Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Around Town 1

Classical Concerts ‘SAC 11am Concert’Seoul Arts Center*Until Dec. 8On every second Thursday of each month, an “11am Concert” will be performed at the Seoul Arts Center. Chong Park will host the shows with commentary, and coffee will be provided for free. With distinct soloists for each concert, the Korean Symphony Orchestra will perform at all of the concerts.Tickets cost 20,000 to 25,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call (02) 580-1300. ‘La Traviata’Sejong Center for Performing ArtsNov. 8 to 13 “La Traviata” directed by Henning Brockhaus and conducted by Sebastiano De Filippi will be performed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Nov. 8 to 13.“La Traviata” is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, and is known as one of opera’s greatest romances. The November performances will feature baritone Carlo Guelfi as Giorgio Germont, tenor Luciano Ganci as Alfredo Germont and soprano Gladys Rossi as Violetta Valery.Tickets cost

Oct 20, 2016

Alessandra Ferri to dance Juliet in Seoul

Herman Cornejo, left, and Alessandra Ferri perform in a scene from the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan / Courtesy of Universal Ballet CompanyBallerina Alessandra Ferri speaks during a press conference for the Universal Ballet Company’s“Romeo and Juliet” at the Universal Arts Center in eastern Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yoo Physicality is an important aspect of ballet and it is common for ballet dancers to retire as they age. However, age doesn't matter for Alessandra Ferri, 53, the oldest active ballerina in the world. She will dance the role of Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's "Romeo and Juliet" with the Universal Ballet Company (UBC) in Seoul on Oct. 23 and 26.Ferri, who retired in 2007, returned to the stage due to her endless yearning for dance."When I decided to stop, I was 44 years old,” Ferri said at a press conference at the Universal Arts Center in eastern Seoul, Tuesday. “The element of fear at that time was competing with myself -- not being able to feel how I used to be. I was

Oct 19, 2016

Alessandra Ferri to dance Juliet in Seoul

Ballerina Kim Joo-won stars in traditional dance 'Sinsi'

Kim Joo-won, right, and Yoon Jeon-il rehearse at a studio on Oct. 10, ahead of the performance of “Sinsi” which will take place on Oct. 27.  / Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing ArtsBy Yun Suh-youngTraditional dance performance "Sinsi" set for next week stars world famous ballerina Kim Joo-won as the lead female dancer.The performance will be on Oct. 27 and 28 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and Kim's performance will take place on Oct. 27.“Sinsi” is directed by veteran choreographer Kook Soo-ho who also took the helm of last year's performance when the dance was first introduced.The story is centered on the birth myth of Korea which begins with Hwanwoong, the son of "Hwanin" or God, who descended from Mount Taebaek to establish the city of Sinsi, the birthplace of the first country state.Hwanwoong marries a woman who had been turned into a human from a bear, and fathers a child called Dangun Wanggeom who establishes Gojoseon, the first nation state of Korea. This ancient kingdom (BC 2333), also called Dangun Joseon, is known t

Oct 18, 2016

Ballerina Kim Joo-won stars in traditional dance 'Sinsi'

Henning Brockhaus brings 'La Traviata' to Seoul

A scene from “La Traviata”  / Courtesy of Sejong Center for Performing Arts Veteran opera director to stage his interpretationHenning Brockhaus speaks during a press conferencein Seoul, Monday./ Courtesy of Sejong Center for Performing ArtsBy Yun Suh-youngRenowned opera director Henning Brockhaus will be showcasing his surreal version of Giuseppe Verdi's “La Traviata” in Seoul for the first time."I'm finally here in Korea. I cannot say how much I wanted to come here. For the past 25 years, La Traviata has been staged across the world since it first debuted in 1992. The freshness of the performance has been maintained throughout the years," said Brockhaus upon meeting reporters Monday ahead of showcasing the piece in front of Korean audiences from Nov. 8 through 13 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts."At the time in 1992, the performance was interpreted with a symbolic meaning and was a great shock to the audience who had not been informed by the media of this kind of stage setting. The unique interpretations in this performance wil

Oct 17, 2016

Henning Brockhaus brings 'La Traviata' to Seoul

AROUND TOWN 2

Traditional ‘Sin-si’Sejong Center for Performing ArtsOct. 27 to 28“Sin-si, the Festival of the Sun” will be held at Sejong Grand Theater for two days on Oct. 27 and 28.This performance is a ballet themed upon the mythology of Dangun, featuring exaggeratedly elaborate dance moves which are choreographed by Kook Su-ho, a renowned director of historical dances. “Sin-si” will focus on the story of Hwanwoong, the son of Heaven: as he descends to Earth, he embraces two warring tribes, the Woong tribe and the Ho tribe, and establishes a city of reconciliation and coexistence called Shinsi.Tickets cost 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit sejongpac.or.kr or call (02) 399-1766. ‘Fanta-Stick’Seoul Fanta-Stick TheaterThroughout 2016“Fanta-Stick” is performed daily at Seoul Fanta-Stick Theater on an open-ended run. The performance presents original representative Korean music, using traditional Korean instruments to create fusion gugak. Park Ji-hoon, Lee Seok-jae, Kwon Hyun-soo and Na Jung-suk play the main roles

Oct 13, 2016

AROUND TOWN 1

Classical Concerts ‘SAC 11am Concert’Seoul Arts Center*Until Dec. 8On every second Thursday of each month, an “11am Concert” is performed at the Seoul Arts Center.  / Courtesy of Seoul Arts CenterOn every second Thursday of each month, an “11am Concert” will be performed at the Seoul Arts Center. Chong Park will host the shows with commentary, and coffee will be provided for free. With distinct soloists for each concert, the Korean Symphony Orchestra will perform at all of the concerts.Tickets cost 20,000 to 25,000 won. For more information, visit sac.or.kr or call (02) 580-1300. ‘La Traviata’Sejong Center for Performing ArtsNov. 8-13“La Traviata” directed by Henning Brockhaus and conducted by Sebastiano De Filippi will be performed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Nov. 8 to 13.“La Traviata” is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, and is known as one of opera’s greatest romances. The November performances will

Oct 13, 2016

Exhibit sheds light on urbanization of Joseon

Part of “Literary Gathering of the Middle People” (1853) by Yu Suk / Courtesy of National Museum of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooA new museum exhibit gives insight into how the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) capital changed from the 18th century through urban and commercial development and how it influenced the evolution of art. "The City in Art, Art in the City" is held at the Special Exhibition Gallery of the National Museum of Korea (NMK) in Yongsan, Seoul."The exhibit focuses on the relationship between the city and art and how they coexisted," NMK director Lee Young-hoon said. “This is dedicated to those who loved and supported art.”The exhibit begins with a 19th century map of Seoul, which was then called Hanyang. The map shows the entire cityscape of Seoul from Bukhan Mountain in the north to Han River in the south. The population was concentrated in the modern-day downtown area with dense roads marked in red.“Mountain-shaped Water Dropper” from the 19th century Joseon Kingdom / Courtesy of National Museum of Korea"Comprehensive Map of the Capital,"

Oct 12, 2016

Exhibit sheds light on urbanization of Joseon

Shrigley's humorous yet sarcastic works on view in Seoul

An installation view of the “David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind” exhibit at the Storage by Hyundai Card in Itaewon, Seoul  / Courtesy of Hyundai CardBy Kwon Mee-yoo A pink neon sign saying "EXIBITION" greets visitors to the "David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind" exhibit held at the Storage, matching the Storage's own pink neon sign. The Storage by Hyundai Card is a new visual arts venue in Itaewon, Seoul."It is a special version to mirror the sign of Storage. And it is spelled wrong because it's art. When you make art, you can do whatever you want," said British artist David Shrigley, the mastermind behind this funny and quirky exhibit.Co-organized by Hyundai Card and the British Council, the exhibit introduces Shrigley, one of the most highly sought-after artists in the United Kingdom, for the first time in Korea.Katrina Schwarz, curator of the British Council who organized this traveling exhibit, said the relation between the artist and the British Council extends far beyond this exhibition.British artist David Shrigley poses in front of his work “I Am a Pers

Oct 11, 2016

Shrigley's humorous yet sarcastic works on view in Seoul

Museums open up for Korea Art Week

Korea Art Week 2016 will be held from Oct. 11 to 23 with 100 art-related institutions taking part to promote contemporary art to the public. /  Courtesy of Arts Council KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yoo Art has been a part of human life for a long time, but still going to an art museum is a yearly event for most Koreans. To close the gap between contemporary art and the public, art museums across the nation open their doors wide with various events including free admission.Themed "Art in Love, Korea Art Week 2016 is co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Arts Council Korea (ARKO). The event runs from Oct. 11 to 23 and some 100 art-related institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) will take part in the program."Art is closely related to our life, but there have been misunderstandings regarding art that it is the exclusive property of the elite. Korea Art Week will invite ordinary people to visit various exhibitions and join audience participatory programs to fully experience the joy that art brings to enrich o

Oct 9, 2016

Ministry seeks law to fight art forgery crimes

By Kwon Mee-yooThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday that it will seek to establish an act on artwork transactions, stipulating punishment for art forgery crimes."The new law will classify art distributors into three categories _ galleries, auction houses and other distributors. The galleries and auction houses will require licenses and other distributors will need to report to the ministry before opening for business. All art transactions by unregistered dealers will be subject to a fine," Vice Culture Minister Jung Kwan-joo said.The new act aims to block underground art transactions without a public display of the artwork. If a gallery or an auctioneer is implicated in a forgery case, their licenses will be revoked.Instead of making a registry of all artwork traded, the ministry will mandate dealers to record all transactions." Because of concerns that revealing a buyer's information might reduce art transactions, we will instead require galleries to document all trading," Jung said. "However, the galleries will not have to submit their records unless they are r

Oct 6, 2016

Arts & Theater