Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Fiesta Mood at Philippine Art Exhibit

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter A Philippine-style fiesta will kick off the opening of an exhibition featuring works by four artists from the Philippines. ``Kapuluan (Archipelago): Islands of Diversity'' opens Wednesday at Gallery Nuri, Korea Foundation Cultural Center, downtown Seoul. The exhibition, organized by the Philippine Embassy, features works by William Gaudinez, Loreta Medina, Samuel Penaso and Jimmy Vista. Highlighting the rich cultural diversity, the Filipino artists drew inspiration from the various islands in the Philippines. ``Each artist draws on intense inner visions, collective memories and sorrows brought on by geography, history, identity, ancestry and contemporary society,'' the embassy said, in a statement. At the opening ceremony, visitors will be treated to a poetry reading by Medina, performance art by Penaso as well as traditional performances and a chance to sample authentic Philippine cuisine. Medina, an artist based in Seoul who helped organize the event, said she wanted to create a ``fiesta atmosphere'' for the exhibition's o

Oct 6, 2008

Classical Concerts, Big Tickets, Museums Pop and Jazz

Classical Concerts 2008 Yiruma Ribbonized Concert Seongnam Arts Center Nov. 8 Korean new age pianist Yiruma will hold his first concert since returning from military service. Spend a romantic evening listening to his piano tunes. Tickets cost from 55,000 won to 88,000 won. For more information, visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 2658-3546. Located near exit 1 of Imae Station on the Bundang line. Europa Galante & Fabio Biondi LG Arts Center Nov. 2 Violinists Europa Galante and Fabio Biondi will grant fans a special concert after their successful performance back in 2004. The two artists will offer the works of Vivaldi, Purcell and Leclair. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 80,000 won. For more information, visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call (02) 2005-0114. Connected to exit 7 of Yeoksam Station on subway line 2. Elizabeth Joy Roe Piano Recital Hoam Art Hall Nov. 25 Talented pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe will perform for local fans. Praised as ``brilliant'' by The New York Times, the artist will offer her favorite tunes including those by Bach, Chopin and

Oct 2, 2008

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

Oct 2, 2008

Exhibit Deepens Autumnal Tints in Traditional Arts

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Autumn is in full swing. People are enjoying fresh and cool air outside and looking for outdoor activities. How about feeling the deepening autumn mood by exploring our ancestors' footsteps? The National Museum of Korea will hold a special exhibition titled ``Autumn in Art'' from Thursday until Nov. 16. The exhibition is designed to give visitors the chance to enjoy the fall atmosphere through our ancestors' life in arts. The exhibit is different from previous academic exhibitions, instead coming closer to the audience with a familiar theme. About 140 pieces from landscape and folk paintings to white porcelain associated with a full moon are on display in the exhibit. The exhibition hall has been turned into an autumnal field of colorful leaves and golden tints with special interior designs to match the season. Visitors can experience the chirping of crickets and crispy fallen leaves through audio devices and enjoy folk stories through 3D animations. The exhibit is divided into four themes following the introduction ``Talking

Oct 1, 2008

Dance Company Celebrates Hangeul

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Oct. 9 marks the 562nd Hangeul Day, or Korean alphabet day. To celebrate the day, the Mulmil Dance Company is presenting a special performance about the birth of one of the most scientific alphabets in the world. The troupe, led by choreographer and artistic director Lee Sook-jae, has come up with yet another interesting event, ``Hangeul Dance 2350'' which is inspired by the 562-year-old writing system. ``Hallyu (the Korean wave) is popular overseas, but there isn't much for locals to appreciate our own culture. So we wanted to read the various expressions hangeul holds in a more young and dynamic way through dance,'' said an organizer. The ``2350'' in the title is the number of characters that can be made with hangeul syllables. With 3D visual effects and pop music, the company managed to portray a form of language through colorful dance moves. The first act, ``For Whom is Hangeul For?'' will offer the audience a chance to appreciate the beauty and rediscover the importance of the alphabet in a society where English and Internet ja

Oct 1, 2008

55-Year Diary Shows Life, History

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter An individual experience and memory weaves history like a collection of patches that complete a quilt. Here is an individual who has written a diary to catch every single moment of daily life over the last 55 years. Park Lae-uk, who made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 1997 for having the longest-running diary, has donated the journal to the National Folk Museum of Korea. The museum will hold an exhibition to commemorate the donation of the personal writings which he had kept for 55 years under the title ``Essential Part of My Life, Fifty Five Year Diary-Donated by Park Lae-uk'' from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3. The ledger consists of 98 volumes and 250 pieces of related items. The daily records cover 20,000 pages, containing 10 million letters. Objects from Park's daily life, such as cashbooks, medical prescription forms and miscellaneous receipts as well as diary journals, are presented to show visitors how thoroughly he documented his life. The unprecedented exhibition provides fresh insight into the extraordinary value of a p

Sep 30, 2008

First Modern Theater Eunsegye Takes to Stage in 100 Years

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter To celebrate the 100th anniversary of modern Korean theater, ``Eunsegye'' (The Silver World) by Lee In-jik, will raise its curtain in Chongdong Theater ― previously Wongaksa ― from Oct. 3-19. The play, first put on stage Nov. 15, 1908, will be reborn as the 2008 version directed by Sohn Jin-chaek. Chongdong Theater was reestablished from Wongaksa, the first theater exclusively reserved for stage plays and traditional operas in Korea. The contents of the drama, the first to be connected with the term ``modern theater'' includes enlightenment. The work is based on the true story of Choi Byung-do, a farmer living in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, who was driven to death for a false charge by a corrupt provincial governor. It deals with enlightenment and resistance of the mass against the ruling class. In the province, the story known as ``Choi Byung-do folk song'' has been handed down from generation to generation. The original work was a kind of changgeuk, or Korean traditional opera. However, the new version of ``Eunsegye'' is quite

Sep 30, 2008

Artworks Move, Talk in Alive Gallery

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Many museums tend to be two-dimensional: visitors come and observe art works while the displayed show off their features. But for a more effective and interesting experience, some are aiming for a three dimensional world. Alive Gallery is one of them. ``The local culture contents scene tends to be loud and shiny on the outside but empty in terms of quality and educational purposes. We wanted to bring art closer to everyone. The most important feature was that it had to be fun. If it's not fun, nobody will want to get closer,'' Kang Sung-mo, the CEO of Alive Gallery, told The Korea Times during an interview. As soon as the visitors walk into the museum, located near the Jamsil baseball stadium and divided into five themes: Why Did They See Like This; The Worlds of Gods; The World Viewed Through Science; Pictures are Recordings and Thinking Art, the journey begins. The gallery displays famous works from different eras, from the Apollo Belvedere by Leochares from ancient Greece, Leonardo da Vinci's ``The Last Supper'' from the 15th century

Sep 29, 2008

Cartier Opens Flagship Store in Cheongdam

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter World-famous French jeweler Cartier finally opened its first flagship store in the fashionable Cheongdam-dong district in southern Seoul. Designed by French architect David-Pierre Jalicon, the Cartier Maison building is already attracting attention for its elegant facade, inspired by the Korean wrapping cloth or bojagi. ``Cartier has been `jeweler to kings, king of jewelers' for 160 years and as you know every king needs a castle … This is like a private mansion with unique style. The decor, the private lounges, bridal salon and watch salon ― all of this to make our guests very comfortable,'' said Philippe Galtie, managing director of Cartier Korea, during the press preview last week. While Cartier has opened flagship stores in Japan and China in the last few years, it took longer for the company to open one in Seoul. ``We feel it is the right time for the market to have a flagship store, in terms of level of sophistication of the market. The market is growing very rapidly. Despite the economic uncertainty affecting the world,

Sep 28, 2008

Seo Experiments on Rock With Classic

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The autumn night was chilly but fans were ecstatic as Korean pop star Seo Tai-ji appeared on stage at the ``Great 2008 Seotaiji Symphony with Tolga Kashif & Royal Philharmonic'' Saturday night at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. After his successful rock festival ``ETP FEST 2008'' a month ago, the 36-year-old singer reappeared with plans of a special project that infuses his rock music with classical tunes. With hoards of fans lining up in front of the stadium long before the concert was to begin, it was clear that fans welcomed the singer and English maestro's collaboration. The concert started with Kashif, who has previously worked with David Bowie, Elton John and U2, leading the 65-member orchestra to a prologue. Strong drumbeats followed, signaling the start of the ``classic meets rock'' themed performance. ``Hi, everybody! Can you feel the beautiful melodies? I promise this will be a memorable performance,'' Seo said after singing ``Take 1'' and ``Take 2.'' More than 60 members from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Philhar