Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Czech museum director seeks cultural exchange

National Gallery in Prague aims to be window of European art By Kwon Mee-yoo Vladimir Rosel, general director of the National Gallery in Prague, visited to attend a symposium hosted by Korea’s National Museum of Contemporary Art (NMOCA) and discuss cultural exchanges with the local art scene last month. Rosel was inaugurated as general director in June 2011. He has an extraordinary career having worked as an investment banker based in London with Bankers Trust, Fieldstone Private Capital Group and Babcock & Brown. He was then appointed as a fine arts lecturer for the National Gallery in the 1980s and maintained contact with the gallery as an active member of the Society of Friends of the National Gallery in Prague. The National Gallery in Prague is the largest art museum in the Czech Republic with a collection of more than 400,000 pieces, attracting about 500,000 visitors a year. The director post was previously held by art historians and critics and Rosel brought a wind of change to the museum despite the objections he faced. “The public was requesting change in h

Oct 8, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

‘Remember Me’ links memory to present

By Joon Soh Art exhibition “Remember Me” is at the Hyundai Gallery featuring six artists, showcasing a range of media and artistic styles. It will run until Oct. 14 at Hyundai’s four exhibit spaces in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. The theme revolves around how memories relate to present realities, according to the exhibition’s pamphlet. However, most of the works tackle the idea broadly and indirectly, which allows visitors to take each artist on their own merit. Visitors will see works by artists from China, Korea, Italy and Denmark. There is no uniform allocation of space. Danish artist Simon Dybbroe Moller has three floors within the main gallery and does not disappoint. Moller offers three installations that come off as stylish, curious and clever. On the first floor, an overturned beer vending machine is enigmatically tied to a life-sized ceramic horse. The sound-video installation on the second floor features an argument between a loudspeaker and a young woman. The beer theme returns on the third floor, where a series of colorfully kitschy photographs of the a

Oct 7, 2012

Power of Psy, power of Korea

Psy rocks Seoul Plaza with own style By Kim Tong-hyung Tens of thousands of citizens hopped and screamed in joy on Seoul Plaza Thursday for the first time in 10 years. The last time the massive plaza was packed with this many people was when Korea’s national football squad fought its way to the final four of the World Cup held at home in the most dramatic expression of home field advantage. Well, the hero for more than 50,000 fans who gathered at the plaza will never be confused as a world-class athlete making dizzying moves on huge television screens. A chubby 34-year-old rapper isn’t supposed to command such a crowd, let alone force the Seoul Metropolitan Government to extend the subway hours into the early dawn, but that’s exactly what Psy pulled off. If anyone had foreseen months earlier that Psy, who had been dismissed as a has-been in the fast-changing K-pop scene, would step up as Korea’s first globally transcendent musician and credited for the most popular dance on the Internet, then Nostradamus is truly out of business. Psy is now Korea’s unlikeliest a

Oct 4, 2012

Classical concerts

Classical Concerts ROTTINI Debut Concert: Hero of Voice Seoul Arts Center* Oct. 7 Four of Korea’s top opera singers, Park Ji-min, Joseph Lim, Lim Chang-ham and Aldo Heo, have come together in a group called Rottini. They have successfully reached out to international audiences and took first place at the New York Opera Competition. Tickets cost 40,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300 or visit 222.sac.or.kr/eng. Rogers and Hammerstein Cinema Orchestra Series II Sejong Center Oct. 11-12 “The Sound of Music,” “The King and I” and “Oklahoma!” are musicals featuring the work of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The world renowned cinema music will be performed by Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by George Daugherty. Tickets cost 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3991-700 or visit www.sejongpac.or.kr. Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica Seoul Arts Center* Oct. 16 Gidon Kremer, a Latvian violinist and conductor, will perform with Kremerata Baltica, a chamber orchestra he founded that consists

Oct 4, 2012By Do Je-hae

Clubs

Clubs The Octagon Nonhyeon-dong Near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong this club is notable for its stylish interior and elite clientele. The venue offers a club stage, lounge bar and dining area to satisfy any night out after work or on the weekend. Near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line No. 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847. Club Volume Itaewon Offering the finest venue for specially-themed weekly events and world-class DJs, Club Volume is located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong subway station. Club Volume was listed by TIME magazine among the “10 things to do in 24 hours in Seoul.” For more information, call 1544-2635. Dojo Kyoungridan Work hard, play hard, sleep later! Lying underground Noxa in the thriving Kyoungridan neighborhood, Dojo is the latest edition to the clubbing nightlife in Seoul. Popular local DJs offer nonstop tunes for energetic dancing until dawn with weekday drink specials and enthusiastic crowds of longtime expats. For more information, call (02) 790-1334. W.E. Listen Samcheong-dong This ca

Oct 4, 2012By Do Je-hae

Artsonje highlights Lee Bul's artistic process

By Joon Soh Mixing together such different elements as critical theory, cyberpunk, anime and even the artist’s pet dog, the sculptures and installations of Lee Bul usually leave a strong, if sometimes confusing, impression. Her conceptually elaborate works can often be challenging to figure out and this ambiguity can be frustrating as well as enjoyable. Lee’s latest exhibition at the Artsonje Center in downtown Seoul is firmly in the former category. The two rooms that make up the show present an entertaining blend of seriousness and multimedia fun. Since the 1990s, Lee has been an important member of the Asian contemporary art scene. This latest show is the 48-year-old’s first at Artsonje since holding a major solo exhibition there in 1998. This exhibition divides Lee’s works into two large rooms on separate floors of the gallery. The first room, titled “The Studio,” is comprised of 220 drawings, models and preparatory studies. The models and drawings are derived from some of the artist’s better known series, such as “Cyborg,” where science fiction intersects wit

Oct 2, 2012

Ballet makes Kim feel alive

By Rachel Lee Korean ballet dancer Kim Ki-min said that his Asian physique, generally regarded as a drawback in classical ballet, prompted him to work harder. “I have gone through many tough times due to my disadvantageous body shape, which sometimes caused me intolerable pain but I’ve never given up,” said the 19-year-old dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet in an email interview with The Korea Times. “I guess my enthusiasm and passion for ballet have no limits,” Kim added. Kim, who spends over 11 hours in the studio practicing every day, is the first Asian ballerino to join the company in St. Petersburg, Russia. He joined last June and is returning to his hometown of Seoul in November to perform “Swan Lake” with the iconic Russian troupe. Kim is to play the lead male role Prince Siegfried. “I am so excited about performing in my home country after joining the company. I am happy that I am performing ‘Swan Lake,’ one of my favorite pieces along with Spartacus.” said Kim. “I will do my best to give a thoroughly professional performance and I hope to impress those

Oct 2, 2012

Artsonje's Chung wins Montblanc

Chung Hee-ja, right, founder of Artsonje Center speaks at a press conference Wednesday. / Coutesy of Working P CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yoo Chung Hee-ja, founder of Artsonje Center, was honored in Seoul Wednesday as the Korean recipient of this year’s Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award. The 72-year-old was recognized for her contributions in promoting Korean contemporary art and film. She is the wife of Kim Woo-choong, founder of now-disbanded Daewoo Group. Chung was a senior executive in the hospitality industry at the Millennium Seoul Hilton and hotels in Vietnam and China in the 1990s. Her interest in contemporary art began when she needed pieces to decorate her hotels. “I thought I had to return the profits from the hotel business to society. I became interested in art and wanted to help young artists who have talent,” Chung said at a press conference Wednesday. She established the Artsonje Museum — the first private contemporary art museum in Korea — in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province in 1991. She introduced modern masters such as Ale

Sep 26, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Go traditional or templestay during Chuseok

By Do Je-hae, Kwon Mee-yoo The Chuseok holidays will begin at the end of the week, with various venues around the country providing cultural and leisure activities. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul has a variety of programs during the Chuseok holiday period, which falls between Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The M Theater at the center will feature the play “Walking into Moonlight” about the generational divide among family members, starting Oct. 1. On the occasion of Hangeul Day on Oct. 9, a free exhibition on the creation of Korean alphabet is currently underway at the center until Oct. 24. On Sunday and Monday the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater will offer free outdoor performances featuring “ganggangsullae,” which is a traditional Korean circle dance, by Chae Hyang Soon Dance Company and traditional percussion music at 3 p.m. The theater, located in Namsangol Hanok Village, is dedicated to traditional Korean music performances. During the holidays, there will be outdoor performances at 3 p.m. from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, consisting of traditional dance and percu

Sep 26, 2012By Do Je-hae

When palace meets contemporary art

By Kwon Mee-yoo Light is projected across royal audience hall Junghwajeon while three Korean mattresses lie in the royal bedchamber of Hamnyeongjeon at the storied Deoksu Palace. “Deoksugung Project,” a series of commissioned works by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (NMOCA), revives the palace’s 400-year history in central Seoul. Co-organized by the NMOCA and the Deoksugung Office of Cultural Heritage Administration, the exhibition brings the past into the present and infuses new life into the palace buildings. Nine artists from varying genres including design, dance and sound art, have unleashed their imaginations on the palatial edifices and grounds. The history of Deoksu Palace began in the late 16th century, when King Seonjo of Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) returned to Seoul after the Imjin War, or Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and stayed there. However, the palace was not in use for centuries until King Gojong arrived there from refuge at the Russian Legation in 1897. He renamed the nation the Daehan Empire and tried to protect it while res

Sep 24, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater