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Korean Pavilion ready for Venice Biennale after controversies

Installation artist Kim Yun-chul, left, and curator Lee Young-chul speak about the Korean Pavilion's upcoming exhibition for the 59th Venice Biennale in April at the ARKO Art Center in central Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Park Han-solFor the upcoming 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, the Korean Pavilion will transform into “a mammoth organic body,” where artist Kim Yun-chul's site-specific installations and the pavilion's changed building structure will intermingle harmoniously, according to its curator, Lee Young-chul.“We have partially torn off the pavilion's ceiling, revealing some of the building's original interior framings. This space will allow in natural light and scents to interact with Kim's dynamic pieces,” Lee said at a press conference held at the ARKO Art Center in central Seoul, Tuesday.Dubbed the “Olympics of the Art World,” the Venice Biennale has been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions since it was founded in 1895. The 59th edition, curated by Cecilia Alemani, will take place from April 23 to Nov

Mar 31, 2022By Park Han-sol

Korean Pavilion ready for Venice Biennale after controversies

'Archeological' discovery of Nam June Paik's avant-garde spirit

Video art visionary Nam June Paik poses with his robot sculpture "Rehabilitation of Genghis Khan,” which was unveiled at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Courtesy of Age FotostockBy Park Han-solIn 1977, two weeks before he turned 45, Nam June Paik (1932-2006) declared it was “time for Archeology of Avantgarde” ― an unusual phrase he chose to trace the origins of his avant-garde spirit of experimentation that would help set the foundations of his imposing legacy as a video art visionary. In his “archeological” effort, Paik recalled the moment he first heard about Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg, who had been described to him as “a devil or the most extreme avantgarde.” That description alone moved him at the age of 15, and from that point on, the composer became the driving force of the young artist's life.He then went on to launch a string of questions ― why was he interested in Schoenberg and the idea of the most extreme? The answer, he stated, lay in his adventurous “Mongolian DNA,” in a figurative sense.“Mongolian U

Mar 30, 2022By Park Han-sol

'Archeological' discovery of Nam June Paik's avant-garde spirit

Korean art market makes upbeat start in 2022

The 2022 Galleries Art Fair / Courtesy of the 2022 Galleries Art Fair The boom of the local art market is expected to continue this year thanks to swelling demand for artworks from individual investors amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Friday.The 2022 Galleries Art Fair, one of the biggest art trade fairs in Korea held from March 16 to 20, posted 17.7 billion won ($14.5 million) in sales over the five-day period, up sharply from 7.2 billion won a year ago.The number beat the forecast of some 15 billion won in sales by the Galleries Association of Korea, the organizer of the annual art fair.K Auction, one of South Korea's two major art auction houses, said earlier the combined sales of in-person auctions held in the first three months of this year shot up 85 percent year-on-year to 39.9 billion won.The sharp increase came as the local art market has been experiencing a widening of the customer base across all generations stemming from increa

Mar 25, 2022

Korean art market makes upbeat start in 2022

REVIEW Musical 'Jekyll & Hyde' has so much more beyond 'This is the Moment'

Jeon Dong-seok, who plays both Jekyll and Hyde in the musical, “Jekyll & Hyde,” performs in a recent show. Courtesy of OD CompanyBy Dong Sun-hwaThe world-famous number, “This is the Moment,” may be the first thing that pops up into the minds of most people when they think about the musical version of “Jekyll & Hyde.” But the theatrical show, which started its current run last year at the Charlotte Theater in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, has much more to offer in terms of music and performance. Based on Robert Lewis’ 1886 novel, “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Jekyll & Hyde” premiered on Broadway in 1997, with Frank Wildhorn composing the music and Leslie Bricusse writing the lyrics. Since its arrival in Korea in 2004, “Jekyll & Hyde” has been one of the most beloved theatrical shows among Koreans, with an accumulated audience of more than 1.5 million. The musical follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, a physician who tries to cure his father’s mental illness by separating the “good

Mar 24, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa

[REVIEW] Musical 'Jekyll & Hyde' has so much more beyond 'This is the Moment'

Apink's Kim Nam-joo to make musical debut with 'Midnight Sun'

Singer Kim Nam-joo, left, will co-star with Onew in the upcoming musical “Midnight Sun.” Courtesy of ShinswaveBy Lee Gyu-leeKim Nam-joo, a member of K-pop girl group Apink, will be making her stage musical debut in “Midnight Sun.”The musical's production company, Shinswave, announced Thursday that Kim has taken the lead role of Haena, joining the cast for the upcoming musical.Based on the 2006 Japanese film, “A Song to the Sun,” by Norihiro Koizumi, the musical follows a love story between a girl named Haena, who has a rare skin disease, and a surfer named Haram. Haena has to avoid sunlight due to her disease, so her joy is to perform in the street with her guitar at night. Then one day, she comes across Haram and develops a romance with him. Along with Kim, actors Lee Sang-ah and Kwon Eun-bi of disbanded project K-pop group IZ*ONE will play the role of Haena. Singer and actor Onew, who is a member of the boy band SHINee, will reprise his role as Haram from last year's production. Actor Song Geon-hee, as well as singers Ha Sung-woon and Y of K-pop

Mar 24, 2022By Lee Gyu-lee

Apink's Kim Nam-joo to make musical debut with 'Midnight Sun'

Iconic Marilyn Monroe image by Andy Warhol coming to auction

A journalist takes photos during a press preview in New York, March 21 as Christie's announces "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" by Andy Warhol will lead its Marquee Week of sales in May. AFP-YonhapAn iconic image of Marilyn Monroe created by Andy Warhol is coming to auction, with Christie's auction house estimating the price at around $200 million.The silkscreen image known as ``Shot Sage Blue Marilyn,`` a close-up of Monroe with her hair in yellow, her eyeshadow blue and her lips red, is slated to be part of a week of sales in May, Christie's said Monday.If it met the sale estimate, the 1964 painting would be the most expensive 20th-century artwork to be auctioned, Christie's said.The proceeds of the sale would go to the Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation Zurich, which is putting the painting up for auction.The foundation aims to help children with health care and educational programs.Warhol created more than one image of Monroe; this particular painting has been exhibited in museums around the world. (AP)

Mar 22, 2022

Iconic Marilyn Monroe image by Andy Warhol coming to auction

REVIEW Musical 'Frida' illuminates Mexican painter's vicissitudes of life, sends message of hope

A scene from the musical, “Frida” / NewsisBy Dong Sun-hwa“Frida,” which was voted the most-anticipated musical to premiere in 2022, has lived up to people's expectations, showing how a female-centric theatrical show can still bring diversity while imparting a universal message of hope.“Frida” is an original production by EMK Musical Company that revolves around Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), the first 20th-century Mexican painter to be included in the Louvre Museum's collection. Directed by Choo Jung-hwa and composed by Huh Soo-hyun, “Frida” features only four actresses in each performance, with three of them ― except for the one who plays Kahlo ― juggling multiple roles. For instance, Lisa, who plays Kahlo's husband and Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957), also assumes the role of Reflejar, the host of “The Last Night Show” in which Kahlo reminisces about her bygone days. Since its premiere on March 1, “Frida” has been presented in a small theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, without se

Mar 22, 2022By Dong Sun-hwa

[REVIEW] Musical 'Frida' illuminates Mexican painter's vicissitudes of life, sends message of hope

Top ballet performers 'Dance for Ukraine' in charity event

Japanese ballet dancer Fumi Kaneko, right, and William Bracewell of Britain perform “Swan Lake” during “Dance for Ukraine,” a charity gala to raise funds for people in need in Ukraine, at the London Coliseum, in London, March 19. Reuters-Yonhap Away from the fighting in Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian ballet dancers rubbed shoulders in London, Saturday, in a charity event that united some of the world's leading dance performers for humanitarian relief in the war-torn eastern European nation.About 20 dancers, with glistening bodies and graceful moves, received a thunderous applause from the packed auditorium at the London Coliseum for the “Dance for Ukraine” gala."We have so many loved ones back home. We couldn't just sit idly at home and just watch news, we wanted to do something," Ivan Putrov, who is from Ukraine and organized the event with Romanian Alina Cojocaru, told Reuters.Russia invaded Ukraine, Feb. 24, an attack Moscow calls a "special operation" to demilit

Mar 20, 2022

Top ballet performers 'Dance for Ukraine' in charity event

Behind Alex Prager's Hollywood aesthetics lies intriguing darkness

Alex Prager's “Susie and Friends” (2008) / Courtesy of the artist, Alex Prager Studio and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, and London By Park Han-sol Photographer and filmmaker Alex Prager / Courtesy of the artist, Alex Prager Studio Skinny young women clad in bikinis, holding a cigarette in one hand and a can of Budweiser in the other, seem to be a cliched staple of a wild pool party depicted in the popular American media. They're simply there as “props” to offer a quick glance into a hedonistic lifestyle that a majority of the population cannot afford, and nothing more.But in Alex Prager's painstakingly staged image, the blondes and brunettes, with their curious gazes and inscrutable expressions fixated on one unsuspecting woman in the middle, become agents who hint at the possibility of an untold story ― with an undercurrent of disconte

Mar 15, 2022By Park Han-sol

Behind Alex Prager's Hollywood aesthetics lies intriguing darkness

Best Play Festival to begin in April

By Kwak Yeon-sooA poster for the ninth edition of “The Best Play” festival / Courtesy of The Best PlaysThe Best Play Festival will kick off in April and present four performances that reflect on the beauty and fragility of life, according to the festival organizers, Tuesday.The ninth edition will be held in various theaters around Seoul from April 14 to Feb. 26, 2023. The theater festival, which runs biannually, began in 2004 to promote local theaters and culture.The opening piece, “The Nature of Forgetting,” will be performed at Wooran Art Scape 2 from April 14 to 30. It tells the story of 55-year-old Tom, who has early-onset dementia and is cared for by his daughter Sophie. The play, which incorporates music, movement and theater, depicts one's journey to find love, friendship and the meaning of life in the process of losing memory. Korean actors and staff will collaborate with the original production team to deliver the essence of the play while adding new values. For the festival's second performance, “The Invisible Hand” will be performed at t

Mar 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo

Arts & Theater