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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Gugak festivals bring modern edge to tradition

By Lee Hyo-won “Gugak” largely refers to Korean classical music, but the term literally means “national music” — it’s an art form that captures the spirit of the Korean people, comprising not only works inherited from past but also currently in the making for the time-honored instruments. The genre continues to flourish under the wing of master artists, and moreover, the younger generation that they inspire. Fans can witness the collaborative efforts of cross-generational music-making in festivals opening in Seoul featuring such revered icons as Kim Duk-soo and Hwang Byung-ki. Kim Duk-soo Retracing past via youths Forget that gugak is old — sure it may be a time-honored tradition, but Kim’s electrifying “samulnori” (percussion) beats have been capturing the ears of fans all over the world. Under the artistic direction of this master percussionist, the 2010 Seoul New Korea Music Festival is now underway through Saturday at Nowon Art Hall and other venues around the city. “It’s a full festival that contemplates the past, present and future of gugak tog

Nov 22, 2010

Following photography from objectivity to humor

By Ines Min In these chilly wintry weeks before the peak of the holiday season, rather than succumb to the inviting warmth of fantastical art or indulgent contemporary works, photography exhibitions are providing some grounded reality — ending with a well-judged pinch of intimate humor. Gallery Hyundai — with its locations in Sagan-dong and Gangnam — and the Michael Schultz Gallery Seoul are holding three photography-based exhibitions through the new year, bridging analytical observations with a subtle personality, shadowed by the viewerpersonal experiences. Acclaimed German photographer Thomas Struth, one of the country’s most widely-exhibited and collected artists, makes his Korean debut with a collection of new photographs taken over the last three years. The artist captures cityscapes in a plain, straightforward manner while traveling across the peninsula from Ulsan to Gyeongju, Gangwon Province, Seoul and even Pyongyang. With the help of the German embassy and Goethe Institute, Struth managed to photograph for five days in the North Korean capital,

Nov 19, 2010

Clubs, Traditional & Art Exhibitions

Clubs Club Answer Cheongdam-dong Equipped with state of the art sound and lighting, Club Answer is the foremost venue for electronic music in Seoul. Located in front of Hotel Prima in Cheongdam-dong, the club presents world class DJs in an extensive space with modern decor to offer a memorable dance experience. Visit www.clubanswer.co.kr, for more information. Club Heaven Yeoksam-dong Located next to the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, Club Heaven is gaining a reputation as a clubber’s paradise with star DJs and a celebrity clientele. Electronic music is the main menu, with laser light and paper confetti shows aplenty on the side. The club caters to partying at any hour of the night: the “main stage” on the first floor is open until 6:30 a.m., while club hoppers can enter the upper level’s “after stage” after 4:30 a.m. Call 1644-8466. Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that’s also to be found in Shanghai. Located in the popular clubbing area, Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious,

Nov 18, 2010

Concerts, Museums & Theater

Classical Concerts SAC Saturday Concert Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* (See venues for more information) Nov. 20 Seoul Arts Center (SAC) will hold its second Saturday concert under the direction of pianist-turned-conductor Kim Dae-jin. Violinist Lee Kyung-sun will perform with the SAC Festival Orchestra for Mozart’s “Violin Concerto in G major, K 216.” The program also features Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K 550.” Tickets cost 20,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300. Young Song Cello Recital Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* Dec. 5 Popular young cellist Young Song (Song Young-hoon) brings his most ambitious project, a recital tour showcasing hallmarks in the cello repertoire including “Elegie in C minor, Op. 24” by Faure, “Cello Sonata Nos. 1 and 2” by Brahms and “Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14” by Rachmaninov. Pianist Aviram Reichert will accompany the artist. Tickets cost 30,000 to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2658-3546. Kim Sun-wook Piano Recital Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* Nov. 27 Piano prodigy Kim Sun-wook, winner of

Nov 18, 2010

3 Korean traditions named world treasures

By Lee Hyo-won Three Korean cultural traditions were added to the intangible heritage list of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage named three local assets ― ``gagok’’ (lyrical songs), ``daemokjang’’ (wooden architectural craftsmanship) and ``maesanyang’’ (falcon hunting) ― to the intangible list in a session held Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya. ``The three elements Korea submitted have been inscribed in the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,’’ Lucia Iglesias Kuntz, a UNESCO spokesperson in Paris, was quoted as saying by Yonhap News. Gagok was widely used for character development among the elite of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). There are separate songs for men and women ― the former, of which there are 26, are characterized by strong, deep, reverberating vocals while the latter, of which there are 15, are high-pitched and lilting. Gagok is sung in accompaniment to a small band of musical instruments and are often melancholic and solemn

Nov 17, 2010

Chagall retrospective to return, bigger & brighter

By Ines Min “When Matisse dies, Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what color really is,” Picasso once famously said. Art aficionados will have another chance to dive into the world of the French artist in his second major retrospective here, hosted by The Korea Times and sister paper Hankook Ilbo. “Chagall: Magician of Color” will be open from Dec. 3 to March 27, 2011, at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA). Some 160 works were contributed from more than 30 major museums from around the world for a comprehensive look into the 20th-century painter who is well known as a pioneer of modernism. The full seven-piece series comprising his decorations in Moscow’s Jewish Theatre will make its Asia debut in the exhibition, while others from his Russian period, including “Peasant Life,” will be on display for the first time in decades outside the owning galleries. Overseeing the retrospective is director Seo Soun-joo, art critic and organizer of Hankook Ilbo’s annual large-scale exhibitions, who brought to life the original Chagall exhibition in 2004. “The first

Nov 17, 2010

Magical illusions to reach into reality

By Han Sang-hee In a world overloaded with too much information and technology, old-school magic tricks may not be enough to entertain the public nowadays. However, the wonder of slicing pretty ladies in half and pulling a rabbit out of a hat never grows old, and it always brings out a gasp here and there along with a hint of nostalgia. Korean magician Lee Eun-gyeol hopes his audience will bring a bit of nostalgia and imagination with them for his new show “The Illusion,” which he has been preparing for the past year after completing military service. “I was worried before, during and after I left the military,” he said laughing. “I think my worries are mostly about my next move: I’ve done magic shows for the past 10 years, now what?” he told the press during a conference at Chungmu Art Hall last Thursday. It was time for the 29-year-old to try something new, which was exactly why he prepared a performance that would hopefully show the audience a new side of him and his magic. True to his word, “The Illusion” will be more than masked magicians transforming magi

Nov 16, 2010

Korean love story to touch Japanese ballet fans

By Lee Hyo-won The Universal Ballet Company (UBC) will kick off a tour across Japan Thursday to showcase “Shim Chung,” its signature piece about a daughter’s filial love and piety. The troupe will stage the Korean folktale in four cities, beginning Thursday at the Alsok Hall in Hiroshima, followed by the Kobe International House Kokusai Hall on Saturday, Nagoya Chukyo University Culture City House Aurora Hall on Sunday and finally Tokyo’s Yupoto Hall on Nov. 24. “While Japan does not have a large-scale ballet company like Korea, it has a solid fan base and is a much-sought after stage for dancers. Since making its Japanese debut in 1985, the UBC has given 13 tours, of which seven were for ‘Shim Chung,”’ said the UBC in a press release. The company has a Japanese website as well as a fan club there to cater to the local interest. “Shim Chung” may have become a rather familiar story to Japanese fans, but they can expect something a little different, as an upgraded rendition that was featured in Seoul earlier this year will be performed. Though the sophisticated digital

Nov 16, 2010

MBCs `Madanggeuk enters new phase with complete facelift

By Han Sang-hee MBC’s outdoor performance “Funny Story of Gogureyo” is going through a facelift to celebrate its 30th anniversary this month. “Madanggeuk,” or Korean traditional outdoor performance, was a popular form of entertainment back in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally performed outdoors, but MBC brought the tradition indoors, into large stadiums for practicality and easier access. It is basically a musical-like performance, where the characters sing and act on a round stage located in the middle of the venue with the audience seated around it. Due to other forms of entertainment, such as television and the Internet, the traditional genre has been considered as old-fashioned and out-of-date with the main audience being a bit older than the average musical and theater fan. “We transformed it into a hybrid genre, with a

Nov 14, 2010

Opera Gallery: 3rd anniversarys sweet show

By Ines Min Opera Gallery in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, celebrates its third anniversary this month with an exhibition of the two bold-palettes of French artists Claude Hemeret and Jenkell. “French Mood” runs through Dec. 5 and comprises a showcase full of lush oil-paint bouquets and varnished plexiglass bonbons: luxury and sweet decadence. Hemeret, a graduate of the Ecole Nationale des Arts Decoratifs in Nice, reflects his own upbringing of affluence and joie de vivre through his rich landscapes and floral depictions. Though the artist, at 81, has likely seen more ups and downs than much of his audience, Hemeret nonetheless finds a pure satisfaction in the velvety solids of his paints, inevitably drawing in his viewers. On the other hand, Jenkell seeks tranquility within the smooth finishes of Plexiglass (or the French version Altuglas) and varnish. Known for her enlarged sculptures of delectable bonbons (the crinkle of the wrapper tangible upon observation), the artist has mastered the folds of the material, which came to her through instinct. After studying th

Nov 14, 2010
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