Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Uncle Vanya Presents Timeless Message of Life

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The year 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's birth. Considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in the history of world literature, Chekhov also produced four classic plays ― "The Cherry Orchard," "The Three Sistersm," "The Seagull" and "Uncle Vanya." Though his masterpieces have been regarded as"abstruse," "Uncle Vanya" is a unique piece and relatively easy to understand. The play currently now on stage at Arko Art Center in Daehangno deals with a wasted life through an exploration of the characters and their respective miserable lives. The drama revolves around the disruptive relationship between the characters when retired old professor Serebryakov (Lee Jong-gu) and his young second wife Yelena (Lee Ji-ha) move to the family's remote country estate, where Sonya (Kim Ji-sung), his daughter from his first marriage, works tirelessly to keep the estate going with her self-questioning Uncle Vanya (Kim Myung-su). The couple's arrival upsets everyone's routine, and Vanya and Astrov (Kim Su-

Jan 11, 2010

Exhibit to Travel From Seoul to Gwangju, Busan

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Rising artists from different parts of Korea have gathered together for Arko Art Center's new exhibition, which recently opened in Seoul but will also travel to Gwangju and Busan. The ``Arko Artist-Center Network: Decentered'' is an exhibition of 21 new artists from around the country, in an attempt to discover and introduce fresh talent. Decentered seeks the role of a ``decentered art museum,'' serving as a mediator between various artists and the audience. Arko Art Center, Gwangju Museum of Art and Busan Museum of Art collaborated on the project. Curators from each institution recommended five to eight local contemporary artists from the region, and whittled it down to 21. ``In this exhibition, we endeavored to discover new local artists through networks formed among local public art museums, with the aim of decentralizing the art scene, and tried to attain fairness by basing our selections not on age but the point of their actual debut. We are also attempting an organic and cubic connection among the regions by touring

Jan 8, 2010

Clubs, Art Exhibitions and Sports Games

Clubs 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 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. C

Jan 7, 2010

Concerts, Museums and Theater

Classical Concerts Soprano Shin Young-ok’s New Year’s Concert Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center Jan.29 Soprano Shin Young-ok presents a New Year’s concert with the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yeo Ja-kyung. The concert will feature the overture from Rossini’s “La Gazza Ladra” and Bizet’s “Ouvre Ton Coeur.” Tickets cost from 77,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 529-1923. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra’s New Year’s Concert Grand Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Jan. 9 The Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra will offer Beethoven’s “Overture ‘Namensfeier’ in C major, Op.115,” Poulenc’s “Organ Concerto in G minor” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No.9 ‘Choral’ in D minor, Op.125” with Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus. Tickets cost from 5,000 to 25,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1887. Located near exits 1 and 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. KBS Symphony Orchestra’s New Year’s Conc

Jan 7, 2010

Listen to a Festival of Sound Art in Seoul

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter When people go to art festivals, they usually expect to see visually stimulating paintings and sculptures. But at the upcoming "Sound Effects Seoul 2010: Sound Specific (SFX Seoul)," people are invited to listen. "SFX Seoul," the third international sound art festival organized by Sound Art Korea, opens Friday evening with a ceremony at Space Hamilton, Hannam-dong. ``This year's festival focuses on intimate relations between sound and the place where it is heard, featuring artists from Australia, Taiwan and Korea, in a series of exhibitions, discussions and live performances,'' Sound Arts Korea said in a statement. Sound Arts Korea was formed in 2006 by Baruch Gottlieb and Ji Yoon Yang with the goal of promoting sound art in Korea. Gottlieb is an artist and taught for three years as a Media Art professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of Communication and Arts, while Yang is a curator specializing in sound arts and media performance. For the festival, the artists explored the intimate relationship between a place and it

Jan 6, 2010

Major Cultural Heritage Projects in 2010

By Chung Ah-young Staff Repoter The year 2010 will be a fruitful year with multiple diverse cultural heritage projects. The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) will complete its restoration project of the Gwanghwamun Gate and open it to the public in October. Also, the government will push to register Gyeongju’s Yangdong Village and Andong’s Hahoe Village in North Gyeongsang Province, as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cultural authorities will also step up efforts to redeem the Joseon Royal Protocols from other countries. Restored Gwanghwamun in October One of the biggest projects of the CHA is to promote royal tombs and palaces as tourism resources. The administration will hold a grand event to mark the completion of the reconstruction of Gwanghwamun Gate, the main entrance to Gyeongbok Palace, in October three years after it began the project in December 2006. Gwanghwamun was first built in 1395, the fourth year of King Taejo of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), but was burnt down during the Japanese invasion in the late 16th century. It was restored i

Jan 6, 2010

Winter Fest Beckons Children to Daehangno

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The sixth ASSITEJ (International Association of Theater for Children and Young People) Korea Winter Festival, the largest children's performing arts event, will take place from Jan. 9 to 17 at various venues in Daehangno with eight productions from four countries. This year's festival will feature diverse genres including a family musical inspired by a folktale, a play using recycled articles, a dance show and a puppet show. The opening work, ``Blue Hour'' is an international residence program co-produced by artists from Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan who stayed in Korea for three months to tour the natural environment such as Upo Wetland, Suncheon Bay, Sihwa Lake and Nanji Island. The play aims at raising awareness about environmental problems through intriguing characters. ``Blue Hour'' will be staged on Jan. 9 and 10 at Blackbox Theater. Among others, the overseas productions are rare and selective. ``Echoa'' is a French production of music and dance presented by the Arcosm Company which will be performed from Jan. 13 to 17 at Daehangno A

Jan 5, 2010

Cinderella Takes Stage This Month With a Twist

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The enchanting tale of Cinderella will be staged by the Korea National Ballet Company (KNBC) this month. The modern ballet, choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, was one of the most successful and popular performances by the dance troupe last year. Instead of graceful twirls and spins, Maillot's ``Cinderella'' will bring more dynamic moves, from pointed footwork to running and jumping. The basic storyline is not much different from the original: Cinderella is bullied by her step mother and two step sisters, while Prince Charming is in search of the beautiful maiden who left him during a ball at midnight. Maillot, however, gives the old tale a twist by adding more texture to the stage, more personality to the characters and a bit of humor to every little movement and facial expression. First of all, the choreographer focuses on Cinderella's mother and father, offering a moment of romance between the two. Their appearance actually starts with a beautiful and lengthy kiss. The ill mother dies in her husband's arms, but returns

Jan 4, 2010

Indian Paintings Show Diverse Cultures

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter India has a prolific cultural and historic heritage. The country is made up of diverse tribes, religions, languages, customs and mythologies. Indians are known to worship about 330 million Gods and thus have diverse mythologies. The paintings that portray them differ according to the materials and methods. The Cheon Gye Cheon Museum is showcasing some 100 Indian folk paintings that speak of the tradition behind Indian religions as well as the history of its majestic art through Feb. 28. The mediums and techniques of the paintings are diverse, depending on specific areas. Visitors can enjoy Madhubani mythology paintings from Bihar Province and southern Indian paintings in exhibition hall I. Warli mythology is depicted in works from Maharashtra Province, which can be seen in hall II. Based on the three categories of paintings, the exhibition narrates the stories of Gods and humans. They also portray the daily lives of Indians who lived in harmony with nature. In exhibition hall I, the south Indian mythology paintings show Hindu tradi

Jan 3, 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 to be found 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.

Dec 31, 2009

Arts & Theater