Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Weekender Gallery shops bring fine art to daily life

By Kwon Mee-yoo Art in galleries may be thought of as difficult to interpret but art gallery shops bring it down to Earth with fun pieces and designs. The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, revamped its shop in July. UUL functions as a part of the modern museum as well as a venue selling various designer and private brand products. The name UUL comes from the words “uri,” meaning us in Korean, and “ultari,” meaning fence. At the store entrance, artist Ahn Kyu-chul’s “The Density of Memory” greets visitors. From a chair and a globe to a pencil and notes, a variety of daily objects hang from the ceiling. The display stand of UUL is made from scrapped doors from the former Defense Security Command, also known as “Gimusa,” which is now being transformed into the Seoul branch of the museum. UUL offers 10 of its own brand products such as mugs, canvas bags and notebooks bearing its logo. The shop also collaborates with Korea’s top artists. Suk Chul-joo’s “New Paradise Scenery in Dream” is printed on a lampshade and the shop plans to

Aug 18, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Culture fest to promote ’Lincoln Center of Gwangju’

Asian Culture Complex to open in 2014 By Do Je-hae When a controversial project to build a major arts complex in the southwestern city of Gwangju was announced in 2007, many were skeptical of its purpose and profitability. As the Asian Culture Complex nears its completion in 2014, officials are stepping up promotional activities for what they call the “Lincoln Center of Gwangju.” The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday that it will hold the first “Asian Culture Week Festival” in the city of 1.4 million from Aug. 22 to 28. The culture week will reflect the diverse cultural legacies of Asian countries through various events, including the Asia Youth Culture Festival, Asian Children Choir, Asia Culture Forum and an open lecture under the theme “Understanding Asian Culture.” Organizers held a pre-concert for the festival on July 2. The festival is a promotional tool for the Asian Culture Complex, which officials hope will turn Gwangju into a cultural hub of Asia. “When completed, the Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju is expected to be more multi-f

Aug 17, 2011By Do Je-hae

Musical ’Organ in My Heart’ celebrates 200th performance

By Kwon Mee-yoo Local musical “Organ in My Heart” celebrated its 200th performance at Hoam Art Hall in central Seoul, last Thursday. Based on the 1999 film “The Harmonium in My Memory,” the show recalls the dim memory of first love. At the end of the play, Jeong Jae-ok, CEO of Credia, thanked the audiences who came to see it. “We hope to continue staging ‘Organ in My Heart’ until it reaches its 2,000th performance,” Jeong said. Actors, including Oh Man-seok, who played the teacher at the premiere in 2008 and now directs the show, and Kang Pil-suk, who played Dong-su last year, came to celebrate the anniversary. Other celebrities were also in attendance. Famed musical actress Choi Jung-won said, “I saw the musical in 2010 and this is my second time. The lovely lyrics and melody of ‘Organ in My Heart’ makes me indulge in memories.” The musical revolves around Hong-yeon, a 16-year-old belated elementary school student. She falls in love at first sight with her new teacher Dong-su, but he has a crush on Su-jeong, the art teacher who is also the school nurse. Singer

Aug 14, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Former Seoul Station turns into cultural space

By Kwon Mee-yoo The former Seoul Station, which halted train services to give way to the KTX in 2004, has reopened as a cultural space. The space is now called Culture Station Seoul 284. The new name commemorates the building, which was built in 1925 and was designated Historical Site No. 284 in 1981. The renovated station presents the “Countdown” exhibition, featuring a variety of works from sculpture to performance art, prior to its grand opening in March 2012. “Seoul Station, where people dashed to take trains, is reborn as a cultural space embracing history and the future,” said Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chung Byoung-gug at the opening ceremony of Culture Station Seoul 284, Thursday. The exterior of the station remains just as people remember it with its signature red bricks and domed roof. The VIP lounge was restored based on old photos of former Presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee that were taken in the room. Ahn Chang-mo, the Kyonggi University architecture professor who oversaw the station’s restoration, said, “We tried to restore t

Aug 14, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Sadari Movement Laboratory to reinterpret ’The Maids’

By Chung Ah-young Renowned for advancing a new language in physical theater through “Woyzeck,” “Between Two Gates” and “The Cherry Orchard,” the Sadari Movement Laboratory will next stage “The Maids” by French dramatist Jean Genet. After making its premiere in Paris in 1947, the play revolves around two maids, Solange and Claire, who hate their mistress (Madame) and plot to kill her. Whenever Madame is out, the maids wear her dresses and act like her, unleashing their egos and falling into fantasy in which they become her. Their plot to kill her first results in failure, and they indulge in role-playing again. Finally, the mistress is killed after drinking poisoned tea prepared by the maids. But there is no change in reality for the two maids and they are trapped in their egos. The drama will infuse visual art and sound technology with the unique movement of the Sadari troupe’s physical theater. The play will bring together artists from the United States, Austria and Macao. Matthias Eiran, an Austrian sound designer, and Robin Bargar from the New York City College of Tec

Aug 10, 2011

Yun takes musical ’Hero’ to New York

This is the third in a series of interviews with the heads of Korea’s top theatrical companies. — ED. By Kwon Mee-yoo The life and story of Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), a Korean independence activist and Pan-Asian philosopher, will hit New York’s Broadway from Aug. 23 to Sept. 3 through the musical “Hero,” produced and directed by Yun Ho-jin. It is Yun’s second foray onto the international stage and he is confident that he can captivate audiences with technology and a storyline dealing with a patriotic icon and his “Peace of East Asia” philosophy. Some four containers of sets and props, including a life-size railway carriage, left for the United States months ago and the actors are rehearsing at night to adjust to the New York time zone ahead of their arrival next week. “The audiences will be awed by the spectacle of the Harbin Train Station scene where Ahn assassinates Ito Hirobumi and I am positive that the story will impress international audiences,” Yun said in an interview with The Korea Times. Bringing ‘The Last Empress’ on stage Yun, 63, CEO of Acom In

Aug 10, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

K-pop group JYJ to hold photo exhibition

Photos taken by members of the K-pop group JYJ will be on display from Aug. 12 to 21 at Insa Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Titled "Mine," the exhibition will feature photos of the three members ― Je-jung, Yu-chun and Jun-su ― taken during their world tour and during regular daily life. The photos were taken by all three to offer a glimpse of how they spend their time and of their lifestyles. Still in dispute with their former agency, the group is having difficulties getting scheduled to appear in television shows. "JYJ successfully finished their world tour, visiting 10 cities, but there was no chance to share the results with the public. So we planned a photo exhibition for fans, both domestic and overseas," C-JeS Entertainment said. The agency said it will later publish a book of the photos. Currently, Je-jung is starring in the drama "Protect the Boss" and Jun-su performed "You Are So Beautiful," the theme song for the drama. Yu-chun is taking a rest after completing the drama "Miss Ripley." Entrance costs 5,500 won. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.c-j

Aug 8, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Exhibit shows diversity of Indian deities

By Chung Ah-young India boasts a rich civilization and cultural heritage that have survived with ongoing relevance even in the modern era. The power and influence of Indian culture has evolved from traditional myths surrounding Hindu deities. The nation has some 330 million to choose from. To showcase the diverse cultural and religious aspects of Indian traditional rituals and ceremonies, the National Folk Museum of Korea will hold a special exhibition titled “Journey to India Mythology” from Aug. 9 to Sept. 19. The exhibition is part of the museum’s efforts to introduce the cultures of other countries on behalf of multi-cultural families living in Korea since 2009. By creating a communication channel through diverse activities the exhibition intends to offer a deeper understanding of other cultures in an interesting and accessible manner. “It is very important to introduce other cultures to Koreans as our society is becoming multicultural. Given the situation in which currently, 50,000 people from South Asian countries are living in Korea, the exhibition is very si

Aug 8, 2011

US playwright captures local musical fans

DiPietro's 'Falling for Eve,' 'The Toxic Avenger' staged here By Kwon Mee-yoo Playwright Joe DiPietro is one of the most beloved Broadway writers in Korea. His musicals like the 1996 love story “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” and 2005’s “All Shook Up,” a jukebox musical featuring Elvis Presley music, have been a huge success here. DiPietro’s two new musicals are currently playing in town — “Falling for Eve” premiered in July and “The Toxic Avenger” returned following last year’s success. In “Falling for Eve,” Adam refuses to eat the forbidden fruit and it causes an unexpected parting of the lovers. Even God is taken aback by Adam’s choice and thinks of what to do with Adam and Eve. The musical came from DiPietro’s longtime wish to stage a Bible story. “The composing team of Bret Simmons and David Howard brought me this idea. I immediately liked their songs and the story, so I said yes,” the playwright said in an email interview with The Korea Times. The musical depicts the first love of human beings in the Garden of Eden. Among the characters of t

Aug 5, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Weekender Samilro Theater reopens

Cradle for experimental theater revived from brink of shutdown By Chung Ah-young Among hundreds of small theaters around the nation, where was the first one? Many people think it would be in Daehangno, the hub of theatrical arts. But surprisingly, the nation’s first small theater is located in the back alley of Myeong-dong, the shopping district of Seoul. Behind the hustle and bustle of shopping malls, the Samilro Warehouse Theater, home to experimental theatrical arts since its inception, is nestled in a calm and narrow alley with a humble signboard. After surviving a crisis of closure due to an accumulated deficit and shrinking patrons in February, the playhouse will reopen on Aug. 10. When the shutdown was announced in February, various entities reached out to save the theater. Among others, Taekwang Industrial has financially supported the theater’s revival. Funded by the company, the theater has undergone remodeling since May. The number of seats will rise from the previous 68 to 106 along with an outdoor terrace on the second floor. For the reopening

Aug 4, 2011

Arts & Theater