffer play "Amadeus" and Fleur-de-Lys in the French

Jun 16, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Ottogi third-generation Ham Yon-ji shines in theater, YouTube

Star-studded musicals seek to energize COVID-19-hit theater industry

Poster for "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," featuring Jo Kwon as Jamie / Courtesy of ShownoteBy Kwon Mee-yooDespite the theater industry being hit hard by the spread of COVID-19, as people have avoided gathering in indoor places, Korean performers and theatergoers are striving to revive the industry, becoming the only country where "The Phantom of the Opera" continues to show every night. For the summer peak season, a few new and returning musical productions will open with extra safety measures. Large-scale musical productions will still go on despite the pandemic, as canceling or postponing them would cause billions of won in damages. The two most highly anticipated musicals this summer are Korean premieres of hit musicals from the West End and Broadway ― "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" and "Something Rotten!""Jamie," based on the 2011 documentary "Jamie: Drag Queen at 16," is a West End musical that revolves around a 16-year-old schoolboy Jamie who dreams of becoming a drag queen. In the Korean production, 2AM's Jo Kwon, NU'EST's Ren, ASTRO's MJ and musical actor Shin Joo-hyup

Jun 16, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Star-studded musicals seek to energize COVID-19-hit theater industry

Han Won-suk reconciles with life through art

Artist and architect Han Won-suk's "Rebirth" recreates the shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory from the Silla period with headlights of scrapped cars. Courtesy of the artist Cheomseongdae-shaped installation ignites controversyBy Kwon Mee-yooThe familiar cylindrical shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory, reimagined with recycled headlights from scrapped cars by artist and architect Han Won-suk, popped up in the heart of Seoul. Located on the rooftop of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture near Seoul City Hall, Han's installation "Rebirth" attracts people's eyes in diverse ways. Some appreciate the unexpected appearance of a large-scale artwork in downtown, while others complain how it blocks the view of the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, contrasting the architectural intention of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture."It is something I have to put up with as a creator. If it goes well with everything, it is design, not art. Some like my work and some don't and I appreciate both of them," Han said during an interview with The Korea Times. "Art critic Choi Tae-man on

Jun 14, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Arts & Theater

COVID-19 brings world-class Korean dancers together

Supreme Court rules artist not guilty of fraud for selling heavily assisted paintings

Exhibition seeks peace, healing in memory of Korean War

'Rent' director delivers rock spirit transcending time

Award-winning artist vows to quit after sexual harassment revealed

Nam Tchun-mo wins art book award

'Princesses' revisits Korea's dark past

Ottogi third-generation Ham Yon-ji shines in theater, YouTube

Star-studded musicals seek to energize COVID-19-hit theater industry

Han Won-suk reconciles with life through art

Most Read in Lifestyle