How Italy’s culture of art patronage continues shown in Seoul

Renaissance art flourished in 14th-century Florence on the back of powerful patrons, and art patronage by businesses continues to play a pivotal role in Italian art. The exhibition “We Love Art. Vision and Creativity Made in Italy” organized by the Italian Institute of Culture and the Embassy of Italy in Seoul on Wednesday, aims to show how businesses’ art patronage functions today. The exhibition of eight works by emerging Italian artists supported by the country’s cor

Oct. 25, 2021

British artist Julian Opie’s animal sculptures, Incheon-inspired work unveiled at Kukje Gallery

British artist Julian Opie is presenting his third solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery in Seoul, after two solo exhibitions in the country in 2017 and 2018. Inspired by familiar subjects from everyday life, Opie presents 31 works that span the gallery’s K2 and K3 exhibition halls, as well as its garden. The artist became well known in South Korea after he made a strong presence in Seoul in 2011 with his light-emitting diode art piece “Crowd,” displayed via Seoul Square’s l

Oct. 24, 2021

Korea Artist Prize finalists shows at MMCA explore contemporary issues

Four Korean promising artists unveiled their works at the exhibition “Korea Artist Prize 2021” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul. The final winner of the exhibition -- to be chosen by a jury -- will be announced early next year. The four artists– Kim Sang-jin, Bang Jeong-a, Oh Min and Choi Chan-sook -- are showing works that were newly commissioned for the exhibition, and reveal their concerns as artists. Choi Chan-sook has focused on l

Oct. 23, 2021

Before Lee Kun-hee collection, there was Lee Hong-kun collection

A special exhibition “Remembering Lee Hong-kun in the Autumn of 2021” is being held at the Lee Hong-kun Gallery of the National Museum of Korea. The exhibition, which will run through the end of this year, is being held to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of donator Lee Hong-kun’s exhibition hall at NMK back in 1981. “At the time, 4,941 artworks were thought to have been donated,” NMK curator Lee Su-kyung said. After receiving them, the museum sort

Oct. 20, 2021

20-year-old KIAF Seoul records largest-ever sales

The annual KIAF Seoul closed Sunday, attracting a record number of visitors and sales during the five-day fair at Coex in southern Seoul. Marking its 20th anniversary, the fair has become the hottest festival in the country among art fans, attracting interest in art among the general public. Around 5,000 people visited on the first day of the “VVIP” opening, raising 35 billion won ($29.5 million) in sales, surpassing the total sales of 31 billion won in 2019 when the fair was held p

Oct. 18, 2021

Lee Bul's rare paintings, silk collage works unveiled in Seoul

While Lee Bul is globally known for her installations best represented by the Cyborg and Anagram series, the mixed media paintings that she has been pursuing on the side are relatively unknown. Referring to the pieces as being between sculpture and painting, they are an extension of her sculpture work. Lee’s newly created Perdu series painted with acrylic, ground stones and mother-of pearl were repeatedly layered using a brush and then scrubbed to create a sculpture-like texture. Lee di

Oct. 17, 2021

[Eye Plus] Into the world of Goryeo celadon

A rare exhibition is taking place in the country’s eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province.  More than 120 exquisite celadon ceramics from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), known locally as cheongja, are on display at “Celadon, the Microscopic World of Goryeo.”  Renowned for its subtle and elegant beauty, various shapes and sizes of celadon ceramics, which get their name from their mystic blue-green glaze, trace the untold story of the kingdom that flourish

Oct. 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] Korean Pavilion will ‘ring a bell’ at next year’s Venice Biennale: Lee Young-chul

When Lee Young-chul, an art professor at Kaywon University of Art & Design, proposed to direct the Korean Pavilion for the next year’s Venice Biennale, he felt like the Korean Pavilion should “ring a bell” at the biennale after the world has been going through the pandemic turmoil. The idea came to him while he was arranging his bookshelves and reencountered the book “La Citta del Sole (The City of the Sun),” by Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), who was an Itali

Oct. 16, 2021

Female graduates of Hongik University art school celebrate perseverance at 40th anniversary show

In the 1970s, when it was still a struggle for South Korean women to establish art careers, a group of female students from the Hongik University College of Fine Arts gathered together to break stereotypes and defy conservative social norms. In 1982 they formed Hongik Women Artists Association and held an exhibition, which has continued every year uninterrupted for 40 years. Now the 40-year anniversary exhibition -- “Hongik Root Now! Again!” -- is running at the Hongik Museum of A

Oct. 15, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] What architects can do in post-pandemic era

Ray Winkler, design director of Stufish Entertainment Architects, and British architect Amanda Jane Levete on Thursday shared their visions on what changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the field of architecture and what architects can do in the post-pandemic era at the Herald Design Forum 2021. Winkler showed a glimpse into how architecture can adapt accordingly with the changes brought by the pandemic, while Levete showed what values architecture should continue to pursue. “Tec

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Herald Design Forum ponders ‘What comes after?’

Emerging from the darkest days of the pandemic, many countries, including South Korea, are now talking about “life with COVID-19.” It is against this backdrop that the Herald Design Forum brought together some of the world’s most renowned designers, architects and artists with the aptly themed title of “What comes after.” “Mankind is now in its way into the post-COVID-19 era. Things will greatly change and the field of design is not an exception. The latest

Oct. 14, 2021

Korea’s largest art fair is back -- and there are more art lovers than ever

As the opening of KIAF Seoul 2021 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday drew near, there was already a long line of avid art lovers of various ages waiting to check in at Coex in southern Seoul. Korea’s largest annual international art fair is being held physically for the first time after it went online on its viewing room platform after the global COVID-19 pandemic hit early last year. Nearly 5,000 people visited the fair on the first day, which was open to VVIPs and the press, proving that people

Oct. 14, 2021

BTS’ V makes appearance at KIAF Seoul 2021

BTS’ V was spotted by a Korea Herald reporter Wednesday evening at KIAF Seoul 2021, South Korea’s largest international art fair being held at Coex in southern Seoul. V, wearing a Louis Vuitton jacket and a cap, was seen strolling around the exhibition hall. When the reporter approached him and asked if he was V from BTS, he first denied it: “Nope, no I am not.” After a few seconds of eye contact, he said, “Sorry, yes, I am.” He made a 90-degree bow and

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] ‘Ditch guidelines for sustainable, innovative design’

Three design experts shared their thoughts Thursday on how unique sustainable designs are created during the 11th edition of Herald Design Forum that was held on the floating island of Sevit on the Han River in Seoul. Referring to projects carried out by the Madrid-based company, Jeffrey Ludlow, founder and creative director of Point of Reference Studio, said small sustainability solutions such as signage could have big effects in consuming advertisement media. “Laws and norms are labele

Oct. 14, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Understanding in technology, people required for future designers: experts

Future designers should not only have design skills, but also should be versatile in programming and have a deep understanding of people, top experts in the field of industrial and product design said Thursday. Kim Jong-min, Google’s senior user experience engineer, suggested designers pursue their paths as generalists amid the fast-changing information technology environment.　 “In line with technology development, companies want talented workers. They thought it was nearly impossi

Oct. 14, 2021

Andy Warhol’s many personas revealed at Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul show

The Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul has opened its third collection exhibition “Andy Warhol: Looking for Andy” showcasing self-portraits by the American pop artist selected from the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s collection. The works range from Warhol’s early self-portrait photos to his late pieces that reveal various facets of the artist. The highlight of the exhibition is Warhol’s iconic self-portrait that he created before his sudden death in 1987. With his ghostly pal

Oct. 12, 2021

KIAF Seoul 2021 returns to a booming art market

As competition in the Korean art market become more heated than ever, The Korea International Art Fair will kick off on Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul, ahead of its joint shows next year with Frieze, a leading contemporary art fair. The country’s largest international art fair has been highly anticipated among art collectors excited to see artworks in person as the fair is being held physically for the first time in two years. Around 170 galleries from home and abroad are expected

Oct. 11, 2021

Actor Ha Jung-woo holds solo art show in Busan

Actor and painter Ha Jung-woo is holding his 15th solo art exhibition titled “Next Room,” at Grand Josun Busan until the end of the month, gallery Gana Art Busan announced Thursday. With the 26th Busan International Film Festival being held from Oct. 6 - 15, the exhibition, also located in Haeundae area, is expected to garner attention from cinema fans and across the arts scene. A total of 50 pieces, including 24 new works have been unveiled, including Ha’s signature style

Oct. 11, 2021

Avant-garde artist Lee Kun-yong uses his movements for ‘Body Scape’ series

Contemporary artist Lee Kun-yong lets the natural movements of his body dictate where the lines fall on the canvas. Instead of directly facing the canvas he stands behind or against it, and sometimes next to it without seeing his work as he is creating it. Lee named the series “Body Scape,” presenting nine painting methodologies that he created since 1976. “Lee Kun-yong: Body Scape” at Gallery Hyundai in central Seoul shows how Lee developed the series over the decade

Oct. 7, 2021

Leeum Museum of Art suggests redefining who we are

Opening its first thematic exhibition in four years, Leeum Museum of Art poses a fundamental question of what it means to be human at a time when fast-developing technology and the pandemic has exposed widening and persistent social inequality around the world. “We wanted to make the most of our collection for the thematic exhibition and found many of works are related to humans. We found it quite timely to present the exhibition in the pandemic time,” Kwak June-young, a curator a

Oct. 5, 2021