Art student eats Maurizio Cattelan's banana at Leeum

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's iconic art piece -- a ripe banana duct-taped onto a wall -- on display at an art museum in Seoul, was eaten by a college student in an act which he described as "artwork." The student ate the banana from Cattelan's "Comedian" at around 1 p.m., Thursday. The work is part of Cattelan's solo exhibition “WE” currently running at the Leeum Museum of Art, according to the private museum. At the exhibition showing some 38

April 30, 2023

[Photo News] Louis Vuitton turns Jamsu Bridge into runway

Models walk on Jamsu Bridge over the Han River in Seoul, which was turned into a runway for the Louis Vuitton pre-fall fashion show on Saturday. The occasion marked the French luxury powerhouse’s first-ever fashion show for its pre-fall collection, designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere. Traffic was halted for 24 hours on the lower level of the bridge which was used as the runway. Hwang Dong-hyuk, director of Netflix's hit drama “Squid Game," participated in the show's scenogr

April 30, 2023

'Young Korean Artists' explores museum as space at MMCA in Gwacheon

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has brought South Korea’s emerging artists to the fore at exhibitions dedicated to young artists since the state museum was founded in 1986. “Young Korean Artists” is the museum's longest-running program that aims to discover young artists. Thirteen emerging artists and collectives recommended by the state museum's curators and art experts are participating in this year's exhibition titled “Young K

April 29, 2023

[Photo News] Yoo Ji-an's moon jar series on display at Lotte Hotel Seoul

A total of 20 craft works by contemporary mother-of-pearl artist Yoo Ji-an are on display at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. Yoo has created sculptures inspired by Korea’s traditional craftsmanship, pioneering the genre of contemporary mother-of-pearl art. The exhibition “On the Path of Time” features the artist’s “The Moon” series at the hotel’s lobby and lounge “Le Salon” on the 16th floor. One of Yoo’s moon jars created with mother-of-pearl, p

April 28, 2023

Beauty of Korean craftsmanship to be celebrated in London

South Korea’s contemporary craftsmanship will be introduced in London to coincide with London Craft Week, bringing together 11 Korean craft masters and artists at the exhibition “Light of Weaving: Labour-Hand-Hours” from May 11 to June 30. The exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre UK will feature works by successful Korean craft masters and unique work inspired by traditional Korean craftwork. Among the artists is Jeong Da-hye, winner of the 2022 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize

April 28, 2023

Daegu Art Museum under audit after forgery found

Daegu Art Museum is under a special audit by the city government after one of the museum's paintings was found to be a forged work. "Plum Blossom," attributed to Joseon-era painter Kim Jin-man (1876-1933), was found to have been forged, and the city government is looking into how it became part of the city museum's collection. “Technically all works are subject to inspection. We will remove works found to be fake from our collection. For now, we are waiting for the in

April 27, 2023

Elly Cho imagines emergence of hybrid human species

Interdisciplinary artist Elly Cho’s solo exhibition “The Occupancy of the Self: Imagining Hybrid Moments” has kicked off at This is Not a Church, a cultural space in Seoul. Through different artistic practices, Cho explores the impact of climate change on the future environment. The exhibition features artworks created using AI drawing tools, capturing the artist's imagination of the future with the potential emergence of a hybrid human species due to climate change. The e

April 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] Fernando Menis stresses importance of locality in architecture

When Spanish architect Fernando Menis came to Seoul in early 2020 for a lecture, he found himself stuck in the city as the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic halted all international travel. It was a totally unexpected situation, and the architect decided to walk around the city every day just to explore it without any particular intent. “After I had breakfast at 8 a.m., I started to walk for five hours every day alone like a student. I (found) a lot of things beautiful. I discovered sma

April 25, 2023

Edward Hopper retrospective goes back to realist painter's roots

Ever since it was announced early this year that American realist painter Edward Hopper’s exhibition was going to open in Seoul, there has been a huge interest in the show, prompting more than 100,000 early bird tickets to be sold before the opening last week. The exhibition “Edward Hopper: From City to Coast” at Seoul Museum of Art, which opened Wednesday, marks the first-ever exhibition in South Korea of the New York-born artist (1882-1967), known for his paintings of ordinar

April 23, 2023

British Japanese artist Simon Fujiwara's 'Whoseum' opens in Seoul

British Japanese artist Simon Fujiwara’s art seems playful and mischievous at first glance, as presented at an exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in Seoul. The recurring presence of a bear in his oeuvre piques the curiosity of viewers, leading them to question what the artist wants to tell the world -- and who the bear is. Fujiwara has brought together some 40 works of art at a solo exhibition in Seoul that opened on April 5. An identity-free cartoon bear named “Who” -- which seemin

April 22, 2023

MMCA brings back revamped Korea Artist Prize

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has selected four finalists for the Korea Artist Prize 2023, following a short hiatus last year to make improvements to the 10-year-old annual award, which had fallen under growing criticism for its quality and low recognition. The museum earlier this week announced four artists -- sound artist Kwon Byung-jun, Korean-Colombian artist Gala Porras-Kim, Lee Kang-seung whose work explores queer history, and interdisciplinary artist Jun S

April 22, 2023

Art center that is 'Open for All'

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- To some, it may look like a tumor is growing on the side of the building; to others, as if an asteroid has hit it. Or it may look like a planet docking against a cube, according to the description given in a brochure prepared by the building's architects. The Taipei Performing Arts Center, the city's latest landmark, is a conversation starter. The center, composed of a central cube with three structures of different shapes -- a globe, a rectangle and a triangle wedge

April 18, 2023

[Herald Interview] Public architecture guarantees accessibility in increasingly privatizing world

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- One of the goals of architects in undertaking a public architecture project, such as the Taipei Performing Arts Center, is not to be wasteful. “There is a very strong obligation in public work not to be wasteful in any way -- not with the resources, not with the space in the city, not with the opportunities you create,” said David Gianotten, the managing partner at OMA, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Taipei on March 18. Gianotten and OMA founder Rem Kool

April 18, 2023

Culture Ministry to appoint new MMCA director following Youn's resignation

Youn Bum-mo, the director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has officially resigned from his post on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “Youn expressed his desire to withdraw from the director position on April 10 during a meeting with the minister, and it was accepted. We will open recruitment in early May to appoint a new director,” an official from the ministry told The Korea Herald. Youn was inaugurated to head the stat

April 18, 2023

Korean Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennial 'not your typical show'

The Korean Pavilion at next month's 18th Venice Architecture Biennale asks the question: How have our choices shaped the globe today? The architecture exhibition will lead visitors to reflect on the past, the present and think about the future. The two artistic directors of the Korean Pavilion -- curator Jung So-ik and art professor Park Kyong -- have titled the exhibition which will run May 18- Nov. 26, “2086: Together How?” The overarching theme of the upcoming architecture bi

April 14, 2023

Art Busan 2023 to expand, collaborate with Busan Tourism Board

Art Busan 2023, a major art fair in the southern port city, will be held early May in its largest-ever venue at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center since its inaugural fair in 2012. The leading art fair in South Korea will also collaborate with Busan Tourism Organization to offer an opportunity to experience the city during Art Busan Week from May 1 to 9. The art fair will be held from May 4 to 7 at Bexco, bringing together some 146 galleries from 22 countries. “We will use the wh

April 14, 2023

Largest-ever Galleries Art Fair bets on continued interest in art investment

The Galleries Art Fair, South Korea’s oldest art fair, kicked off Wednesday in its largest scale ever at Coex in southern Seoul, joined by 156 homegrown galleries. The 41st edition of the fair that began with a VIP preview Wednesday runs through Sunday in Coex halls B and D with the largest number of Korean galleries participating since its establishment in 1979. The Galleries Art Fair and KIAF SEOUL, founded in 2002, are run by the 160-member Galleries Association of Korea. The Galleries

April 13, 2023

MMCA Director Youn Bum-mo offers to resign: reports

Youn Bum-mo, the director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea recently offered to resign from his post during a meeting with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon, local media reported Thursday. Youn, whose term expires in early 2025, came under criticism last year when the Culture Ministry unprecedentedly revealed the result of a special audit which showed 16 cases of illegal and inappropriate actions at the museum, including purchasing artworks at auc

April 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Shezad Dawood transports modernist architecture to the present

The vivid colors of the walls match the paintings of modernist architecture by London-based interdisciplinary artist Shezad Dawood at Barakat Contemporary in Seoul, where his second show at the gallery is running. Color is music to the artist who loves colors and calls himself a “real colorist.” When he stages an exhibition, he sees it as a musical score, in which different colors create both consonances and dissonances, he said. “For me, it is probably the first time ever doin

April 12, 2023

Park Young-ha's paintings inspired by traditional music on show at Helen J Gallery

Korean artist Park Young-ha’ solo exhibition “Local Songs: Park Young Ha” at the Helen J Gallery in Los Angeles shows the artist’s lyrical approach to art. Park has been known for paintings that recall the traditional mud-plastered walls of Korean houses in rural areas. Park has pursued paintings that feature matieres techniques, adding physical texture to a painting and using a mixture of materials such as fine sand, gold dust and stone powders. He layers them using meta

April 11, 2023