Zhang Xiaogang, one of the best-selling artists in contemporary Chinese art, said he is not swayed by his tremendous success and still follows his heart,“Art is not about business but life. If art were business, I would have studied and followed the example of successful people ― but that just isn’t my way of doing art,” Zhang said in a lecture at the Herald Design Forum 2012 in COEX Auditorium, Seoul, on Thursday.“Whether I can succeed or not, I follow my heart. What really counts in art is how

Top auto designers and architect talk about their design philosophiesPeter Schreyer may be best known for leading Audi to become a global premium car brand when he worked as chief designer for the carmaker from 1994 to 2002. Now many Koreans recognize the German automotive veteran as the innovator who has brought freshness to Kia Motors cars, especially the K-series with its signature “tiger nose” radiator grille. The chief design officer of Kia, who joined the company six years ago, hinted at

There are various causes of bowel problems so it is important to assess the progression of symptoms first. Sudden onset of fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea and occasional bloody feces may indicate acute gastroenteritis or bacterial dysentery. Abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting are suggestive of food poisoning. Chronic repetition of abdominal pain and diarrhea without fever and vomiting may indicate irritable bowel syndrome. Simple pain around the navel may indicate constipation or somatizat

The Cutting SeasonBy Attica Locke (Harper)The intertwining of the past and the present is an ongoing theme of mystery fiction. So many of our actions have a foundation in the past, whether it be a personal history or that of a country.Attica Locke illustrates the changing face of racism and classism in her superb second novel. The inventive plot of “The Cutting Season” is matched by complex, believable characters, some of whom are motivated by the need to have full lives while others have succum

French economist Guy Sorman, who also serves as a global advisor to the Lee Myung-bak administration, said Korea needs to promote its traditional culture as well as fine arts ― rather than K-pop and other forms of popular culture ― during a press conference promoting his latest book last week.“In Europe, people consider Korea’s idol groups as pop artists, not necessarily as Korean artists,” the scholar told reporters on Sept. 14 in Seoul. “I don’t think the current K-pop wave in Europe makes Eur

Juong Young-sin’s photo essay captures Korea’s traditional markets over a quarter of a centuryPhotographer and author Juong Young-sin has been taking photographs of Korea’s regional traditional markets for 25 years.“I just wanted to meet people, and the local market is where you go when you want to do that,” she tells The Korea Herald. “Markets also tell you stories of the real people.”Though she has now published her collection of essays, Juong was only an aspiring writer in 1986. She was deep

The Korean-language translation of French writer Marquis de Sade’s 1785 novel, “The 120 Days of Sodom,” has been officially banned in Korea, for its “extremely violent” and “disturbing” sexual content. It is the second time that the book, dealing with orgies and torture, has been banned by the government. The book was published here on Aug. 15 by local publishing house Dongsuh Press. Korea Publication Ethics Commission, a state review board, started investigating the book on Aug. 16, after a man

Biggest classical music festival this fall to kick off in Goyang in OctoberThe Goyang Cultural Foundation in Goyang, the city between Seoul and DMZ, is holding the biggest classical music festival in October featuring world-renowned musicians.A series of concerts will be held inside and outside of the Goyang Aram Nuri complex from Oct. 6-17, with about 260 artists coming from 13 countries.The list of artists includes violinists Chung Kyung-wha and Gidon Kremer, and Korean bass Youn Kwang-chul,

“First rate,” said the New York Times about acclaimed violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, who recently participated in a documentary special about the formation of a multicultural children’s chamber orchestra in Korea. “Hello?! Orchestra” is a humanizing documentary about 24 children from multicultural families in Korea who had never once picked up an instrument and whose stories have touched O’Neill. “The fact that these angel-like children, who have never done anything wrong, cannot escape from d

Hyundai Oilbank CEO Kwon Oh-gap held a quiet funeral for his mother last weekend without the knowledge of anyone other than close relatives, company officials said Thursday. He even did not notify the company of his mother’s death in an apparently considerate move not to bother company staff, the officials said.Kwon informed the company that he would be absent for a few days for “personal reasons” after his 100-year-old mother passed away on Friday. Hyundai Oilbank employees had no idea the CEO’

Forum opens with over 1,000 participantsDesign lovers and enthusiasts packed the second annual Herald Design Forum on Thursday, eager to tune into what top international design gurus had to say during the two-day event.The forum, which invited prominent figures in the field of design as key speakers, kicked off its first day with an opening session attended by representatives from the local government, business and cultural sectors.Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik and