Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Pixar's creative hands behind animation revealed

"Uku," for the animated short Lava, painted by Matt Nolte over maquette by Greg Dykstra / Courtesy of Pixar and GNC Media"Mike and Sulley" for the film Monsters University by Ricky NiervaBy Kwon Mee-yooWhen people think of Pixar, Disney's subsidiary animation studio, they might immediately think of its technological marvels, such as its realistic portrayal of light and water and recreating textures and hair and fur movements using computer graphics.An exhibit shedding light on the creative process behind Pixar's marvelous animated shorts and features is being held in Seoul.Maren Jones, director of Pixar's exhibition program, said the heart of Pixar is in the story."They all begin with a story," Jones said during an April 14 press preview of the "Pixar, 30 Years of Animation" exhibit in Dongdaemun Design Plaza.Jones said there are the three elements that make a great animated cartoon ― compelling narrative, memorable and appealing characters and a believable world, quoting John Lasseter, the founder of Pixar.Some 500 art works on display come from Pixar's archives started after t

Apr 19, 2017

Pixar's creative hands behind animation revealed

3 Koreans nominated for internationally-acclaimed ballet award

By Yi Whan-woo Park Seul-ki,  Lee Jae-wooThree members of the Korean National Ballet _ Park Seul-ki, Lee Jae-woo and Kang Hyo-hyung _ have been nominated for this year’s Benois de la Danse, the world’s most prestigious ballet award.Park, Lee and Kang were nominated for best female dancer, best male dancer and best choreographer, respectively, according to the Korean National Ballet, Wednesday.The annual prizes, nicknamed the Oscars of ballet, are given to outstanding ballet professionals worldwide.The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony slated from May 30 to 31 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.Park won the nomination for her performance in “Aegina in Spartacus.”If Park wins the honor next month, it will be the third time for a Korean to be awarded the best ballerina title at the Benois de la Danse.Two others _ Kang Sue-jin and Kim Joo-won _ won the prize in 1999 and 2006, respectively.Lee Jae-woo was put on the nomination list for his performance in “Sleeping Beauty.”He seeks to become Korea’s second danseur to win

Apr 19, 2017

3 Koreans nominated for internationally-acclaimed ballet award

Chun's controversial 'Beautiful Woman' on public view

A reporter takes a picture of “Beautiful Woman” on display at the "Cracks in the Concrete: from the MMCA Collection” during a press preview of the exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday.  / YonhapMMCA removes artist’s name from caption By Kwon Mee-yoo “Beautiful Woman,” which unintentionally became one of the most famous works of art in Korea, appeared in front of the public for the first time in 26 years.The 1977 painting was known as painted by the late artist Chun Kyung-ja (1924-2015), but the artist claimed it was a counterfeit in 1991, stirring up the largest forgery scandal in Korea’s modern art history.The controversy surfaced again when the artist passed away in 2015 and her family filed a suit against the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), which holds the painting, for assessing the artwork as authentic despite the artist's denial.Photographs of the painting appeared often in the news, but the actual piece was locked away safely in th

Apr 18, 2017

Chun's controversial 'Beautiful Woman' on public view

Coldplay honors Sewol victims with 10-second silence in Seoul concert

British rock band Coldplay paid tribute to the victims of the Sewol ferry tragedy, South Korea's worst maritime disaster to-date, during its recent Seoul concert, according to the concert organizer Monday.In its Sunday concert at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, the band paused during the middle of performing "Yellow," followed by frontman Chris Martin saying, "We want to stop this show right now because of this song and because of the Sewol ferry (tragedy)," a Facebook video from Hyundai Card, which invited Coldplay to Seoul, showed.Martin added, "We just want to take a moment with all of you to send some love and remembrance" and asked the audience to pay silent tribute for 10 seconds. Three large images of the iconic yellow ribbon honoring the victims were put on display during the pause.The band is speculated to have made the gesture during "Yellow," as the name coincides with the color associated with the remembrance of the victims of the tragedy. The 6,825-ton ferry named Sewol capsized and sank off the country's southwest coast on April 16, 2014, leaving more than 300 people dead

Apr 17, 2017

Coldplay honors Sewol victims with 10-second silence in Seoul concert

Concert Review Coldplay's first gig in Seoul brings magic of music

Concert Review Coldplay's first gig in Seoul brings magic of music

Chris Martin, frontman of a four-member British rock band Coldplay, performs during the band’s first Seoul gig as part of its “A Head Full of Dreams” tour at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul, Saturday.  /  Yonhap  By Park Jin-haiBritish rock band Coldplay, one of the most successful acts of the 2000s, had their first-ever Seoul concert, Saturday, in front of 50,000 excited fans, who went through fierce ticketing wars to get a glimpse of the popular band coming to the country 21 years after its debut.Formed in 1996, the band led by lead vocalist and keyboardist Chris Martin has enjoyed huge popularity worldwide. Often described as “artistically abrasive,” the band's music has been compared to the likes of U2, Oasis and Radiohead.Band frontman Martin prior to his Seoul concert said in his shows he felt this sense of togetherness with his fans worldwide, contrary to what is often covered in the media: conflicts and people being divided.As per his remarks, Coldplay’s full two-hour gig, held on the eve of the third anniversary of the tragic

Apr 16, 2017

[Concert Review] Coldplay's first gig in Seoul brings magic of music

Coldplay honors Sewol victims with 10-second silence in Seoul concert

Exhibition to show Gangwon lifestyle ahead of PyeongChang Olympics

Stuffed squid modeled after chef Lee Jong-guk's food / Courtesy of National Folk Museum of Korea By Yun Suh-youngThe government will showcase an exhibition on the food and natural scenery of Gangwon Province as a promotional event ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics next February. PyeongChang is a county located in Gangwon Province where the Winter Games will take place.The exhibition themed "A Joy of Spring: Scenery, Blossom and Delicacy" will be held at the National Folk Museum of Korea from April 15 to June 20. The event is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation."We tried to provide content about food and lifestyle by converging food, folk artifacts, crafts and visual arts. We wanted to portray the authenticity of Korean food through this exhibition," said Choi Bong-hyun, president of the Korea Crafts & Design Foundation (KCDF), during a press conference, Wednesday.The exhibition is divided into three sections _ mountains, flowers and food. The space is not large and craftwork is displayed compactly. From pain

Apr 12, 2017

Exhibition to show Gangwon lifestyle ahead of PyeongChang Olympics

Korean painted screens displayed in US

The Korea Foundation will hold a painted folding screen exhibition in the United States, the organization said Monday.Under the title "The Power and Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens," the exhibition will be held from April 14 through June 11 at the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas.The exhibition will feature a variety of folding screens with paintings of stacked books and various items inside a library during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), which were widely appreciated during the period. The exhibition will showcase around 20 painted screens collected from private individuals and museums.This is the second exhibition in the U.S. following one at the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University in New York last September. The foundation plans to hold an exhibition at the Cleveland Museum this coming August.The University of Kansas will also be holding an academic lecture, "Paintings in Brilliant Colors: Korean Chaekgeori Screens of the Joseon Dynasty," on April 14 and 15 at the museum in line with the exhibition. Around 10 experts from Korea, the

Apr 10, 2017

꽃축제로 봄을 즐기는 10가지 방법

 / 연합뉴스 (서울=코리아타임스) 우지원 인턴기자 = 찬바람과 미세먼지로 가득했던 겨울이 지나고 따뜻한 봄바람과 함께 꽃의 계절이 찾아왔다. 흩날리는 벚꽃을 신호로 매년 전국에서 열리는 꽃축제는 한껏 피어난 꽃을 즐기는 가장 좋은 방법 중 하나다. 놓쳐서는 안 될 열 가지 꽃축제를 한 자리에 모았다.서울/인천/경기도1. 에버랜드 튤립축제행사기간 : 2017.03.16(목)~2017.04.23(일)행사장소 : 경기도 용인시 처인구 포곡읍 에버랜드로 1992. 고려산 진달래축제행사기간 : 2017.04.12(수)~2017.04.23(일)행사장소 : 강화군 고인돌광장 및 고려산 전역3. 춘덕산 복숭아꽃축제- 부천 3대 축제 중 하나행사기간 : 4월 22일부터 23일 (양일)행사장소 : 경기도 부천시 원미구 역곡1동4. 군포철쭉축제행사기간 : 2017.04.28(금)~2017.04.30(일)행사장소 : 철쭉동산,철쭉공원,시민체육광장,문화예술회관,노차로드 등 군포시 전역5. 고양국제꽃박람회행사기간 : 4월 28일부터 5월 14일행사장소 : 경기도 고양시 호수공원세종/충청도6. 태안 세계튤립축제행사기간 : 2017년 4월 13일(목) ~ 5월 10일(수)행사장소 : 충청남도 태안군 남면 마검포길200 네이처월드7. 세종 조치원복숭아 봄꽃 축제행사기간 : 2017.04.15(토)~2017.04.16(일)행사장소 : 세종시문화예술회관대구/경상도8. 비슬산 참꽃문화제행사기간 : 4월 22일부터 30일행사장소 : 대구광역시 달성군 유가면 비슬산 자연휴양림 일원9. 합천 황매산철쭉제행사기간 : 4월 30일부터 5월 14일행사장소 : 경상남도 합천군 가회면 둔내리 산강원도10. 경포대 벚꽃축제행사기간 : 4월 6일부터 4월 12일행사장소 : 강원도 강릉 경포대 일원

Apr 10, 2017

Huh's retrospective showcases restless spirit

Artist Huh Dong-hwa, 91, stands in front of his artworks on display at the Whanki Museum in Seoul. / Courtesy of the artist and Whanki Museum. By Kwon Mee-yooHuh Dong-hwa, director of the Museum of Korean Embroidery, believes Korean “bojagi” (traditional wrapping cloth) will someday be recognized as abstract art, just like Korean modern art pioneer Kim Whan-ki's paintings.It is no coincidence that the 91-year-old collector and artist Huh is holding a solo exhibition at the Whanki Museum, which is dedicated to the late artist Kim.Titled "Huh Dong-hwa: Abundance," the retrospective captures the unique esthetic sense of Huh, inspired by his extensive collection of antiques and nature.Huh is better known as an avid collector, who specializes in Korean traditional costumes, embroidery and other fabric items. He runs the Museum of Korean Embroidery in southern Seoul, which displays a thematic selection from Huh's collection, which reaches up to 3,000 items, on rotation. The collection also bridged Huh and the Whanki Museum, when the museum held an exhibition of Korean

Apr 9, 2017

Huh's retrospective showcases restless spirit

'Mr. Heungbo' gives twist to old folktale

A scene from changgeuk "Mr. Heungbo" / Courtesy of National Changgeuk Company of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yoo"Heungbu and Nolbu" is a popular Korean folktale revolving around two contrasting brothers _ greedy Nolbu and kind Heungbu. The tale is mostly well known for its grand scene describing the splitting of gourds, which produces treasures for good Heungbu and goblins for selfish Nolbu.However, audiences to "Mr. Heungbo," a new changgeuk (Korean opera) by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea (NCCK), will not see the cathartic scene with sparkling gems or evil-looking dokkaebi (Korean goblins). Instead, they will face the secret of birth, a speaking tiger and an alien monk.Director Koh Sun-woong, who received acclaim for his adaptation and direction of changgeuk "Madame Ong," has again succeeded in breathing fresh life into a Korean classic tale by adding contemporary values.The changgeuk is based on "Heungbuga," one of the five surviving stories of the Korean "pansori" storytelling tradition. The original tale revolves around two brothers. The older brother Nolbu kicks out his younger b

Apr 7, 2017

Arts & Theater