Lifestyle - The Korea Times

South Korea Joins Europe’s Grand Art Trail

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter This year offers a rare pilgrimage for art lovers, as major European art events will open throughout June, coinciding with one another. The 52nd edition of the Venice Biennale in Italy will take place from June 10 through Nov. 21; Art Basel, an annual international art fair in Switzerland, will kick off on June 13 to continue until June 17; Documenta in Kassel, Germany, which takes place every five years, will open on June 16 along with Sculpture Projects Muenster 07, another German art event mounted every ten years since 1977. So it will be another 10 years before an opportunity to enjoy all these events in one summer presents itself again. As far as Europe may be away from South Korea geographically, the distance will not be felt so strongly on the art scene. Several Korean tour companies are offering guided package tour programs for students and those interested in art to experience these upcoming art events. And many Korean artists and galleries will be present in some corners of those European venues throughout this summer. Lee Hyun

Jun 6, 2007

Images of Celebrities Mirror the Times

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Photographs of superstars like singer Rain and actor Jang Dong-gun, revealing the chiseled upper half of their body naked, or those of actress Kim Hye-soo and singer Lee Hyo-lee, with long hair flowing loose across their sensuous faces. No, the exhibition is not aimed at drawing thousands of teenage followers, although it could be expected to happen without fail. The exhibition ``Myth in the Mirror,'' underway at Art Sonje Center since last week, was organized for a more serious theme: reflection on the relation between society's desire and reality. Gathered are about 200 photographs of actors, singers, models and other celebrities in the entertainment industry, taken for use in film posters, magazines, or commercials. Twelve prominent photographers contributed about 15 pieces each for the exhibition. ``We aim to find a mirror reflecting the face of our times through these images,'' Shin Soo-jin, a photo critic and psychology researcher at Yonsei University who organized the exhibition, said. ``The mirror in this context is the one truste

Jun 5, 2007

Dancer Nacho Duato to Enchant in `Wings

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Nacho Duato, one of the most celebrated contemporary dancers and choreographers in the world, is back in South Korea. And dance fans hold your breath _ this time Duato is going to perform on stage himself during the entire running time of his latest piece ``Alas (Wings).'' It is hard to believe that the tall, short blonde-haired artistic director of the Madrid-based Compania Nacional de Danza is 50 years old, when one sees him gracefully speaking in a soft husky voice, with his stylish black-rimmed glasses. ``As a choreographer, it is even surprising for me that I am still dancing,'' laughed Duato in a press conference held at a Seoul hotel ahead of his upcoming performances, speaking in Spanish through a translator. ``I wish I could continue to remain on stage as a dancer.'' That would be a far too modest wish. In ``Alas (Wings),'' which was inspired by German director Wim Wenders' celebrated 1987 film ``Wings of Desire,'' Duato will perform for the entire 70 minutes of the show. He portrays Damiel, an angel who sheds immortality to beco

Jun 4, 2007

Claude Monet: Artist Who Brought Time Onto Canvas

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter For centuries, Western painters used to focus on bringing the real world onto canvas as exact as they could. Their own view of the world seldom mattered, not to mention the capricious nature of the ever-changing light. That was until Claude Monet (1840-1926) and the advent of Impressionism, an important breakthrough in the history of art that signaled the birth of modern art in the late 19th century. Its beginning and development are largely credited to the prolific French painter, whose famous 1872/1873 work ``Impression, Sunrise'' rendered the seminal movement its name. Breaking away from the conventions, impressionism led painters from drawing ``what there is'' to ``what they see there is,'' thus bringing much more boldness and soul onto the canvas. Light is color and color is light for Impressionists. By capturing the moments influenced by momentary light, impressionists brought the concept of time into the paintings _ a terrain defined only by the concept of space before. For this purpose, many of them chose to paint in the open air,

Jun 4, 2007

Traditional, Exhibitions & Kids

TRADITIONAL Traditional Wedding Ceremony South Insa Courtyard Through June, September-October The Foundation for the Preservation of Cultural Properties of Korea presents a reenactment of a traditional Korean wedding ceremony. No performances on Mondays through Wednesdays and none in July and August. Free of charge. Visit www.fpcp.or.kr/fpcp/ or call (02) 566-6300. The Southern Insa Courtyard is located near the entrance to Insa-dong from Jongno. Folk Performance The Korea House Open Run The Korea House will hold traditional performances in an open run. The entrance fee is 29,000 won. There are 156 seats available every night and each performance includes a traditional Korean dinner. Visit www.koreahouse.or.kr or call (02) 2266-9101. Located near exit 3 of Chungmuro Station on subway lines 3 and 4. Presidential Guards of Honor Courtyard in front of Cheong Wa Dae Through June 29, Oct. 12 - Nov. 30 The guards who watch over the presidential mansion will showcase their traditions and customs. No fee. Performances every Friday from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the cou

May 31, 2007

Concerts, Museums & Performances

Classical Concerts The Moscow Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Ditto Sejong Center for the Performing Arts June 30 Ensemble ``Ditto'' (made of four Korean male musicians) joins Moscow's Chamber Orchestra to present a youthful version of classic masterpieces. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 100,000 won. Visit www.clubbalcony.com or call 1577-5266. Located near exit 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. Tamas Vasary Piano Recital Hoam Art Hall June 5 - 6 Called the ``Chopin specialist'', pianist and conductor Tamas Vasary will hold a two-day concert filled with Chopin including a duet with Korean pianist Kim Dae-jin. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. Visit www.clubbalcony.com or call 1577-5266. Located near exit 9 of Seoul City Hall Station on subway lines 1 and 2. Heejeong Lucia Kye's Clarinet Recital, ``Hungarian Rhapsody'' Hoam Art Hall June 12 Following her ongoing passion for Hungarian composers such as Weiner, Kovac and Bartok, clarinetist Hee-joeng Kye opens her first solo recital this June. Tickets cost 20,000 won. Visit www.clubbalcony.com

May 31, 2007

Exhibit Recollects Joseon Prime Minister

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Ryu Seong-ryong (1542-1607), a renowned prime minister of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Ryu is known as a great scholar who helped lead the country through a critical period involving a war with Japan in 1592. The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition titled ``Ryu Seong-ryong, A Great Prime Minister of the Joseon Dynasty,'' to commemorate him, until July 8. The exhibition sheds light on his life as a distinguished scholar-official and military strategist. It consists of five sections _ his birth and adulthood, his government service, the war, his seclusion, his writings and his reputation. A total of 120 pieces, including cultural properties, are on display. Ryu followed the academic teachings from renowned Confucian scholar Yi Hwang. He served as a scholar-official in government service for over 30 years during the reign of King Seonjo (1567-1608). When Joseon was at war with Japan, he took charge of leading the kingdom and practically held the fate of the dist

May 30, 2007

Actor Cho Returns as Don Quixote

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Do you remember ``The Impossible Dream,'' an all-time hit, sung by various artists such as Spanish tenor Placido Domingo and pop stars Elvis Presley, Andy Williams and Perry Como? The song, which was also used in the 1996 film ``Up Close & Personal,'' was written by Mitch Leigh in 1965 for ``Man of La Mancha,'' a Broadway musical. Audiences will be able to hear the fascinating musical score again in its new Korean version two years after its premiere in 2005. This time, the musical has a new line-up starring top musical star Cho Seung-woo. The musical will run for a month from Aug. 3 at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. Since first being staged in 1965 in New York, it has steadily grown into one of Broadway's quintessential musicals. It is based on the literary classic ``Don Quixote de La Mancha'' by Miguel de Cervantes but draws more directly from Dale Wasserman's 1959 non-musical television play, which combines a semi-fictional episode from the life of Cervantes with scenes from his novel. The Korean version musical was first

May 29, 2007

‘Tappers’ to Tap Onto World Stage

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Using sounds of small metal plates on a dancer's shoes touching the hard floor, tap dancing has developed into a unique technique gracing various shows and musicals. But tap can be an independent artistic performance featuring the dance itself, beyond a mere supportive role. Titled ``Tappers,'' the Korean tap dance performance, the first of its kind created by a Korean artist, will premier at Sangmyung Art Hall in Daehangno on Wednesday. The show will feature the nation's top tappers. Veteran tap dancer Chung Sung-hwa is in charge of choregraphy and composer Kim Joo-hyun will show off his powerful and rhythmic scores. Tap performances are gaining popularity as a separate genre around the world as in ``Stomp'' which premiered in Britain in 1991 and ``Tap Dogs'' which premeired in Australia in 1995. The tap dance performance is nonverbal mixed with hip hop, magic and mime, utilizing strong beats. ``Tap dances have been performed as part of gimmicks used in various performances and films. But this show will feature the tap dance its

May 28, 2007

Collectors Darling Artist Gives Celebrities a Twist

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Kim Dong-yoo's painting of Marilyn Monroe's face is filled with teeny-weeny little images of John F. Kennedy's. Former South Korean President Park Chung-hee's face, meanwhile, is comprised of countless minuscule faces of his archrival, North Korean founding father Kim Il-sung. This kind of face painting is what catapulted the artist to stardom last year. A piece from his face painting series _ a face of Monroe comprised of miniscule faces of Mao Zedong _ sold for 323 million won at Christies' auction in Hong Kong. The price was almost 25 times higher than what was initially expected for the painting. It was a clear feat for an artist who graduated from Mokwon University in Daejeon, and worked out of a stall of a studio in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, against local art scene dominated by web of connections among graduates of prominent art schools such as Hongik University and Seoul National University or bigwig galleries based in Seoul. His success at the Hong Kong auction, coinciding with the boom in both the domestic and international

May 27, 2007

Arts & Theater