Govt. to announce new museum plan for late Samsung chief's artworks in June

The government plans to make a decision by next month on the construction of a new museum to house donations from the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee's vast art collection, officials at the culture ministry said Monday. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee plans to announce details of a new art museum for around 23,000 artworks and artifacts donated by Lee's family, in June, the officials said. The planned announcement will come as at least a dozen cities around the country have

May 24, 2021

MMCA celebrates Chung Sang-hwa’s 60-year art career

A retrospective of Chung Sang-hwa, a renowned Korean contemporary artist who has explored the concept of infinity through his paintings, was unveiled at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The exhibition “Chung Sang Hwa” at MMCA Seoul is a comprehensive exploration of the artist, including recent signature works that feature grid compositions, demonstrating Chung’s own method of “peeling off and filling in.”  “‘To reveal is to value

May 24, 2021

Hyundai Card Storage turns into magazine museum

The golden age of the world’s five most influential magazines has unfolded at the Hyundai Card Storage in Seoul. Walking through the exhibition hall, you may find some interesting facts about the magazines Life, Playboy, Domus, Rolling Stone and the National Geographic. The exhibition “The Issue: Hyundai Card Library Magazine Collection through the Ages” focuses on the five leading magazines, showcasing the inaugural editions along with some 300 notable issues of each publica

May 19, 2021

Frieze art fair to launch in Seoul next fall

Frieze art fair, one of the world‘s largest global art fairs, will head to Seoul in September 2022 for the first time, to coincide with Korea’s annual art fair, KIAF Art Seoul. The two art fairs will be held concurrently on Sept. 2, 2022, taking up four exhibition halls at COEX in southern Seoul. Although the fairs will take place at the same time, they will be operated independently, according to the Galleries Association of Korea. Seoul will be the first Asian city to host the 2

May 18, 2021

[Herald Interview] Barakat Contemporary’s director pushes Seoul as art hub of Asia

Every day at 8:21 p.m., David Hockney’s animated sunrise video -- “Remember you cannot look at the sun or death for very long” -- starts playing on the country’s largest digital billboard, located at Coex K-Pop Square. The art dispay is part of Circa’s project to showcase artworks around the world in the pandemic times. Circa’s project, which is taking place in London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Seoul, will show the same work throughout this month, ev

May 18, 2021

Buddhism-inspired photographs, installations offer tranquility

Water gently swirls on a round-shaped sculpture topped with a magnetic stirrer. Staring at the swirling water, one may find himself falling into contemplation. The exhibition “Reflection” offers viewers a time to reflect on themselves and find tranquility in the pandemic times. The exhibition “Reflection,” focusing on the philosophy of Buddhism in commemoration of Buddha’s birthday on Wednesday, is being held at K.O.N.G. Gallery in central Seoul. It is the last a

May 17, 2021

Busan art fair wraps up with record 80,000 visitors

An annual art fair held at the country's southeastern port city of Busan wrapped up Sunday with a record number of visitors snapping up billions of won worth of artworks, organizers said Monday. The art fair, now in its 10th year, saw a record 80,000 visitors -- including 15,000 during a preview for art collectors -- visit its stalls despite expectations that attendance would be lackluster amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The previous record was 63,000 in 2019. Around 110 galleries at home a

May 17, 2021

Artists in Myanmar take part in art fest marking May 18 Democratic Uprising

The May 18 Democratization Movement Art Festival kicked off in Gwangju on Saturday, commemorating the 41st anniversary of the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. With the slogan “Spreading peace through solidarity,” the festival aims to connect the historical significance of the past with the need for future engagement and action. An art wall has been installed at May 18 Democracy Square, located within the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju. Nine other joint exhibitions and artists’ w

May 16, 2021

Sculpture-devoted Plastic Art Seoul 2021 to kick off Sunday

Plastic Art Seoul 2021, Korea's largest art fair devoted to sculptures and installation works, will kick off on Sunday at Coex in southern Seoul, under the theme “New Generation.” While the art fair features sculptures, it will also present a variety of different artworks including installation art, paintings and media art. A total of 89 galleries from home and abroad will join the show bringing 2,500 artworks by 700 artists together under one roof. “Last year, sales reac

May 14, 2021

Korean art master Suh Se-ok’s collection donated to his second hometown

A majority of the collection by Korean abstract art master, the late Suh Se-ok has been donated to Seongbuk-gu, northern Seoul where the artist lived for 60 years. Suh’s family donated a total of 3,290 artworks, including the artist’s works and those he collected throughout his life. The donation was made without any condition, according to the Seongbuk Museum of Art. The donated works will be stored at the Seongbuk Museum of Art until a museum dedicated to the artist is establi

May 14, 2021

[Weekender] [#WeFace] Green architecture brings fresh air

While going green has become an urgent agenda for many industries from retail, fashion to the performing arts and architecture is no exception. Amid the climate crisis, more individuals, companies and the government are paying attention to sustainable architecture, aware of the impact of the lasting footprint left by construction. “Green architecture” refers to an approach to architecture which acknowledges the necessity for improvement in both environmental impact and our healt

May 13, 2021

Art Busan anticipating big success again this year

Art Busan, a major art fair in South Korea, will be held this weekend amid much anticipation after an unexpected boom last year, when avid art collectors and young people flocked to the southern port city. The largest art fair in the country’s southern region will showcase a total of 4,000 artworks during the four-day event. The 110 galleries participating this year include renowned international galleries such as Neugerriemschneider and Esther Schipper from Berlin, Commonwealth and Coun

May 13, 2021

[Feature] Cities, museums all want a piece of the pie

While a large part of the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s personal art collection has arrived at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and National Museum of Korea, the collection’s final destination remains up in the air. The major problem is the capacity to hold the record-breaking donation by Lee. The MMCA, which was given 1,488 artworks, most of them Korean modern art, admitted that the museum is running out of space at its storage facilities in

May 12, 2021

Korean art project ‘Traveling Korean Arts’ kicks off in 14 countries

The project “Traveling Korean Arts,” aimed at introducing Korean art to a global audience, has kicked off in collaboration with art institutions in 14 countries. The art project -- organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange -- started Saturday in South Africa with an exhibition titled “Negotiating Boundaries.” The artworks will be on display at the 300,000-square-meter outdoor sculpture park i

May 11, 2021

Monthlong Gwangju Biennale enjoyed online and offline

The 13th Gwangju Biennale closed on Sunday after a 39-day run, attracting more than 270,000 visitors online and offline. Although significantly shortened -- by around half of its usual three-month span -- due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme and the commissions were executed as planned. Some 85,000 people visited Korea’s largest art biennale in person, according to the Gwangju Biennale Foundation. The biennale -- which kicked off on Feb. 26 after being postponed twice -- was held u

May 10, 2021

S. Korean cities race to host new 'Lee Kun-hee art museum'

South Korean cities from Suwon to Busan are lining up to host a possible new museum for late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee's vast art collection, with many claiming to be the ideal spot because of their special ties to the Lee family. Samsung and the culture ministry announced April 28 that Lee's family would donate some 23,000 pieces from his art collection, including masterpieces by Korean and Western artists, such as Kim Whan-ki, Claude Monet and Salvador Dali. Lee died in October. The Natio

May 10, 2021

Painter Hwang Jai-hyoung infuses soul into paintings dedicated to workers

Hwang Jai-hyoung, known as the “miner painter,” lived as a coal miner in the early 1980s in search of the human dignity that he wanted to express in his paintings. He believed that an artist should actually experience the life of a worker in order for one’s art to function as a means to influence society. While working as a coal miner for three years across Gangwon Province, including in Taebaek, Samcheok and Jeongseon, Hwang captured the lives of his fellow miners on can

May 9, 2021

MMCA excited by donations from Lee Kun-hee collection

While the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection has been creating a buzz across the art scene and more, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is looking to make the most of the donation. “This is a record-breaking donation, unlikely to happen twice in my lifetime,” Youn Bum-mo, the director of the MMCA, said at a press event held at the museum’s Seoul branch in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, Friday. “The collection is very broad,

May 7, 2021

MMCA’s Gwacheon venue celebrates Children’s Day with exhibition for kids

Ahead of Children’s Day on May 5, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, kicked off an exhibition for children titled “You & Me” at its Gwacheon venue on Tuesday. The venue, which includes a children’s museum, was recently renovated to be more inviting to families. Over the past few years, MMCA’s Gwacheon venue has undergone changes to enhance its function as a family-friendly museum. The outdoor sculpture garden regularly hosts exhibition

May 4, 2021

Seoul's largest Picasso retrospective shows formative works, paintings

The largest Pablo Picasso retrospective to be exhibited in Korea kicked off Saturday, chronologically showcasing the artist’s works across different genres, including a masterpiece completed in his later years. “Picasso, Into the Myth,” running through Aug. 29 at the Hangaram Arts Center Museum in Seoul, features 110 works by the pioneer of cubism. The exhibition, which coincides with the 140th anniversary of the artist’s birth, includes oil paintings, ceramics, sculpt

May 3, 2021