Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Furniture: inescapable art of life

By Ines Min Staff reporter Is it a table? Or is it a fancy cigarette holder, a wine bar or a game board? It’s art. Furniture is not only a necessity in daily human life, but that integral presence has also transformed it into a premiere outlet for the creative functions of designers and artists alike. This summer, galleries have taken to focusing on specific design movements to expose audiences to the importance of furniture. Starting with the expansive, personal collection of exquisite Bauhaus furniture at the PKM Trinity Gallery in southern Seoul, the seasonal trend has continued to other periods from the past century and beyond. Watch the carpet! Kukje Gallery’s second exhibition space now sports a brand new, cream-colored soft carpet. Peering inside, one sees a brightly-lit space not unlike a high-end, vintage furniture store. In perfectly arranged order, 80- to 100-year-old Art Deco pieces stand on display, from ceiling lamps to desks, chairs to vases, bookshelves to tables. ``Art Deco Masterpieces’’ brings together some of the world’s most sought-after furnit

Jul 23, 2010

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. Le Nuit Blanche Cheongdam-dong Formerly Club Answer, Le Nuit Blanche is introduced as a posh restaurant, theater and club. Located in front of Hotel Prima in Cheongdam-dong, Le Nuit Blanche offers Cirque du Soleil-type performances at its theater restaurant. World class DJs from all over the world are invited to perform at the club. Call (02) 514-4311 or visit www.lenuitbl

Jul 22, 2010

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical Concert World Orchestra Concert Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* (See venues for more information) July 27 For the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53), musicians from U.N. member nations that helped South Korea will come together in concert. Christoph Poppen will conduct the group of musicians from Korea, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Greece and Italy among others for Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” Prokofiev’s “Ode to the End of the War,” Mahler’s “Symphony No.5” and Brahms’ “Symphony No.2.” Tickets cost 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 599-5743. Korea-Japan Friendship Concert Grand Hall, Nowon Arts Center July 24 Sakamoto Music School, an esteemed Japanese music academy, will hold a concert with Nowon Arts Center’s residential choral group. The concert, titled ``A Friendship Concert to Connect Hearts,” will feature songs from various genres ranging from opera to folk, including Puccini’s ``Quando Men Vo Soletta Per La Via’’ and the Korean traditional classic ``Arirang,” among others. Admiss

Jul 22, 2010

Anyang art project seeks smart social design

By Ines Min Staff reporter Korea is undoubtedly a fast-developing country and the past four decades have seen a dramatic change in both landscape and cultural perspectives. One side effect of such steep growth has been a lack of focus on design, leading to uninspired architecture and eyesores of community centers. The Seoksu Art Project 2010 (SAP 2010) opened last weekend, as part of efforts by the Anyang Public Art Project Foundation to combine aesthetics with function in the city. Organized by the nonprofit art space Stone & Water, the event seeks to bring new design ideas to old spaces. Comprised of an international residency program, an Asian artists exchange group and the local community, participants from each area will work together to help transform the surrounding society through design plans. Twelve different countries are represented in the group, including Korea. For an introduction to the works by the artists, two days will be dedicated to presentations this weekend, including ones by photographer Katrin Murbach from Switzerland, Riikka Tauriainen fro

Jul 21, 2010

A page out of Leonardo da Vinci’s book

By Ines Min Staff reporter To the layman, the name of Leonardo da Vinci may call to mind simply those paintings for which he is most famous ― the ``Mona Lisa’’ and ``The Last Supper.’’ However, the multi-disciplined Italian was more than an artist: He was a scientist, philosopher and, above all, an observer. ``Observing Like Leonardo da Vinci’’ at the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in central Seoul brings together the work of 12 artists who have each been inspired by the concept of scientific observation, a trademark of the famous Renaissance painter. Finding the art in accidental happenstance, the images of language and the element of surprise in discovery, 50 works explore the world through a new lens. At its best, the showcase of domestic talent portrays a quirky and innovative approach to beauty, at once personal and universal. A series of works by noted artist Kim Mi-hyung feature the fallen leaves of trees, as well as the wings of dead insects ― all gathered by Kim herself. ``The artist is in the habit of walking with her head down, constantly looking at

Jul 18, 2010

Roland Petit pieces add new splash

By Lee Hyo-won Staff reporter If you thought lingerie-clad Christina Aguilera was provocative in the ``Lady Marmalade’’ music video for the film ``Moulin Rouge,’’ the MTV generation may be surprised by the sexy allure of Roland Petit’s ballet ``Carmen,’’ which was created more than 60 years ago. It was worth the wait to finally see it, among the French master choreographer’s other globetrotting works, in Seoul. Save for the 1974 piece ``L’Arlesienne (The Woman of Arles),’’ ``Carmen’’ and ``Le Jeune homme et la mort (The Young Man and Death)’’ are from the 1940s _ but the classics are timeless, and in this new millennium they are still adding a splash of novelty and exoticism, particular to the local arts scene where the repertoire is mostly limited to seasonal treats like ``The Nutcracker.’’ The reason for the long wait, according to experts, was due to the fact that Korean ballet was just not sophisticated enough. In this past Saturday’s performance of ``A Night With Roland Petit’’ at Seoul Arts Center, dancers of the Korea National Ballet Company were challenged with ra

Jul 18, 2010

Power duo offers memorable night of operatic arias

By Lee Hyo-won Staff reporter It was like watching the highlights of an entire season at the New York Metropolitan Opera ― all in one sitting in the heart of Seoul. ``What might have been just a routine revival of Franco Zeffirelli's extravagant 1998 production of Verdi's `Traviata’ turned out to be an affecting performance thanks to the inspired work of two South Korean-born artists,’’ the New York Times wrote of soprano Hong Hei-kyung and tenor Kim Woo-kyung’s appearance in the Met’s 2007 production. It was the first time that both the lead female and male roles were played by Asian artists. The two valued singers treated local fans to an unforgettable operatic aria buffet ranging from Verdi and Puccini to Mozart, Gounot and Bizet. The duo undertook the full power vocal program without prelude or interlude breaks. The Korean audience, perhaps in part due to the red pepper-heavy diet, are a passionate and unabashedly honest batch. They know what they like and aren’t afraid to show it, and always ask for more. The crowd at the Seoul Arts Center performance last Friday se

Jul 18, 2010

Art freezes time amid summer heat

By Ines Min Staff reporter By the time late July hits, it becomes difficult to focus on much else besides the weather. Luckily, snuggled among the office buildings and political centers of Seoul, one can find cool respites from the oppressive humidity in the form of art. Two contrasting exhibitions provide a look at modern culture ― one a light-hearted reminder of youth, the other from a more wry social commentary ― at the Gallery Factory and the Doosan Art Center this month. Though the two seem only to meet on tangential lines of similarity, what both these exhibitions provide is a window into a frozen moment of time. Introspection and a ``Giant Funfair'' Entering the Gallery Factory in Hyoja-dong, one might initially feel a slight sense of unease. Delicate-looking 3D works are suspended from the ceiling, one lays snug in a corner, another is stapled precariously, hanging sideways in a gravity-defying stance. The ambiance seems so still, visitors take extra care to not disturb the array of meticulously detailed art. The gallery is quiet on a weekday, so these works

Jul 16, 2010

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. Le Nuit Blanche Cheongdam-dong Formerly Club Answer, Le Nuit Blanche is introduced as a posh restaurant, theater and club. Located in front of Hotel Prima in Cheongdam-dong, Le Nuit Blanche offers Cirque du Soleil-type performances at its theater restaurant. World class DJs from all over the world are invited to perform at the club. Call (02) 514-4311 or visit www.l

Jul 15, 2010

Concerts, museums & theater

Classical Concert World Orchestra Concert Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* July 27 For the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53), musicians from U.N. member nations that helped South Korea will come together in concert. Christoph Poppen will conduct the group of musicians from Korea, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Greece and Italy among others for Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” Prokofiev’s “Ode to the End of the War,” Mahler’s “Symphony No.5” and Brahms’ “Symphony No.2.” Tickets cost 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 599-5743. 2010 SAC Youth Concert Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center* July 17 Start an exciting music journey with conductor Sung Ki-sun, pianist/commentator Julius Jeongwon Kim and the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra. They will deliver scores by Schumann including “Piano Concerto in A minor” and “Symphony No.3 ‘Rhein’” (1st, 2nd and 5th mov.). Tickets cost 10,000 to 15,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300. Lee Mi-sun Percussion Recital Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center* July 28

Jul 15, 2010

Arts & Theater

Arts & Theater

Furniture: inescapable art of life

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Concerts, museums & theater

Anyang art project seeks smart social design

A page out of Leonardo da Vinci’s book

Roland Petit pieces add new splash

Power duo offers memorable night of operatic arias

Art freezes time amid summer heat

Clubs, art exhibitions & sports games

Concerts, museums & theater

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