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Arts & Theater

First Sitting Buddha Statue Discovered

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The first statue of the Future Buddha, which dates back to the Unified Silla Kingdom period (668-935), has been found, according to a prominent Buddhism art professor Thursday. Moon Myung-dae, former professor of Buddhist Arts at Dongguk University, announced that he had confirmed that the Buddha statue enshrined at the Goseok Temple, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, was the sitting statue of Maitreya. ``This statue shows the Maitreya seated on a chair carved in a grotto. This type of statue was a huge trend in China and many were found, but strangely there were only two discovered in Korea: one from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935) and the other from the Goryeo Kingdom (A.D. 918-1392),'' Moon said. However, with the discovery of the statue at Goseok Temple, Korea now has three, the most recent one being the first from the Unified Silla Kingdom. The statue is 222 centimeters high and the width between the knees measures 95 centimeters. ``The statue is quite large. We discovered the Buddha while we were tearing off plaster

Jun 4, 2009

Art Museums, Kids and Sports

Art Exhibitions Memory Gap Gallery Hyundai Gangnam Space Through June 14 Sun Yoon-hee plays with the theme of memory in her works. She fills the canvas with stains and draws on the surface, creating unusual works. Visit www.galleryhyundai.com. Art in Bloom 2009: The Storming Party in Museum Seoul Museum of Art Through June 14 Outside the Seoul Museum of Art, children and adults alike will enjoy the cute, fun and sometimes weird Pop Art works by Korean artists. Monsters, tanks, animals, giant toys, and robots are welcome visitors to the museum. Visit seoul.moa.go.kr. 100 Years of Korean Comics National Museum of Contemporary Art Through Aug. 23 ``Manhwa'' or Korean comic books are on the spotlight at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition traces the development of Korean comics in the last 100 years. To get there, get off Seoul Grand Park Station Line 4, Exit 4. A free shuttle bus to the museum is available. Admission is 3,000 won. Visit www.moca.go.kr. Voyage to the World of Illustration Hangaram Design

Jun 4, 2009

Classical Concerts, Big Tickets, Museums, Dance Pop and Jazz

Classical Concerts Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's Virtuoso Series II Seoul Arts Center June 5 Under the baton of conductor Sung Shi-yeon, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso,'' Higdon's Percussion Concerto and Franck's Symphony in D minor. Renowned percussionist Colin Currie will appear as a soloist. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr or call (02) 3700-6300. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Ahn Hee-chan's Trumpet Dialogue Kumho Art Hall June 11 Trumpeter Ahn Hee-chan will present a concert titled Trumpet Dialogue with trumpeter Im Shi-won and pianist Jung Young-ha. Tickets cost from 8,000 to 30,000 won. For more information, visit www.kumhoharthall.com or call (02) 6303-7700. Located near exit 7 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. Haydn & Mendelssohn Celebration Kumho Art Hall June 18 The Chamber Music Society of Kumho Art Hall celebrates the 200th anniversary of the death of Haydn and Mendelssohn. The Program includes Haydn's

Jun 4, 2009

Oldest Taegeuk Pattern Found in Naju

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter A 1,400-year-old artifact with the Taegeuk pattern has been found, the oldest of its kind in Korean history. The Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage held a press conference Wednesday at the National Palace Museum of Korea and revealed 31 wooden tablets and a pair of wood carvings with the Taegeuk pattern. The artifacts were excavated from the Bogam-ri tombs at Naju, South Jeolla Province last year and since then had gone through preservation treatment. The latest discovery predates by 682 years what had been the oldest artifact that held the Taegeuk pattern found at the Gameun Temple site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The first piece of the pair, which is 19.1 centimeters long and 6.9 centimeters wide, is shaped like a knife and is almost completely intact, while the other is only 10.7 centimeters long and 4.6 centimeters wide and has lost its original form. On the first piece, the Taegeuk pattern is visible, along with another pattern in the shape of a web. The patterns were drawn with a brush using Chinese i

Jun 3, 2009

Daegu Dreams of Becoming Asia’s Edinburgh

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter A total of 24 foreign and local musicals will hit the stage at the 3rd Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) from June 15 to July 6. The 22-day event will offer official invitational performances, the DIMF Grantee Premiere Homegrown Musicals, the DIMF College Students' Musical Festival, the DIMF Fringe Festival, an academic conference and other side events at 10 venues around the city. ``We've carefully selected various musicals with artistry and popularity for this year's invitations to attract all generations to enjoy the musicals,'' Kang Shin Sung-il, director of the DIMF, said in a press conference. The opening performance, ``Metro Street'' will go on stage from June 14 to 21 at the Daegu Opera House. In the Australian family musical, Matthew Robinson, the playwright and composer, will appear, along with other actors. Robinson won the Pratt Prize for Musical Theater. Russian classic ``Poor Liza'' will take the stage as the closing musical after being officially invited by the Avignon Festival on its well-received world to

Jun 3, 2009

Celebrities Support Compassion Korea

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Celebrities like Shin Ae-ra, Lee Yoon-mi, Hwangbo, Park Si-eun, and Ricky Kim cheerfully walked down the runway wearing colorful oversized tops and shirts specially designed by Park Yoon-soo. But this was no ordinary fashion show, since Park's designs were inspired by the drawings of children who are sponsored by the charity Compassion Korea. The Korean celebrities took part in the ``2009 Friends of Compassion'' event for charity at the KT Art Hall, Gwanghwamun, Tuesday. Shin, who is a public ambassador for Compassion Korea, was at the event with her husband and fellow actor Cha In-pyo. The star couple, who have been deeply involved in the charity since 2003, are sponsor parents to 33 children around the world. The celebrities who participated in the fashion show were also members of the Compassion Band, a musical group led by Cha. The Compassion Band will give a special performance at 12- 1 p.m. at the KT Art Hall, Saturday. Aside from the fashion show, a photo exhibition and daily performances by various musicians are also

Jun 3, 2009

Actor Nam Celebrates 700th Performance

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Veteran actor Nam Kyung-joo has set a record of the 700th performance in a romantic comedy musical, ``I Love You'' on May 31. According to Clip Service, the musical has attracted 400,000 viewers earlier last month and Nam has appeared in his 700th performance last week since its premiere in 2004 in Korea. The musical has been staged 900 times and Nam has played the title role without the double casting since its premiere in most of the shows except one season. The latest season opened on March 6 and will run through Sept. 13. The original title of the long-running off-Broadway show is ``I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.'' The musical consists of 20 short episodes that portray the spectrum of male-female relationships ― love, dating, marriage, friendships and infidelity only four actors play some 60 characters during the show. Nam has played 15 characters alone. ``The 700th performance was possible due to encouragement and love of my colleagues, staff, and fans who have been always together with me from the first show to now. For

Jun 2, 2009

Italian Musical Pinocchio Makes Its Debut in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Italian musical `` Pinocchio'' will make its way to Korea for the first time in Asia after touring Europe. Based on Carlo Collodi's ``The Adventures of Pinocchio,'' the musical is written by Saverio Marconi and Pierluigi Ronchetti, with music by Dodi Battaglia, Red Canzian and Roby Facchinetti from the pop band I Pooh and lyrics by Stefano D'Orazio and Valerio Negrini. The show is a new format combining the elements of both a musical and an opera with effective stage sets. Since its premiere in Milan in 2003, the show has toured 22 cities in Italy and around Europe, receiving rave reviews. Particularly, soprano Sumi Jo has highly acclaimed the performance and recommended it be staged in Korea. Director Saverio Marconi will work on a new edition fitted for an international audience. ``It is a show suitable for all the family: a musical which amuses and moves, surprises with great special effects, and fascinates with ballet and songs which remain in the heart of the spectators,'' SMI Entertainment, the organizer, said in a press rel

Jun 2, 2009

Enjoy Tosca Straight From Italy

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Local opera fans won’t have to travel to Italy for a taste of bona fide Italian opera. Maestro Pier Luigi Pizzi returns for the third season of Korea Opera Group’s Pizzi Opera Festival, and offers Puccini’s ``Tosca’’ Thursday through Sunday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Seoul. The artistic general director will restage in Seoul what was featured in the 2008 Sferisterio Opera Festival, complete with the original cast, crew and stage set. The 78-year-old maestro is regarded as one of the most talented artistic directors of modern times. A veteran of over 500 productions, he is known for his unparalleled sense of style and attention to detail for a mise en scene that can be not only thoroughly traditional, but also innovatively modern. ``Opera is an art form that beautifies and enriches life. The stage must expand the realm of people’s lives and enable the audience to dream. The audience at times come to the theater seeking heart wrenching tragedy but they also want be delighted by striking, special stage sets and m

Jun 2, 2009

Christine Is My Destiny, Says Musical Actress Kim

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Kim So-hyun is arguably one of the busiest musical actresses these days. Currently starring in the musical ``Three Musketeers,'' she will soon perform in ``Romeo et Juliette'' and ``The Phantom of the Opera.'' Among these blockbuster musicals, she is eagerly anticipating her return to ``The Phantom of the Opera'' as Christine for the first time in eight years. ``When I heard about the auditions for `The Phantom,' I rushed there. I thought Christine is the role I can do best. Still, many fans remember me as Christine in the musical eight years ago,'' Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times. Graduating from Seoul National University's College of Music, Kim made her debut in ``The Phantom'' in 2001 and immediately rose to stardom in her role as Christine. Eight years later, with a 24-billion-won budget for production costs, the musical is to be presented again by Seol & Company with a new cast. ``At that time, I was kind of naive and didn't know much about the musical. So the creative team thought I was like a white paper, so

Jun 1, 2009
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