Arts & Theater

Koreans, Vietnamese Share History and Art

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Contemporary Korean and Vietnamese art come together in an engaging and fresh mix of history and pop culture, through an exhibition ``transPOP: Korea Vietnam Remix'' at the Arko Art Center. ``transPOP: Korea Vietnam Remix,'' featuring works of 16 artists from Korea, Vietnam and the United States, opens on Dec. 18 and runs through Feb. 28. The idea for the exhibition exploring the interconnection between Korea and Vietnam was formed while the two U.S.-based curators Min Yong-soon and Viet Le were dining in Koreatown in Los Angeles. Min and Le, who are also artists, realized their common interest in the history and contemporary pop culture of their respective native countries. ```transPop' is an attempt to create a new word, combining transnational and pop. It tries to convey our interest in examining the transnational flow of culture. Hallyu is a very strong force in this transnational flow of culture. … `Korea and Vietnam Remix' is taken from hip-hop, where you mix the music and take some of the elements and create something ne

Clubs, Exhibitions & For Kids

Clubs Club Garden Apgujeong-dong The Garden is an electronica hotspot, with the big draw being its line-up of guest DJs such as Laurent Garnier, Mondo Grosso, Afrika Bambatta and Goldie. Near Galleria Department Store on the so-called Rodeo Street in southern Seoul. Call (02) 518-5115 or clubgarden.co.kr. Club Evans Hongdae or Hongik University Area This place, located near Hongik University, is great for intimate live performances. The line-up of performers is generally top-notch and the acoustics are good. Located near exit 1 on Sangsu Station on subway line 6 or exit 6 on Hongdae Station on subway line 2. Call (02) 337-8361 or www.clubevans.com. Club Caliente Itaewon The patrons are so diverse, DJ Josh sometimes has a hard job appealing to everyone. But he keeps the dance floor going, playing a variety of standbys and new Latin music. The song selection is what keeps people coming back. Located near exit 4 of Itaewon Station subway line 6. Call (011) 9094 8484 Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor an

Concerts, Museums & Performances

Classical Concerts La Boheme Seoul Arts Center Through Dec. 14 ``La Boheme'' is an opera that tells the story of young artists in 19th century Paris. Julian Kovatchev will conduct the opera. Tickets range from 10,000 won to 150,000 won. Visit www.nationalopera.org or call 1588-7890. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Paik Kun-woo Beethoven Piano Sonata Seoul Arts Center Through Dec. 14 To the delight of classical music fans, Pianist Paik Kun-woo will play all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas over seven days. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. Visit www.clubbalcony.com or call (02) 751-9606. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Brahms Special Orchestra Series 4 Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 20 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will play flute sonatas, clarinet and piano quintets at the fourth Brahms Special Orchestra Series concert. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call 1588-7890. Located near exit 8 of Gwanghwamun St

Two Young Annies Brighten Christmas

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter Annie, the little girl with a mop of curly red hair, sings with hope in a clear voice, whether in a dreadful orphanage or in the arms of Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire. Presented by Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theatre, the musical ``Annie'' tells the story of an orphaned girl, who desperately waits for her parents with half of a heart-shaped locket in an orphanage. One day, she is chosen to spend Christmas with a money-is-everything billionaire Warbucks. Annie's heartwarming character changes Warbucks and he tries to find Annie's parents. However, the cruel manager of orphan asylum, Miss Hannigan schemes to win prize money for finding Annie's parents. The musical, which premiered in Broadway 1977, first performed in Korea last year. It won the Best Foreign Musical and Best Theatrical Technician at the 13th Korea Musical Awards in November. Lee Ji-min, 11, has played the role of Annie for two consecutive years. The daughter of musical actor Lee Jung-yeol, she was first attracted to the stage after watching her father take a curtain c

Left photo shows rapper. singer and actor Yang Dong...

Romanovs Tragic Tale Grips American Artist

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter American artist Melora Kuhn found an old picture of an unknown family while she was working on a collage earlier this year. She didn't know who the family was, but the aura of sadness captured her interest. Later on, she found out the family were the Romanovs, Russia's last royal family. Kuhn became fascinated with the tragic life of the Romanovs, which led her to create a series of portraits based on their family album. ``I found this picture of the family, when I was looking to collapse a picture of a family. I didn't really know anything about them. Then I found out who they were and they actually had collapsed as a family. … I am interested in the idea of collapsing society, collapsing family and collapse in general. (Collapse) is a point of complete lack of control,'' she said. She even found out her great-grandmother was once obsessed with the life of Anastasia, the youngest Romanov daughter whose death was surrounded in mystery and became the subject of several films. Her fascination with the Romanov family, as well

Family Shows to Warm Up This Winter

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter As the year is nearing its end, various kinds of performances are awaiting theatergoers. Two major performances with high-quality theatrical artistry suitable for all ages are slated for this month. ``The Best of Image'' by the Image Theater, integrating modern dance and mime with black light theater effects, will visit Korea from Dec. 22 to Jan. 13 at Daehangno and Mokdong in Seoul and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province. Also, bubble artist Fan Yang's ``White Bubble Show'' will be staged at Dome Art Hall in Children's Grand Park from Dec. 22 to Jan. 27. The Best of Image The stage is constantly dark with no lighting anywhere. But nimble movements that turn into glowing shapes gradually captivate the audience. The world-renowned Black Light Theater by the Image Theater of the Czech Republic will come to Korea with ``Best of Image.'' The troupe blends black theater, mime and modern dance based on the distinguished Czech tradition in this genre. The Black Light Theater is a theatrical performance style characterized by the use of bla

Korean Paper Artist to Hold Exhibition in Germany

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter On layers of thin Korean paper, artist Lee He-ju, 52, draws the harmony between humans and nature. Human-like figures are composed of nature-inspired patterns, like butterflies and vegetation, and organic materials such as plants and soil are used for coloring. ``Korean papers are very thin _ they `breathe.' I paint and paste one layer of paper on another. This collage shows that humans and nature are separated, but organically connected,'' Lee told The Korea Times. Born in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, Lee studied at the Kunstakademie in Vienna and earned a master's degree in Korean Painting from Chonbuk National University. In 1998, she was invited to hold a private exhibition by the Korean Embassy in Vienna while still a student. Since then, Lee has held many exhibitions in Austria and Germany. While studying in Vienna, Lee became interested in Gustav Klimt's paintings. ``I found out that the plant pattern used in Klimt's `Portrait of Friederike Maria Beer' was inspired by a Korean vase,'' Lee said. This inspired Lee to write her master

Joseon Annals Available on Internet

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The annals of the Joseon Kingdom, comprising 1,893 books covering 472 years (1392-1863) of history from founder King Taejo to the end of King Cheoljong, will be available on the Internet starting from Dec. 12. According to the National Institute of Korean History, it has completed the three-year project to set up online archives of the annals. The institute said that it will open the online service at http://sillok.history.go.kr from Dec. 12, enabling Internet users to see its Korean translation, the original texts in Chinese and original images. The institute said that the digital archive of the annals is dedicated to the preservation of records from the Joseon period that has permanent historical value. The institute already began offering electronic records in Chinese and Korean last year. But this year's project has finished digitalizing all of the images of the original texts from the temples on Mt. Taebaek. All the annals were originally preserved in four different locations after the Japanese invasion in the 16th century _ t

National Treasures on Display in Houston

The crown with pendants from Geumgwan-chong (Tomb of the Gold Crown) is one of two Korean National Treasures on display at the Arts of Korea gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. / Courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Two National Treasures from Korea are now on display at a newly-opened gallery dedicated to Korean art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) in Texas. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston opened the Arts of Korea gallery Saturday, making it the only gallery in the Southwest devoted to Korean traditional and contemporary art. Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush attended the opening ceremony. On exclusive loan from the National Museum of Korea are two national treasures from the 5th century Silla Kingdom, a crown with pendants (National Treasure no. 87) and a girdle with pendants (National Treasure no. 88). The two rare gold pieces are making their first appearance outside Korea, and can be viewed at the MFAH through January 2008. The Arts of Korea Gallery presents 5,000 years of cultural history, as well as contemp