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Arts & Theater

European decorative art hits Seoul

By Chung Ah-young The National Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition titled “Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces 1600-1800 from the Victoria and Albert Museum” through Aug. 28. The exhibition, which opened Tuesday, allows visitors to appreciate the collection of luxurious treasures enjoyed by the ruling class of Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries in conjunction with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which is renowned for holding world-class decorative Baroque and Rococo artworks. The 17th- and 18th-century items of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection range from painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, metals, furniture and textiles, as well as garments and accessories to prints and drawings. A total of 101 articles which were carefully selected for the exhibition were mostly made by top-class artisans of the time at the request of powerful and wealthy nobles. The artworks were produced throughout the entire European continent from Sweden in the north to Spain in the south and from Portugal in the west to Russia in the east as Euro

May 3, 2011

Gyeongju Expo to revive Sillas vibrant culture

By Lee Hyo-won Brilliant golden crowns, astronomical observatories and stone pagodas reaching toward the heavens — the rich culture of the ancient Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935) continues to inspire epic TV dramas and even a teddy bear collection. Upcoming, this summer and fall an international expo will allow visitors to relive history. Beginning Aug. 12, the 6th Gyeongju World Culture Expo will have a two-month run in the southern city. The event will be held in conjunction with the 2011 Daegu World Championships in Athletics, which will take place from Aug. 27 to Sept. 4. Athletes and tourists from both near and fall will be able to enjoy the neighboring events, said the Organizing Committee for the Gyeongju World Culture Expo. The culture expo has attracted as many as 8.5 million visitors since launching in 1998 and organizers expect the number to reach 10 million this year. Under the theme “The Story of Millennium — Love, Light and Nature,” the event will feature performances and multimedia shows ranging from b-boy sequences to a parade celebrating Q

Apr 29, 2011

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Club Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that’s also 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. Check www.ohoo.net. Cafe Mou Sinsa-dong This cafe has a rich ethnic interior that mixes inspirations that its owner got from travels to such places as Morocco and France. Its menu is limited, but features desserts. It’s located at the edge of Dosan Park. 650-9 Park View Building, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, near the Cine City Theater in Apgujeongdong. Call (02) 3444-6069. Club Heaven Yeoksam-dong

Apr 28, 2011

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical Concerts Ennio Morricone 50th Anniversary Sejong Center for the Performing Arts* (See ‘Venues’ on right for more information) May 16-18 Ennio Morricone will kick off celebrations for the 50th anniversary of his debut as a composer with three concerts in Seoul. The prolific composer is best known for cinema music scores for “Mission”and “Cinema Paradiso.” He will conduct orchestral scores featuring solos by soprano Susanna Rigaci and pianist Gilda Butta. Tickets cost 40,000 to 220,000 won. Call (02) 332-3277 for bookings in English. 2011 Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music Sejong Center for the Performing Arts*, Seoul Arts Center* May 10-22 The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, which was launched in 2006 under the auspices of Seoul City, has become one of the region’s top classical music events. Under the theme “Pianissimo,” the festival will showcase a variety of piano pieces including those featuring dance and the pianoforte, the 18th-century predecessor to the modern instrument. Tickets cost 10,000 to 40,000 won. For more information call (02) 72

Apr 28, 2011

Circus clown happy for making people laugh

Steven Bishop of ‘Varekai’ tours world with family in tow By Kwon Mee-yoo The circus is back in town. This time, the tent is yellow and blue. Cirque du Soleil, one of the world’s most famous modern circus troupes originating from Canada, is presenting its third extravaganza “Varekai” in Korea. Though the 21st century is the era of advancing modern technology, Varekai is still performed inside a tent with elaborate costumes, popcorn and traditional acts of thrilling wonder and awe. Among the breathtaking acrobatics including Russian swings, a triple trapeze, aerial stunts and hand-balancing on canes, two clowns liven up the mood with engaging comic relief. Steven Bishop, 50, the male clown, has been running across the Big Top Theater of “Varekai” for about eight years now, rushing up and down the aisles while sometimes cajoling a member of the audience on stage. After joining the production in early 2004, Bishop left Australia and began traveling the world with his wife Cathryn, 48, and four children — Loic, 16; Jose, 14; Ines, 12 and Enzo, 9 — as part of t

Apr 27, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Garden5 blooms with exhibitions, performances

By Kwon Mee-yoo Garden5, a multi-functional shopping mall located in Munjeong-dong, southeastern Seoul, now offers a variety of cultural events from exhibitions and street performances to plays and operas as a part of their "Culture Forest Garden5" program. Organized by the Seoul Foundation for Art and Culture, the project aims to promote culture in southeastern Seoul. "We want to create a place where Seoulites can enjoy culture all the time, as well as during special festivals or events," an official of the foundation said. "We will cultivate 'cultural habits,' so everyone can enjoy the 'Culture Forest' project." The "Art Castle" exhibit is on through May 29 at the Spring Plaza on the lower ground floor. “The exhibition features the theme of "space" and embodies the place, whether real or imaginary, through media art," Kim Min-deul-le, the PR representative for the project said. Han Sung-pil's "Small City in the Garden5" combines his previous series "Façade” with Rene Magritte's paintings." The photo wraps around the outer wall of the exhibition hall, brin

Apr 22, 2011

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that’s also 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. Check www.ohoo.net. Cafe Mou Sinsa-dong This cafe has a rich ethnic interior that mixes inspirations that its owner got from travels to such places as Morocco and France. Its menu is limited, but features desserts. It’s located at the edge of Dosan Park. 650-9 Park View Building, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, near the Cine City Theater in Apgujeongdong. Call (02) 3444-6069. Club Heaven Yeoks

Apr 21, 2011

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical concerts Pianist Paul Lewis Recital Seongnam Arts Center* (See ‘Venues’ on right for more information) April 23 British pianist Paul Lewis will hold his Korean debut recital. As a renowned specialist of Franz Schubert, he will perform the composer’s “Piano Sonata No. 15 in C major, D. 840” and “Piano Sonata No. 17 in D major, D. 850.” Tickets cost 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call (031) 783-8000. Ennio Morricone 50th Anniversary Sejong Center for the Performing Arts* May 16-18 Ennio Morricone will kick off celebrations for the 50th anniversary of his debut as a composer with three concerts in Seoul. The prolific composer is best known for cinema music scores for “Mission”and “Cinema Paradiso.” He will conduct orchestral scores featuring solos by soprano Susanna Rigaci and pianist Gilda Butta. Tickets cost 40,000 to 220,000 won. Call (02) 332-3277 for bookings in English. 2011 Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music Sejong Center for the Performing Arts*, Seoul Arts Center,* etc. May 10-22 Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music, which w

Apr 21, 2011

Weekender East meets West like never before

Artistic links between Asia and Europe span back across centuries -- Debussy, Mahler, Messiaen and Schumann were each inspired by Asian sounds and colors, while Unsuk Chin contributes to the contemporary classical repertoire with works featuring the ‘sheng’ and cello. By Lee Hyo-won French composer Claude Debussy found inspiration in the Javanese Gamelan during the Romantic period while “gayageum” (12-string zither) maestro Hwang Byung-ki contributed to 20th-century discourse on John Cage. East-West artistic exchange has been occurring for centuries but international artistic collaborations are becoming more dynamic in this digital age, setting the stage for cross-cultural dialogue and, moreover, creative energy. A German record label recently signed the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to an unprecedented long-term contract, and this summer the ensemble will take center stage in Scotland with two other local troupes. But of course the relationship is a bilateral one, and opera fans will soon be able to enjoy the Asian premiere of a contemporary French masterpiece in Seou

Apr 21, 2011

Hats, shoes on exhibit

By Chung Ah-young Traditionally hats and shoes were considered as important as costumes as they symbolized the authority and status of the wearers during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) strongly dominated by Confucianism as the ruling ideology. The National Folk Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition to showcase 250 examples of headgear and footwear ranging from the Joseon Kingdom to the early modern days. It is the first of its kind to focus solely on these items as the main theme with diverse spectrums of meaning, form and aesthetic values. A variety of “gat,” or official hats for men, show the changes and trends of the typical horse hair hats for men in the height of the crown and width of the brim. “The periods of King Yeongjo and Jeongjo featured hats with decorative strings using amber and other jewelry. In the 17th and 18th centuries, men’s hats with brims of over 60 centimeters in width were popular. Such wide-brimmed hats were mostly worn by military officers. But in King Gojong’s reign, narrow-brimmed hats were in vogue. A narrow horse hair

Apr 20, 2011
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