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Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

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 crystal ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you can hang out at the bar or classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik Univ. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ are in the center of the club, which attracts a trendy crowd along with models and celebrities. Packed on the weekends. Visit www.ohoo.net. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong subway station Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for unforgetable nights of dancing and debauchery. Reborn after extensive renovations to maintain its reputation of a quality club with a superior sound system, luxurious setting and stylish

Aug 4, 2011

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical concerts The Sonata Series of the Beethoven Association of Korea — Heroic Beethoven Seoul Arts Center* (See ‘Venues’ on the right for more information) Aug. 29 To celebrate the 5th anniversary of its establishment, the association has been promoting Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas with 32 pianists, and has divided the performance into six sections. Its 4th performance is this August with “Sonata No.3 in C Major, Op.2-3” and “Sonata No.7 in D Major, Op.10 -3” planned. Tickets cost 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3436-5929. The Greatest Composer and Friends Opera House, Seongnam Arts Center* Aug. 16 Targeting young people, this concert aims to introduce the works of the classical composers in an easy and entertaining way. As the permanent conductor, Suh Hee-tai will lead the program with the Millennium Symphony Orchestra for over two hours, performing the works of the greatest composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Liszt, Saint-Saens, Schubert and Beethoven. The conductor has become popular as a judge on the TV program show “Opera Star,” and the orche

Aug 4, 2011

Bowls, trash bins and tires turned into ’French Art Today’

By Kwon Mee-yoo More than 100 porcelain bowls float in a round, blue pool in the lobby of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (NMOCA) in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The bowls move slowly, clanking in the water’s flow. There are white benches installed next to the pool to provide spectators time to sit down and listen to the sounds of daily life. When viewed from the second floor, the 7.5-meter diameter pool looks like an abstract painting. French artist Celeste Boursier-Mougenot himself visited Korea to install his work “Untitled.” He set up the pool and turned a heater on to warm the water. Composer-turned-artist Boursier-Mougenot stands at the crossroad of experimental music and formative art and creates unique sounds with everyday objects. Other works on display, from froth gushing out from trash bins to a chandelier made with tires and bike wheels are also removed from the fixed canvas. Some might wonder whether this is art or not, but it is, just like Marcel Duchamp created “Fountain” by signing a urinal. The NMOCA’s “French Art Today — Marcel Duchamp Pr

Aug 3, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

PyeongChang’s music fest sets example

By Do Je-hae PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province — Local music lovers have longed for a world-class summer classical music festival in Korea. The compelling success of the 8th Great Mountains International Music Festival & School (GMMFS) is a clear demonstration of that aspiration transformed into reality. The GMMFS is a rare mixture of concerts, recitals and master classes by the world’s top musicians, advancing the nation’s status as an Asian frontrunner in nurturing the next generation of classical music leaders. This year, the 8th GMMFS is proving to be the most successful and diverse of its series, largely owing to the musical and administrative leadership of the two co-directors, cellist Chung Myung-wha, 67, and her younger sister Kyung-wha, 63, the celebrated violin virtuoso. As the GMMFS nears its conclusion on Aug. 13, it would be useful at this point to organize its successes to serve as a benchmark example for other regional music festivals. Focus on genre (chamber music) It is imperative for a music festival to craft its own identity for enduri

Aug 3, 2011By Do Je-hae

Joseon’s middle class key to development of literature, culture

By Chung Ah-young They lived mainly around Mt. Inwang, Seoul, forming a unique cultural community in ancient Seoul. They are the “jungin” or middle-class people of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) who lived in neighborhoods stretching from Cheongwun-dong to Pilun-dong near the mountain, engaging in diverse cultural activities, while dreaming of a utopian world under the rigid social hierarchy of the Joseon era. Titled “Passion for Culture: Middle-Class Community at the Foot of Mt. Inwang,” the Seoul Museum of History is holding a special exhibition to showcase diverse historical relics that represent Joseon’s middle class and shed light on their culture through Sept. 18. The term “jungin” was used around the 17th century, referring broadly to the social strata ranging from translators, doctors, lawyers, accountants, astronomers and painters to librarians, who are now deemed as high-paid professionals. The class also included offspring born of “yangban” (noble class) and their concubines and low-level employees of government offices in Seoul. Mainly it comprised of people in misc

Aug 1, 2011

Musee D’Orsay collection comes to Seoul

By Joon Soh The Musee D’Orsay, one of the top Parisian museums, has undergone a series of renovations over the past two years, a facelift that’s nearing its end. These renovations have been an inconvenience to tourists in Paris, but they are a boon to art lovers in Asia, as some the museum’s best works have made their way here as a result. Titled “Musee D’Orsay: Dream and Reality,“ an exhibition opened in June at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. Once the show ends its Seoul run on Sept. 25, it will travel to Singapore for four months before heading back to Paris next year. This is not the first time that Musee D’Orsay artwork has come to Seoul; similar shows ran in 2000 and 2007, and the museum also lent some pieces to a Pierre-Auguste Renoir retrospective in 2009. However, this is by far the largest exhibit of works from the museum to be shown here, with a total of 134 paintings, drawings and photographs on display. The majority of the works are from the late 19th and early 20th century with a focus on Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which are the museu

Jul 31, 2011

What makes a great orchestra?

By Do Je-hae The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) took the classical music community by surprise when it was named the top U.S. orchestra in the latest U.K. Gramophone magazine critics’ poll. Since 1891, many charismatic conductors have led the ensemble, honing its trademark sound and carving an identity as one of the most respected cultural institutions in the United States. The concertmaster of the CSO since 1999, Robert Chen, recently spoke to The Korea Times about what it takes to build a great orchestra. The violinist was in Seoul this week to rehearse with the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra (APO), founded by renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun. The CSO is a rare combination of sonic and financial health, making it a benchmark example for Asia, where the growing aspiration to build top-class orchestras has not yet produced a resounding success.

Jul 29, 2011By Do Je-hae

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games 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 crystal ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you can hang out at the bar or classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik Univ. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ are in the center of the club, which attracts a trendy crowd along with models and celebrities. Packed on the weekends. Visit www.ohoo.net. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong subway station Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for unforgetable nights of dancing and debauchery. Reborn after extensive renovations to maintain its reputation of a quality club with a superior sound syste

Jul 28, 2011

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical concerts The Sonata Series of the Beethoven Association of Korea — Heroic Beethoven Seoul Arts Center* (See ‘Venues’ on the right for more information) Aug. 29 In order to celebrate the 5th anniversary of its establishment, this association has been promoting Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas with 32 pianists, and dividing the performance into six sections. Its 4th performance is this August with “Sonata No.3 in C Major, Op.2-3” and “Sonata No.7 in D Major, Op.10 -3” planned. Tickets cost 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3436-5929. 2011 Symphony Journey for Youth Seoul Arts Center* July 30 The Korea W Philharmonic Orchestra, which won The Korea Times’ sister paper Hankook Ilbo’s Grand Prize for customer satisfaction in the arts and culture section less than a year after its foundation, will perform pieces by Mendelssohn and Beethoven for youths. The orchestra has become one of the most active musical ensembles, giving as many as 90 concerts last year, including five at Seoul Arts Center and numerous charity events. Tickets cost 10,000 to 20,000 w

Jul 28, 2011

Artists, designers team up at ’Fashion into Art’

By Kwon Mee-yoo Upon entering the gallery, visitors will see “Just,” a unique runway created by Gwon O-sang. Gwon’s white runway composed of small steps, a balance beam and monkey bars becomes complete when three models walk on it, wearing riding suits by designer Han Sang-hyuk of MVIO. Vogue Korea invited 15 top designers and 15 artists, pairing them up in duos to create fashion-inspired artwork at the “Fashion into Art” exhibition held at Plateau, the former Rodin Gallery, in downtown Seoul, from Tuesday. “Fashion into Art” started in 2009 as Vogue Korea’s photo spread and the collaboration was extended to an exhibition this year. The harmony of creators from different fields has added to the artwork. Some of the works have visible links between the designer and the artist, while others have hidden clues. Artist Kim Ji-min’s sculpture “One Way” has costumes by young designers Steve J & Yoni P. The languid mannequins with convex lens for faces lining up on a balance beam symbolize the desire of modern man. Steve and Yoni dressed them up with different length skir

Jul 27, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Arts & Theater

Arts & Theater

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Concerts, museums & theater

Bowls, trash bins and tires turned into ’French Art Today’

PyeongChang’s music fest sets example

Joseon’s middle class key to development of literature, culture

Musee D’Orsay collection comes to Seoul

What makes a great orchestra?

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Concerts, museums & theater

Artists, designers team up at ’Fashion into Art’

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