British architect Amanda Levete, who founded the architecture studio AL_A in London, has emphasized community values as an architect, bringing public spaces into buildings and architectural spaces. In the pandemic times, she believes, such public spaces have become crucial. “Public spaces are more important now than ever before. We need to make opportunities to connect people because when you do, relationships are formed and ideas exchanged -- and that creates progress,” Levete tol

Arts & Design Sept. 25, 2021

The 2022 spring-summer Seoul Fashion Week will take place virtually starting Oct. 7, with top Korean designers presenting their collections at historic landmarks across Seoul. A total of 37 fashion brands -- 26 established designer brands for the Seoul Collection shows and 11 rookie designer brands for the Generation Next shows -- will be showcasing their new lineup in the upcoming fashion week. Participating brands include LIE and BMUET(TE) whose collections were showcased during the recent

Arts & Design Sept. 22, 2021

Kim Ku-lim, Korea’s first generation avant-garde artist, has been expanding the boundaries of Korean experimental art since the 1960s. His Yin and Yang series that includes 20 of his new works are being shown at the Gana Art Center in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. Kim’s solo exhibition “Yin and Yang” shows a series of artworks that he has worked on since the late 1980s with the theme of “opposition and unison of things.” After realizing that the harmony of di

Arts & Design Sept. 21, 2021

When installation artist Chen Dai-goang traveled to various Asian countries, the buildings there seemed to show how politics, economics and culture of the industrial era had been imprinted on them. Chen collected and took photographs of the architecture and reproduced them as installation works which are on display at the outdoor space at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, the museum’s fourth venue in the country. The i

Arts & Design Sept. 21, 2021

The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism began Thursday under the theme of “Crossroads, Building the Resilient City,” exploring how the pandemic has transformed and impacted living spaces. 　The third edition of the biennale encompasses five conflicting themes -- “Above/Below,” “Heritage/Modern,” “Craft/Digital,” “Natural/Artificial” and “Safe/Risk” -- focusing on how cities can become more resilient. The 2021 event

Arts & Design Sept. 17, 2021

Korea’s contemporary art master Park Seo-bo is showcasing 16 paintings of his recent Ecriture series inspired by nature at his solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery. Titled “PARK SEO-BO,“ the exhibition which runs through Oct. 31, shows how nature has become the artist’s core value and his belief that art should serve to heal people. The 91-year-old artist is a pioneer of Korea’s contemporary art, leading the dansaekhwa movement since the late 1960s. Translated as &ld

Arts & Design Sept. 15, 2021

Different hairstyles give different impressions. Some people express their moods through hairstyles and refresh their mind with a bold chop or perm. While fashion is easily thought of as a way to express one’s persona, so do hairstyles as it represents one’s identity, mood, tastes. Korea’s leading hair designer Cha Hong showcased 80 hairstyles she has presented over the past decade at the exhibition “Narratives in Style” at Beacon Studio in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

Arts & Design Sept. 13, 2021

Gardens were a source of inspiration to the literati in the late Joseon dynasty, where a culture of paintings and writings on “uiwon” flourished. Uiwon is defined as the garden of one’s mind. Inspired by the culture of uiwon, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, and the Cultural Heritage Administration are showcasing “Deoksugung Project 2021: Garden of Imagination” at Deoksugung, one of five royal palaces in central Seoul. The project is

Arts & Design Sept. 13, 2021

Concept Korea NYFW S/S 2022 will be held online as part of programs scheduled for New York Fashion Week, introducing three Korean fashion brands to help promote their brand names. The three fashion brands -- EENK, Ul:kin and NOHANT -- will showcase their 2022 spring/summer collection through a digital fashion film which will be unveiled on the New York Fashion Week’s official website at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Thursday, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency. The content

Arts & Design Sept. 11, 2021

Incheon Airport has pinned its hopes on a bid to set up a globally renowned museum at the airport by 2024. If the plan is realized, the airport will allocate two sites for the museum, including Terminal 2, which is currently undergoing an expansion. “We have requested to commission research to gauge feasibility, including budget and possible sites to see which museum would be most suitable for the airport. The research is expected to be completed by early next year,” an Incheon I

Arts & Design Sept. 11, 2021

The 11th Seoul Mediacity Biennale kicked off Wednesday at the Seoul Museum of Art and several private and public locations throughout the city of Seoul after a yearlong delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Artistic director Yung Ma leads the biennale this year with the theme of “One Escape at a Time” inspired by ideas of escapism in the context of the current popular media landscape. Forty-one Korean and international artists and artist collectives are participating. “W

Arts & Design Sept. 8, 2021

The “Freedom village” is the sole South Korean settlement located in the southern part of the Demilitarized Zone that cuts across the Korean peninsula. Originally named Daeseong-dong, the village has been isolated since the Korean War armistice agreement in 1953. When the residents in the village turn 32, they have to decide whether to remain or leave. The exhibition “MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2021: An installation view of “MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2021: Moon Kyun

Arts & Design Sept. 5, 2021

Sculptor Hyun Nahm is the youngest artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Atelier Hermes in Seoul, the exhibition space run by the Fondation d’entreprise Hermes. The 31-year-old artist believes sculptural objects can express sceneries as do the stones that maintain their own characters influenced by the surrounding environment. The sculptures Hyun is showcasing at the exhibition “Burrowing at the Bottom of a Rainbow” are produced with a negative casting technique using mater

Arts & Design Sept. 1, 2021

The government has earmarked 5.8 billion won ($5 million) in next year’s budget for managing and exhibiting artworks donated by the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. A total of 3.3 billion won has been allocated toward research personnel, equipment and facilities as well as establishing a database to manage the artworks, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. Another 2.5 billion won will be used to organize a special exhibition slated to take place at the National

Culture Aug. 31, 2021

The Demilitarized Zone established after the Korean War (1950-1953) runs across the Korean Peninsula. Although the 2-kilometer-wide strip has existed for decades, the area has been an imaginary place for many, especially those who have not experienced the war. Left untouched for decades, the DMZ has 13 observatories where civilians can get a glimpse of the border line under strict vigilance. Over the past five years, artist Jung Yeon-doo and theater director Surya visited the observatories mo

Arts & Design Aug. 31, 2021