Arts & Theater

58 Anniversary Sungnyemun to Be Rebuilt by 2013

Master Carpenter Vows to Restore Bruised National Pride By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter There was an outpouring of public grief when Sungnyemun, Seoul's 600-year-old landmark gate listed as National Treasure No.1, was destroyed by fire earlier this year, but the pain was much more personal for Shin Eung-soo. The 67-year-old master carpenter, who was involved in a repair project of Sungnyemun in 1962-3, felt as if a limb had been severed as he stood there all night watching the gate crumble under the flames. ``It was around 9 p.m. when I rushed to the site. I saw Sungnyemun burning down throughout the night. I couldn't speak when the gate finally collapsed after four hours,'' he bitterly recalled in an interview with The Korea Times. He was 20 when he joined the Sungnyemun restoration team led by his late mentor and master carpenter Cho Won-jae. In the 1960s restoration, Shin dismantled the rafters of the gate and laid the roof-filing timbers to pave the roofing tiles. ``Whenever I passed by the gate, I felt as if my mentor (Cho) was still there. So wh

Clubs, Traditional, Art Exhibitions, Kids and Sports

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 the ones 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 of 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 a

Classical Concert, Big Tickets , Museums, Dance and Pop & Jazz

Classical Concerts Inessa Galante Concert Concert Hall at Seoul Arts Center Nov. 5 Soprano Inessa Galante visits Korea this November with her accompanist Alexander Schmalcz. Since she sang Giulio Caccini's ``Ave Maria'' in her first album ``Debut'', she has become a world renowned and beloved diva. This is her 5th concert in Korea. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, visit www.interpark.com or call (02) 599-5743. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3. Lim Dong-hyek Piano Reacital Chungmu Art Hall Nov. 6 Lim Dong-hyek has become Korea's star pianist, since winning three world famous piano contests - Queen Elizabeth, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky concours. He will play Beethoven's Piano Sonata ``Moonlight'' among others. For more information, visit www.interpark.com or call (02) 2230-6601. Located near exit 9 of Sindang Station on subway line 6. 2008 Yiruma Ribbonized Concert Seongnam Arts Center Nov. 8 Korean new age pianist Yiruma is holding a concert the first time after returning from his military service

Korean Artists Shine in Singapore Biennale

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Korean artists are attracting attention for their eye-catching and thought-provoking art works at the on-going Singapore Biennale. Three Korean artists Rhee Ki-bong, Han Jong-gun and Lee Yong-deok were invited to participate in the biennale, which opened last September. The theme for the show is ``Wonder,'' inviting viewers to allow themselves to be surprised and challenged by the contemporary art on display. One of the highlights is Han's ``Evolutional Mythology,'' on display inside a former restaurant at the landmark City Hall. His work, featuring real gourds shaped to resemble human faces inside glass bottles, has definitely intrigued many. ``The plant silently comes and tells me `Drop all your delusion and desire.' My artwork is like soundless echoes, resonating from the process not from the result. I am a sculptor but tired of carving and decorating. The plant has brought me a gift, a great freedom,'' Han said. It took Han over a year to finish the work, which involved planting the seeds, growing and nurturing the

Kang to Bring Romeo and Juliet

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Celebrated Korean ballerina Kang Sue-jin is returning to Seoul next month with ``Romeo and Juliet,'' arranged by renowned choreographer John Cranko, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The 41-year-old ballerina will visit Korea with the Stuttgart Ballet and play Juliet, which was her debut role as the troupe's principal dancer in 1993 and also at her first local appearance the following year. ``It's very emotional. When I first came to Korea to perform, I was so excited and nervous. I never thought I would be performing the same role again here,'' Kang told The Korea Times through an email interview. Cranko's ``Romeo and Juliet'' is famous for being a more modern version compared to others, mostly due to his background as a modern dance choreographer. The South African-born artist joined the Stuttgart Ballet as director and choreographer in 1961 and thanks to his directing, the troupe gained international recognition with works such as ``Romeo and Juliet,'' ``Eugene Onegin'' and ``The Taming of the Shrew.'' ``I think Cranko has

Imperial Beauty From Qing Dynasty Unveiled

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Splendid and sophisticated Chinese artworks and relics used by the imperial households of the Qing Dynasty have been unveiled for the first time in Korea. The Gyeonggi Provincial Museum is holding a special exhibition of Chinese imperial treasures from Shenyang Palace Museum as part of cultural exchanges between the two institutes. The museum said that it is the first time that dresses, ornaments, weapons and other craftworks used by the imperial families in the Qing Dynasty have been shown in Korea, although previously, porcelains and paintings from Qing Dynasty have been shown here. The exhibit displays some 70 pieces of imperial items manufactured in the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, when cultural prosperity peaked in Chinese history. The exhibit is part of cultural exchanges between the two museums. The Shenyang Palace Museum will also hold a special exhibition to display Korean historical relics from the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum in May next year. The exhibit consists of six parts ― Porcelain of the Imperial Ho

Australian Artists Inspired by Life in Korea

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Living in Korea is not always easy, especially for foreign residents. But it can often provide a wealth of inspiration for foreign artists. Australian artists Dr. Anna Phillips and Brenda Stace Chat have both lived in Seoul for several years now, and are constantly inspired by the unique aspects of Korean culture. The two artists met with The Korea Times at the Space restaurant in Namsan, where their artworks are being displayed. Phillips, originally from Tasmania, uses Korean plastic shopping bags as material for her work. Many people often do not pay any attention to the plastic bags, but Phillips describes the colorful, printed bags as ``beautiful," compared to the boring, plain plastic bags in Australia. ``I think plastic is a misunderstood medium. I wanted to use plastic to create beautiful things and make people see that plastic is an object of beauty,'' she said. Phillips, an art teacher at an international school in Seoul, used strips of plastic bags to create her own version of the bojagi or traditional Korean wrapp

Artist Kim Soo-kang Focuses on Pebbles

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Artist Kim Soo-kang had previously captured everyday items like coffee cups, paper bags, buttons and traditional Korean traditional wrapping cloth or bojagi in her painting-like photographs. Now, she trains her camera lenses on small pebbles. Kim is currently holding a solo exhibition of a series of still-life photographs of stones at Gallery Kong, through Nov. 9. The stones, which the artist has collected from beaches and mountains around Korea, are actually quite small. In reality the stones are barely bigger than a fingernail, but in Kim's still-life photographs, they appear huge. Grace Kong, gallery director, said Kim's new black-and-white photograph series reflects her maturity as an artist. ``Kim is 38 now, and she is more mature and stable than before. You can see it in her works. For me, she is similar to Lee U-fan because when he was younger he used a lot of color. Kim also used a lot of color before, and now she's concentrating on black-and-white. When young artists start out, they try to fill the canvas with col

Kim Hyuck-jung Exhibit Opens

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter It's the middle of autumn, when the leaves are turning a beautiful reddish-brown, and a chill is in the air. Artist Kim Hyuck-jung's oil paintings depict nature's beauty in the autumn season. He is currently holding a weeklong solo exhibition of his paintings of trees and nature at Song Hwa Gallery, Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. Kim, who has had numerous exhibitions around Seoul, creates paintings showing his unique view of nature. In an exhibition essay, poet Park Ju-gwan said the Kim's paintings at the exhibition show considerable philosophical speculation on the true nature of nature. ``The exhibition takes the role of a compass for a vague world where human speculation on the truth of nature becomes uncertain. … Kim lets nature as it is, so his works closely depict nature. There are no conflicts existing between man and nature,'' Park said. A resident of Gwangju, Kim has the opportunity of being surrounded by beautiful mountainside scenery. He has always felt a connection with trees and nature. ``Trees stand strai

Clubs, Traditional, Art Exhibitions, Kids, Sports