[Herald Interview] ‘I do not paint to be an artist, but to make clothes’

Though some might not instantly recognize the name Song Zio, the brand Songzio Homme will ring a bell right away for many in Korea, especially men who enjoy quality fashion.Fashion designer Song Zio leads Songzio Homme, a contemporary menswear brand best known for its classic lined suits made with fine textiles.Despite the brand’s fame, it has not been easy for local consumers to wear Song’s creations. Founded in 1993, Songzio Homme halted its sales in Korea in the 2000s as it focused on the Par

Dec. 13, 2018

Gwanghwamun Kumho Art Hall to close in May

Kumho Art Hall, a landmark for classical music listeners, is wrapping up its Gwanghwamun era. On Tuesday, the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation announced on its official website that Gwanghwamun Kumho Art Hall would close its doors permanently as of May 1. Gwanghwamun Kumho Art Hall (Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation)The foundation revealed that it was unable to renew its lease, forcing the closure of two halls in the building in Gwanghwamun, which is currently owned by Deutsche Asset & Wealth Man

Dec. 12, 2018

Photography theatricalized

A tree stands against the backdrop of a large white canvas. The artist‘s intervention with the canvas creates a portrait of a tree. Standing out of nowhere, the tree in front of the white backdrop also appears as an alien installation to the landscape. The highlighting of the tree as an object changes the scene.Gallery Hyundai is holding a solo exhibition of works by phtographer Lee Myung-ho, introducing his latest series titled “Nothing But,” as well as work from his past series, “Tree” and “Mi

Dec. 9, 2018

‘Falmouth’ Stradivarius to go up for auction

The “Falmouth” Stradivarius -- created in 1692 by Antonio Stradivari -- will be auctioned at Seoul Auction’s 20th anniversary event on Thursday in Seoul. The auction of the “Falmouth” Stradivarius marks the first time a Korean auction house is selling a Stradivarius here, according to Seoul Auction. The “Falmouth” Stradivarius (Seoul Auction)Internationally renowned virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos was one of the former holders of the violin known for its dark, rich quality in the lower register, as we

Dec. 7, 2018

[Photo News] Ceramics: Song of earth and fire

The perfect recipe for pottery is one that requires patience and perseverance. But here’s a man who can tell the temperature of his kiln by looking at the colors of the flame, who knows the best layer of earth for his ceramics.For over 30 years, Lee Jong-neung has poured his soul in to the art of Korean pottery. His only goal: to establish an original line of ceramics that would represent modern Korea. Lee Jong-neung works at his kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Heral

Dec. 6, 2018

Evoking innermost voices

If you are looking for a trendy or fashionable exhibition, Doosan Gallery Seoul’s “Cour des Miracles” is probably not the right one for you. It surely will not meet your need for escapism. Here, you will not find a soothing, relaxing or sublime experience. But the exhibition offers a different kind of sensory experience.“Cour des Miracles” is an exhibition curated by Bae Enn-a, the winner of the 2018 Curatorial Open Call, a new biennial award that the art center launched this year. Artist Park S

Dec. 4, 2018

Hakgojae targets younger collectors with new space in Cheongdam

Hakgojae, one of the leading galleries in Korea, has opened a new gallery in the posh district of Cheongdam, south of the Han River. Hakgojae started in Insa-dong in 1988, which was then the center of the country’s art scene. In 2008, the gallery moved its headquarters to a traditional Korean-style building in Samcheong-dong.The opening of Hakgojae Cheongdam coincides with the gallery’s 30th anniversary. 　Fiona Rae’s “Sleeping Beauty will hum about mine ears” (Hakgojae)“Hakgojae Cheongdam will t

Nov. 25, 2018

MMCA reveals recent works from artist residency program

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on Friday kicked off “MMCA Residency Changdong Report 2018,” an annual exhibition that introduces works of artists currently under the nation-led museum’s residency program.Over 10 days, the artists will introduce works and performances produced during their residencies at a studio in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul.  Artist Sung Nak-hee’s 2018 work "Untitled Changdong2 (detail)" (MMCA)Seven artists from five different countries are currently under

Nov. 23, 2018

Annual fair to show how crafts can enrich daily life

The Craft Trend Fair 2018 will introduce the latest trends in the craft market, giving visitors a chance to rethink the value of crafts in our lives. The annual trend fair, in its 13th year, is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and run by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. This year’s event will take place from Thursday to Sunday at the Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul.The event, dedicated to the promotion and commercialization of local craft market, invit

Nov. 19, 2018

Korean Empire period works show advent of modern Korean art

The short-lived Korean Empire (1897-1910), also known as the Daehan Empire, an interregnum between Joseon and Japanese colonial rule, is often seen as a dark period in Korean history when the 600-year-old kingdom struggled to remain independent amid the onslaught of foreign powers, especially Japan. “Art of Korean Empire: The Emergence of Modern Art,” running through Feb. 6 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Deoksugung branch, looks at the period through art produced during

Nov. 18, 2018

Rookie designers aim to be Korea’s next fashion giants

The runway is always admired by emerging designers who want to be the next Karl Lagerfeld, Alessandro Michele or Christopher Bailey. But not all labels make their way into the spotlight. Though Seoul is not one of the “big four” fashion capitals of the world, it has no lack of young brave hearts who hope to make it big. At the 2019 spring-summer Hera Seoul Fashion Week in October, two designer brands, Dew E Dew E and By.D’By, took a big leap at the Seoul Collection, the larger of the two shows t

Nov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] From Chanel to Gucci: Korean women turn into designer rent-a-holics

It is 7 a.m. on a Monday. Hong Mi-jin, 35, an office worker in Seoul, makes a fresh pot of coffee and jumps into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she comes out with a big towel wrapped around her hair. Rummaging through her closet, she picks out a Theory knit top and matching block skirt, Sandro tweed jacket and Givenchy’s Antigona bag -- a set of items rented from different luxury rental sites. “It is stressful for me to choose what to wear, what bag to carry, which heels to go with the wardro

Nov. 15, 2018

Will Park Su-geun beat his own record?

Park Su-geun’s 1961 work “People at the Marketplace” will be auctioned on Nov. 21 at K Auction’s November sale.Park is a Korean painter known for his artworks that portray the daily life of the Korean people in the mid-20th century. Park Su-geun’s “People at the Marketplace” (K Auction)The estimated price for “People at the Marketplace” is 4 billion won-5.5 billion won ($3.5 million-$4.9 million), the auction house said. The work was owned by a foreign collector for about 40 years before it was

Nov. 9, 2018

Herald Artday to hold offline auction

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding an offline auction on Nov. 14 at uJung Art Center in southern Seoul.The art auction will comprise 122 works, covering a wide range of art by renowned artists as well as ceramics from the late Joseon era.It will feature numerous works of art of renowned Korean artists, including Kim Whan-ki, Chang Uc-chin and Yun Hyong-keun, among many others. It will also comprise works by international artist such as Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol. Korean pa

Oct. 31, 2018

Han Jeong-sun’s exhibition ‘Untamed Thoughts’ shows quest to free a caged spirit

Artist Han Jeong-sun’s exhibition “Untamed Thoughts” showcases her allegorical paintings, which deal with wildness and breaking free of constraints, at a local cultural center called The Forest in Nowon, Seoul. In Han’s view, capitalist societies with their repetitive daily routines have deprived contemporary people of their identities and their dignity. She sees contemporary civilization as a force that flattens individuality and represses the beast that is the human spirit. “Alice in Wonderlan

Oct. 31, 2018

Work and life examined

More than a century ago, the Lumiere brothers’ black-and-white documentary film “Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory in Lyon” showed workers hurriedly exiting their workplace. The film survives as one of the most important records in the history of motion pictures.A century later, the late German artist and filmmaker Harun Farocki summoned the groundbreaking footage to yet another level of discourse. Farocki’s video installation titled “Workers Leaving the Factory in Eleven Decades” starts with

Oct. 28, 2018

Filmmaker Ahn Kearn-hyung wins SeMA-Hana Media Art Award

Korean nonfiction filmmaker Ahn Kearn-hyung was named the winner of this year’s SeMA-Hana Media Art Award, the Seoul Museum of Art announced Friday. The SeMA-Hana Media Art Award, founded in 2014, is awarded to a participating artist of Seoul Media City Biennale and is presented by the museum and Hana Financial Group. Ahn Kearn-hyung (SeMA) An installation view of “How to Stop Being Korean,” a 66-minute documentary introduced at Seoul Mediacity Biennale 2018 (SeMA)Ahn received the award in recog

Oct. 26, 2018

Yang Hae-gue receives 2018 Culture and Arts Award

Internationally recognized artist Yang Hae-gue on Wednesday was honored with the Republic of Korea Culture and Arts Award at a ceremony at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Seoul branch. The award is annually given by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with a presidential citation. Yang could not attend the ceremony, so a family member accepted it on her behalf. Korean artist Yang Hae-gue (Kukje Gallery)The award was given to five artists across five categories, incl

Oct. 24, 2018

Exhibition brings traditional folding screens into the foreground

Folding screens are a traditional form of art that was popular in Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. The paneled artworks featuring paintings, patterns and calligraphy were used to decorate rooms, to highlight the presence of a powerful figure or as a backdrop for various ceremonies and rituals.The Amorepacific Museum of Art’s “Beyond Folding Screens” is a large-scale exhibition that brings the folding screen to the fore. “The Sun, Moon and Five Peaks,” an emblem of royal authority produced in

Oct. 23, 2018

Young South Koreans take fashion inspiration from Bernie Sanders and Jesse Jackson

Among young South Koreans, civic rights activist and Democratic presidential nominee Jesse Jackson’s 1988 campaign T-shirts and French fashion brand Balenciaga’s Bernie Sanders-inspired caps are some of the hottest fashion items at the moment.“What size is it?” “Has it been sold yet?” Comments like these quickly appear when well-kept secondhand Bernie Sanders caps are put up for sale in online communities, as a brand new one could cost nearly 350,000 ($310).A Jesse Jackson T-shirt and a Bernie S

Oct. 22, 2018