Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Play Island Goes on Stage After 30 Years

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Award-winning play, ``The Island'' will be back on stage next month, starring musical actors Cho Jung-seok and Yang Jun-mo. The play, presented by Aga Company, was first shown here in 1977 by director Yun Ho-jin under the day's iron-fisted rule, winning fierce response from the audience. The drama, written by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona in 1974, deals with a true story which is set in a prison on South Africa's notorious Robben Island. The story revolves around two prisoners serving life sentences. Their days are spent undertaking physical labor and at night, they rehearse for a performance of Sophocles' Antigone, which they are asked to present to their fellow inmates by the wardens. One prisoner takes the role of Antigone, who defies the laws of the state to bury her brother, while the other takes the part of her uncle Creon, who sentences her to die for her crime. The drama explores the parallels between Antigone's situation and black men who are put in jail for political reasons. The tensions escalate as one o

Jan 20, 2009

Buddhist Urn, Relics Found at Mireuk Temple in Iksan

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Significant Buddhist relics were discovered at Mireuk Temple grounds in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, confirming that the temple was built during the reign of King Mu (600-641 A.D.) of the Baekje Kingdom by his queen. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage unveiled Monday some 500 relics from the site including a gold urn holding ``sari'' or the remains of a great monk after cremation and a ``bongangi,'' or a gold plate with inscriptions from the Baekje Kingdom (18-660 A.D.). Yonhap News Agency reported the gold urn and plate had been unearthed while National Treasure no. 11 a stone pagoda was being taken apart at the temple. The bongangi, which measures 15.5 centimeters by 10.5 centimeters, featured 193 words and 11 lines in ancient Chinese characters. The writing states that the stone pagoda, considered the oldest existing one in Korea, was built in 639 A.D. The discovery gives a concrete historic date to the construction of both the temple and the pagoda, the grandest of its kind built during the Baekje Kingdom.

Jan 19, 2009

Artist Makes Glass Sculptures of Human Body

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The human body is considered God's masterpiece. Belgian artist Laurence Dervaux steps in the shoes of God as she recreates and reinterprets the human body in her fascinating glass sculptures and porcelain work. Dervaux is currently holding her first solo exhibition at Atelier Hermes, located near Dosan Park, southern Seoul. The exhibit showcases how Dervaux recreates the human body's internal organs, bones and fluids with transparent glass and fragile porcelain sculptures. Beautiful and delicate, these glass ``body sculptures'' also exude mystery. ``The artist visualizes the `vital force' with the `materiality' of liquid and solids to ask a question on the essence of life and death between organic and geometric forms, freedom and order, transparency and opacity … Dervaux keeps the quest of eternity and temporality, balance and instability, pause and flow, birth and disappearance,'' the gallery catalogue said. As you enter the gallery, the first work that visitors will see is a series of glass sculptures ``Human Fluids'' on 15 ped

Jan 16, 2009

Clubs, Traditional Events & Art Exhibitions

Clubs The Circle Cheongdam-dong Located in the upscale Cheongdam-dong neighborhood, it's notorious for turning you down unless you're dressed chic and sleek. Faithful to its name, it has a round revolving floor ― looking for your ``lost'' table gives clubbers the perfect excuse to sit down with a sexy stranger. Located on Dosan-daero near Hak-dong intersection. Call (02) 546-5933 or visit www.thecircle.co.kr. Club Answer Cheongdam-dong This might be the answer to your nightlife. It offers an intimate partying environment with groovy electronic music by star DJs. You can reserve tables and those on the second floor provide an open view of the dance floor. Or mingling with the hot bartenders at the open bar might be a fine alternative. Located in Cheongdam-dong across the street from Prima Hotel, near the entrance toi Yeongdong-daegyo. Call (02) 548-7115 or visit www.clubanswer.co.kr. Club Evans Hongdae or Hongik University Area This club, located near Hongik University, is great for intimate live performances. The line-up of performers is generally top-notch and

Jan 15, 2009

Concerts, Museums & Theater

Classical Concerts Vienna Boys Choir New Year's Concert Seoul Arts Center Jan. 21 This choir boasting 500 years of tradition will offer Korean fans angelic sounds with such selections as ``O! Fortuna!" from Orff's "Carmina Burana,'' Durufle's ``Les Petits Chanteus de Saint-Marc and Johann Strauss's ``Tritsch Tratsch'' Polka. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, call Credia (02) 318-4301 or visit www.sac.or.kr. The Berlin Broadcasting Orchestra Concert Seoul Arts Center Jan. 31 Led by conductor Marek Janowski, the orchestra, which held its first performance in 1923, will be accompanied by Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook. They will offer the works of Beethoven and Schubert. Tickets cost from 50,000 won to 180,000 won. For more information, visit www.sac.or.kr. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. New Year Concert With Vienna Strauss Festival Orchestra Seoul Arts Center Jan. 20 Conductor Peter Guth, a Johann Strauss specialist, will perform in Seoul with Korean-American crossover vocalist Rose Jang. Their

Jan 15, 2009

Inca, Egypt Exhibitions to Be Held in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The National Museum of Korea will hold various events to mark its 100th anniversary in association with nationwide private and university museums. As part of its centennial, the museum will host international academic forums, special exhibitions and a museum expo, while building a symbolic structure. ``Many people don't know the museum turns 100 this year, so we will promote our long history through this occasion and make the public feel closer to it,'' Choe Kwang-shik, director of the museum, said. Korea's first museum, the Imperial Household Museum, established by King Sunjong at Changgyeong Palace, opened to the public Nov. 1, 1909, in the waning days of the Joseon Kingdom. It was the first time a museum was open to the public. It collected and stored various artwork and relics, such as Buddhist paintings and Goryeo porcelain. It changed its name to the Yi Royal Museum, the Yi Royal Gallery and then the Deoksu Palace Art Museum, which was finally integrated into the National Museum of Korea in 1969. ``Around 600 national and

Jan 14, 2009

Seasonal Shamanistic Ritual Greets New Year

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Traditionally, people in Hwanghae Province, now part of North Korea used to hold a shamanistic ritual at home to pray for a good harvest and peace and pay respect to their ancestors every first month of the year. Called ``cheolmurigut'' or ``jaesugut'' usually performed in the region from Jan. 1 to 15, the ritual was thought of as a seasonal feast that all participants could join in. Shaman Park Jung-wook will perform the regional shamanistic ritual on stage at Seoul Arts Center's Towol Theater, Jan 31 and Feb.1. The ``cheolmuri gut'' consists of 18 or 24 parts of an entire rendition, which will be officiated at by the shaman, including the Pyeongsan ``sonoreum gut,'' or cattle worship rite, performed for good harvests, good luck and prosperity of the family and local community. The shamanistic performances take place in an outdoor courtyard on good occasions when people have something to celebrate such as building a new house or buying a new land, and the birth of babies. The shaman prays to heaven for the people and bestows good f

Jan 14, 2009

French Musicals Back to Captivate Fans

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter French musicals have a strong fan base here for their unique qualities ― separate dancing and singing performances with less dialogue and more songs distinguish them from Broadway and West End musicals. Local musical buffs will be able to quench their thirst for the musicals that have swept the local musical scene a couple of years ago. Three iconic French musicals ― ``Notre Dame de Paris,'' ``Romeo et Juliette'' and ``Don Juan'' ― are returning to fans this

Jan 13, 2009

Printmakers Invited to Take Part at 15th Seoul Biennial in April

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Printmaking is often overlooked in today's increasingly multimedia-centered art world. And yet, the 15th SPACE International Print Biennial continues to push printmaking to the forefront of the art scene. Print artists from around the world are invited to send their applications for the 15th biennial, organized by the SPACE Group, which will be held in Seoul in April. ``We believe that `SPACE International Print Biennial ― Seoul' will not only support the aesthetic identity and potential of the print genre today, but also continue to play a valuable role in upholding the spirit of culture and art as well as in creating an exciting arena for the international exchange of art,'' organizers said. The biennial will be held from April 9 to May 10 at the Seoul Museum of Art, in downtown Seoul. The Grand Prize winner will receive $10,000, while two Excellent Prize winners will receive $5,000 each. Polish artist Marta Lech won the Grand Prize at the 14th biennial in 2006, for her ``20.09." American artist Michael Goro's ``Urban Serenity'

Jan 12, 2009

Universal Ballet Promises Another Fruitful Year

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The year 2009 will be a feast of ballet, according to the Universal Ballet Company (UBC) at a press conference for the troupe's line up for this year last week. Julia H. Moon, the general director of the UBC, ballerina Kang Ye-na, and Brian Liu, the new art director, appeared at the media call to announce their plans for the year ahead. ``This year is the 25th anniversary of the UBC and so we are all looking forward to a memorable year. The troupe started with only a couple of students, with only a handful of male dancers, but now we have grown into one of the biggest ballet troupes in the nation,'' Moon said. UBC welcomes its new art director this year, Brian Liu, who also danced under the local troupe for three years until 1992. He was born and raised in China by Korean parents and has worked at numerous ballet companies, including the UBC as ballet master, or coach, since 1999, and has now become the company's sixth art director. ``The UBC was able to exist because of the incredible art directors and their love for the company. I

Jan 11, 2009

Arts & Theater