Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Clubs

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that also has a branch in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized mirror ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you hang out at the bar or in classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik University. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Boutique Club 52 Itaewon Once called Function inside Macaroni Market, Club 52 boasts a chic and modern interior with the DJ spinning the beats for the hippest crowd from the center of the dance floor. Featuring top DJs from both home and abroad, two bars inside the club serving the coolest cocktails including some made with Hendrick’s gin, and a high-class interior, Club 52 is always the place for good times. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station, Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for

Sep 8, 2011By Do Je-hae

Violinist-violist shares joy of chamber music

By Do Je-hae Lee Yu-ra is doing something rare among world-class violinists of Korean heritage — playing the viola professionally as well. Being able to play both stringed instruments on stage is an extraordinary feat achieved by artists of the highest caliber, like violinists David Oistrakh, Pinchas Zukerman, Frank Peter Zimmermann and Maxim Vengerov. The 26-year-old is in Korea this week to participate as a member of the “Seven Stars,” a chamber music group founded by renowned conductor and pianist Chung Myung-whun in 1997. The chamber series was revived in 2009 after a sporadic yet explosively popular run between 1997 and 2002. “I am so happy to be able to perform chamber music. In Korea, people tend to rate chamber musicians lower than soloists, but I hope that perception will eventually change,” Lee said during a recent interview with The Korea Times at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. “It is such an immense pleasure to share music with others and I can learn by seeing and hearing others play.” The violinist seemed somewhat concerned about Koreans’ te

Sep 6, 2011By Do Je-hae

’Korean Eye’ takes young Korean artists to London, New York

By Kwon Mee-yoo A group of young Korean artists will fly to London and New York to present the artistic world of Korea on the wings of the “Korean Eye” project. The project was established by David Ciclitira and his wife Serenella in 2009 and aims to introduce modern Korean art to the international community. David is the chairman of Parallel Media Group, known for hosting the Ballantine's Championship in Korea. He first visited Korea in 2008 for the golf tournament and became interested in Korean contemporary art. In partnership with Saatchi Gallery in London, the project has drawn more than 500,000 visitors in the past two years, travelling from Seoul to London and Singapore. “The exciting part of this project is bringing Korea to the world,” he said during a press conference at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. “In November 2011 we will take 'Korean Eye' to New York. This is a very exciting adventure for us. In 2012, we will move 'Korean Eye' to London. For me, as a Londoner, introducing Korean art to the international community is a fantastic privilege.” He also

Sep 5, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

’Dallae’s Story’ returns to stage in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young “Dallae’s Story,” a non-verbal puppet show, is returning to the local stage after touring Japan, Spain, France, Denmark and Estonia. Its first international recognition was at the 2009 World Festival of Puppet Theatres held in Charleville-Mesieres, France. The show also received the top prize at the Tolosa International Puppetry Festival in Titirijai, Spain as the first Korean performance in the same year. “Art Stage San intelligently directs a production in which the charm and magic of puppets are combined with beautiful choreographies ... In my opinion, we are facing one of the universal puppet theatre masterpieces of the last ten years,” said Miguel Arreche, co-director at Titirijai. In June 2010, the show performed in Theatre World Brno in the Czech Republic and was invited to the Kijimuna Festa in Okinawa and toured other regions of Japan including Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama for three years from 2010. Based on the story of the Korean War in the 1950s, the piece does not directly talk about the war itself, but portrays the efforts of a family to ov

Sep 4, 2011

Short stories leave strong imagery

By Kwon Mee-yoo At a long table, two pairs of spoons and chopsticks are set on a table mat as if prepared for a meal onstage. Two actresses come out, sit at the table and start to read the short story “Kaljaguk (Knife Marks)” written by Kim Ae-ran. This is the opening scene in a series of readings titled “Short Story Reading Theater,” in which three directors bring to life the works of three promising novelists on the stage at Sanwoollim Theater in Hongdae. “Knife Marks,” directed by Chu Min-joo of the musical “Laundry,” kicked off the series Tuesday. The original short story is the winner of the 2008 Lee Hyo-seok Literary Award and included in the book “Chimi Goinda (Salivate).” In the story, the protagonist remembers her mother through association with knife marks and the sound, taste and smell made by the knife. Her mother operated a “kalguksu” (knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant to make a living and the daughter often saw her mother holding the knife to slice noodles. “Knife Marks” rather plainly portrays a mother-daughter relationships, in which the mother always mak

Sep 2, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Classical concerts

Classicial Concerts Il Gardellino LG Arts Center* (See ‘Venues’ on the right for more information) Oct. 2 World-famous Baroque ensemble Il Gardellino will hit the stage for the first time in Korea. Founded in Belgium in 1988, the group borrows its name from Vivaldi’s flute concerto and features the traverso, oboe, harpsichord, violin and viola. Oboist and leader Marcel Ponseel will play Alessandro Marcello’s “Oboe Concerto in D minor.” Tickets cost 30,000 to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114. Ensemble TIMF — Sound on the Edge 2 ‘Oboe’ Ilshin Hall Sept. 7 Since its establishment in 2001, TIMF Ensemble has been playing a role in promoting the Tongyeong International Music Festival at home and abroad. In cooperation with the Ilshin Culture Foundation, the ensemble will introduce the world of contemporary classical music with a special focus on the oboe. Tickets cost 10,000 won. Located near exit 2 of Hangangjin Station on subway line 6. For more information, call (02) 3474-8317. Tigran Hamasyan ’Jazz Portrait’ Olympus Hall Sept. 3 To cel

Sep 1, 2011

Exhibitions

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that also has a branch in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized mirror ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you hang out at the bar or in classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik University. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Boutique Club 52 Itaewon Once called Function inside Macaroni Market, Club 52 boasts a chic and modern interior with the DJ spinning the beats for the hippest crowd from the center of the dance floor. Featuring top DJs from both home and abroad, two bars inside the club serving the coolest cocktails including some made with Hendrick’s gin, and a high-class interior, Club 52 is always the place for good times. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station, Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for

Sep 1, 2011

Goethe’s ’Urfaust’ to take to stage

By Chung Ah-young Myeongdong Theater, the self-proclaimed “play-oriented theater,” has invited a foreign director for the first time to stage Goethe’s “Urfaust” next month. After considering a long-term collaboration with overseas thespians, the theater has been working to stage the time-honored classic since reopening in 2009. The playhouse searched for a proper director for the show by asking the Goethe Institute to recommend 50 German directors. David Bosch, the youngest among the candidates, was selected and has collaborated with Korean actors and staff in Seoul to prepare for the performance. “It is meaningful that Bosch will reinterpret the work for the first time with Korean actors and creative staff,” the theater said in a statement. The theater said that the reason it decided to work with Bosch, an up and coming creative German director is that he has a strong presence on stage, communicating well with a young audience. This is an important quality since the genre tends to be viewed as boring and difficult by youngsters. Bosch has directed the theatrical cl

Aug 30, 2011

Donation can enrich museum and nation

By Chung Ah-young From designer hats, stylish shoes and interesting books to fancy umbrellas and traditional costumes, various personal items dating back from the 1910s to 1980s have been donated by Sohn Kyung-ja, costume designer and scholar, to the National Folk Museum of Korea. Her donation, comprising 550 pieces from her collection, is not made up of just objects but of memories connecting her with her parents and her past prime as a young trendsetter. Despite much attachment to the items, she contributed gladly to the museum to share them and her life with others. “This museum is one of the best in the nation. It has a good collection of exhibits and a lot of visitors, especially foreigners. So I was very happy to donate the old items to the museum,” Sohn said in an interview with The Korea Times. The 81-year-old is a retired professor who taught students in the home economics department and specialized in costumes studies at Sejong University from 1959 to 1995. “The objects in my donation were used by me and my parents. I didn’t throw anything away because I con

Aug 29, 2011

Khan exploring spirituality with vertical moves

By Lee Hyo-won In 2009, fans of dance and cinema alike were ecstatic to see French actress Juliette Binoche dancing with esteemed British choreographer Akram Khan. Next month Khan will return to Seoul, but this time without the accompaniment of a superstar to showcase what he calls “pure movements” with vertical inclinations. Khan is known for infusing India’s traditional Kathak with modern dance to create something that leaps over generational and geographical borders. The upcoming performance will feature his latest 2010 piece “Vertical Road.” Praised by critics as “fertile dance that touches the soul and lingers in the imagination” (The Australian), it is expected to further push boundaries. The work will feature the biggest ensemble of dancers his company has ever worked with, including a host of international artists from Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The cast includes Korean dancer Kim Sung-hoon, who has previously worked with Hofesh Shechter, as well as artists from Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Slovakia, Spain and Thailand, among others. In “Vertical Road” the

Aug 28, 2011

Arts & Theater