Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Exhibition to Benefit HIV/AIDS Victims

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter The Oriental paintings by a Catholic priest will be shown in an exhibition to raise funds for a shelter for men living with HIV and AIDS in Seoul. Catholic priest Father Leo, Yeon Je-shik's, solo exhibition will be held at the Pyonghwa Gallery, 1st floor Myeongdong Catholic Center in the Myeongdong Cathedral complex Sept. 5-11. The opening reception is on Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. Father Leo is known for his Oriental paintings depicting the rural countryside of North Chungcheong province. He lives in a small village, where he works with farmers in the area. For the past few years, he has already held 12 solo exhibitions, all of which have benefited the poor and marginalized sectors of society. His 13th exhibition will benefit the Little Light AIDS Shelter for Men, which was founded in 1997. All of the paintings on display are for sale for 1 million won each. Sister Rosa Angelica Libron, the shelter director, said the shelter provides board and lodging for men who have been diagnosed with AIDS and HIV. Since most Koreans who are diagnosed with AI

Sep 2, 2007

History of Korean Performance Art on Display

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter On Dec. 14, 1967, a group of young artists circled around a woman holding a vinyl umbrella. In turn, they planted a lit candle on top of the umbrella, and kept walking in circles singing a folk melody. When the woman sat down in the center, they blew out the candles, shouting and tearing the vinyl umbrella apart to pieces. That was officially the first performance art staged in South Korea, titled ``A Happening With a Vinyl Umbrella and Candles.’’ A newspaper article simply described the event as a ``weird art.’’ The artist who designed the event later explained that the vinyl umbrella represented the modern civilization that was becoming too much, or a nuclear umbrella, in contrast to the candles, which symbolized a pure mind. Of course, following several decades of anything-goes-in-the-name-of-art, now the event may not be as particularly striking or cryptic. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to trace back the procedure of how the spirit of avant-garde and experimenting started out and has evolved here over the last few decades, despite

Aug 31, 2007

Clubs, Exhibitions and 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 and the D

Aug 30, 2007

Concerts, Museums and Performances

Boris Berezovsky's Russian Concerto Night Seoul Arts Center (Concert Hall) Sept. 15 Boris Berezovsky, known as the heir of Russian Pianism, will perform beautiful piano concertos composed by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Prokofiev with Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dmitry Yablonsky. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 100,000 won. Visit www.mastmedia.co.kr or call (02) 541-6234. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. Brahms Special: Chamber Music Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (Chamber Hall) Sept. 6 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra presents their third concert of the Brahms' chamber music series. They will play violin sonata no. 1, piano quartet no. 1, and string quintet no. 2. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 30,000 won. Visit www.seoulphil.com or call (02) 3700-6300. Located near exit 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. The 5 Browns Seongnam Arts Center (Concert Hall) Sept. 7 The 5 Browns are having their first performance in Korea. The five brothers

Aug 30, 2007

Exhibit Presents Biblical, Mythical Images

By Lee Hwan-hee Staff Reporter If you're in the mood for some art, but want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul, the exhibition "Reading the Bible and Myths through Images-Old Master Prints," now going on at Goyang SPART Complex & Park might be for you. There are about 100 or so prints made from engravings, and the images are familiar ones from Biblical tales and Western mythology, such as "The Last Supper'' and "Cupid and Psyche.'' The exhibition might be ideal for those who find modern art inaccessible, or those who are just interested in the Bible and mythology. In fact, it was originally intended for students on summer break, but as kids start to go back to school you may want to enjoy the works on your own, as the exhibition will last till Sept. 11. But a word of gentle warning should be in order when you see the two names and two dates written next to each of the artworks. For instance, on "The Flagellation of Christ," you will find the names Caravaggio and Ferdinand Piloty; or on "The Last Supper," you will find the names Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael

Aug 29, 2007

Webbers Latest Musical to Debut in Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has overcome numerous biases; among them, that musicals should avoid serious issues such as racial, political and religious issues. Webber has successfully persevered against such taboos with his all-time hits, ``Cats,'' ``Jesus Christ Superstar'' and ``Evita.'' His impressive musical scores and lyrics are still loved by millions all over the world. However, also included in his list is a title with a different tone, namely, ``The Beautiful Game.'' It is regarded as one of his more serious musicals. Based on a documentary, the musical revolves around a group of teenagers growing up amid religious intolerance in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969. The musical premiered in 2000 at Cambridge Theater in London, and caused quite a sensation in the West End for over a year. Now the musical will be reworked into a Korean adaptation in November as the sixth Webber's licensed musical. The Korean production by the Seol & Company and sponsored by CJ Entertainment will feature leading musical stars Park

Aug 28, 2007

`Scent of Spring to Open World National Theaters Festival

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter The National Dance Company of Korea will re-stage ``The Scent of Spring'' early next month, aiming to fascinate foreign audiences with the traditional Korean story and aesthetics. It will also serve as the opening piece for the inaugural International Festival of National Theaters scheduled Sept. 8 to Oct. 27. Titled ``Chum, Chunhyang'' in Korean, the dance piece was first staged in 2002, choreographed by Bae Jung-hye, a renowned Korean dance expert, and produced by Kook Soo-ho, also a reputed Korean dancer and choreographer. Chunhyang, whose name means ``scent of spring,'' is a beautiful girl who often appears in Korean folk tales, most notably in the namesake novel anonymously written in late Joseon Dynasty period. Chunghyang is born to mother who is kisaeng, or traditional Korean courtesan. Despite the difference in social strata, she falls in love with Mongryong, a son of an aristocratic family. As Mongryong leaves to take the civil examination in the capital, Chunhyang is harassed by the corrupt local head of the village district th

Aug 28, 2007

Non-verbal Performances Transcend Nationalities

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter At first glance, the two performances _ ``Aga-Boom'' and ``Jump''_ couldn't be any more different. Yet, if we delve a little deeper, one can soon see sharp similarities. ``Aga-Boom'' is the Las Vegas-based performance that features plenty of circus fun and clowning,'' while ``Jump'' is a Korean comic performance based on traditional martial arts. But the two different performing groups share something in common: They are both non-verbal performances and by Oct. 7 will both have experienced their glory on Broadway. On that date the Korean performance team will start performing at Union Square Theater, an off-Broadway venue. The ``Aga-Boom'' troupe, who took to the stage at New Victory Theater on Broadway in 2004-2005, are visiting Korea to perform their shows at COEX southern Seoul until Sept. 1, and met with the Korean martial arts performance team to share some of their Broadway experiences. Dimitri Bogatirev, producer and performer of ``Aga-Boom,'' said that he wanted to see ``Jump'' as he was impressed by ``Cookin,'' a Korean non

Aug 27, 2007

Korean Art Rushes to China Next Month

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Reflecting the dominance of contemporary Chinese arts in global art market, most popular contemporary Chinese artists have already been introduced in major Korean galleries based in Seoul. The National Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province is currently holding a massive exhibition focusing on rising young Chinese artists. It is unlikely the rather unilateral trend will show any signs of relenting in the near future. But next month, Korean artists and art galleries will at least make an attempt _ by making inroads to China, hoping to share some of the global attention it's been receiving. It begins with SH Contemporary scheduled Sept. 6-9 in the booming area of Shanghai. At the inaugural art fair designed to become a new match point for the Asian art scene, only invited exhibitors can take part. Six major South Korean galleries are expected to participate this year ― Kukje Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Park Ryu-sook Gallery, PKM Gallery, Gallerie Bhak, and PYO Gallery. The art fair features prominent European art ex

Aug 26, 2007

Art Awards Hail Up And Coming Artists

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter The luxury retail brand Hermes Korea has established itself as a Maecenas of local contemporary art over the years, with an appreciative eye as well as generosity. Since 2000, the ``Hermes Missulsang,'' which means Hermes art award in Korean, has been annually presenting rising contemporary artists with a 20 million won prize. The list of award recipients now features a crop of the most successful young artists in the nation, including Kim Beom of 2001, Suh Do-ho of 2003, and Lim Min-ouk of the last year. The works of three artists competing for the award this year will go on display from Saturday at Atelier Hermes, an art gallery inside the gilded building of Maison Hermes Dosan Park in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. Hermes Korea funded each of the candidate's projects, who were announced in March. The new works will be unveiled for the first time in the exhibition. This year's chosen artists are Kim Sung-hwan, 33, Lee Joo-yo, 37, and Sasa[44], 36. Kim is known for playing with ideas through works that link performance and video, whi

Aug 24, 2007

Arts & Theater