Architect Kim Won has put up for sale some significant pieces from his collection of art to help raise funds for an NGO for which he serves as a chief director. Among the 50 works donated by Kim that are on sale at Gallery Now in Seoul are ink paintings by architect Kim Swoo-guen (1931-1986), a prominent contemporary architect. The architect gave the paintings to Kim Won as a gift a year before his death. Kim Won was Kim Swoo-guen’s protege.  “Kim Swoo-guen began contempor

Painter Moon Sung-sic sticks with using pencils in creating his art. Inspired by daily life, he represents the mundaneness of everyday by scratching the thick oil paint surface with pencils as if striving to show his perseverance as an artist. “Pencils are the most basic materials in painting, spontaneous and simple. I think this resembles my unexaggerated and unpretentious personality,“ Moon told reporters at Kukje Gallery’s Busan venue on Jan. 21. He said he felt that his

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation and GIZI Foundation will launch the “Gwangju Biennale Park Seo-bo Art Prize” at the 14th Gwangju Biennale scheduled to open in April next year to recognize a promising artist participating at the biennale. GIZI Foundation, established by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo, has committed $1 million to the prize, with $100,000 in prize money to winning artists or collectives through 2042. The winner will be selected among those who participate in t

After the much-anticipated auction of Kansong Art Museum’s two state-designated national treasures last week ended up failing to find bidders, eyes are now on what Korea’s oldest private museum will do with the national treasures. During the auction held by K Auction on Jan. 27, no one bid for the two national treasures -- National Treasure No. 73, Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, and National Treasure No. 72, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi

Presidential candidates, online communities protest China’s ‘cultural appropriation’

Yongyangbongjeojong is a pavilion in southern Seoul that Jeongjo -- who ruled in the Joseon era from 1776 to 1800 -- used for respite when he visited Hyollyungwon in Suwon, where the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado is located.  Designated as Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 6, it was named for the unique scenery of the mountain and river that surrounds the pavilion. King Jeongjo once said, “The high mountain in the north and the running Han River look like a wriggling dragon

The Neolithic Age in Korean history and civilization refers to the period from about 8,000 to 1,500 BC, when ancient Koreans used comb-patterned pottery. Hence it is also called the comb-patterned pottery period, in reference to the combware, the main pottery type of the Korean Neolithic Period. People have been whaling since the Neolithic Age in Korea, according to the most vivid rock carvings of whaling left by ancient Koreans. Of the 90 species of whales in the world, some 40 species of whal

Once in the past I went to the countryside, picked a full bag of wormwood, and returned to Seoul to make ssukgaetteok (mugwort rice cake). I arrived home late at night so I left the bag in the kitchen. The next day, I opened it and found they had all turned yellow, and I had to throw them away. Because wormwood has lots of heat energy, it tends to go bad unless you blanch or dry it right away. When you buy wormwood at a market, select plump ones of a proper length that have a whitish part an

Two of Korea’s leading dance troupes are adopting creative ways to become a more familiar face to the public. Ambiguous Dance Company, a contemporary dance group known for its collaborative works with bands Coldplay and Leenalchi, has joined forces with the audience for its latest performance while Ahn Eun-Me Company, led by iconic contemporary dancer and choreographer Ahn Eun-me, unveiled an online dance game. Ambiguous Dance Company’s “Whole Like Dankeschon,” which

If you finished watching Netflix’s “All of Us Are Dead” and still feel like you need more, drop by the series’ pop-up zone at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Banpo-dong this weekend. The pop-up zone, which runs until Sunday, is inspired by the 12-part series that was released on Jan. 28. The zone is open from noon to 9 p.m.  Since most of the Netflix show is filmed in a high school, the zone has many photo spots that feature a school theme. One of the most po

E-World Miracle Winter Night E-World Miracle Winter Night is running through Feb. 28 at E-World in Daegu. The festival features a garden of 10,000 light-emitting diode roses, a 15-meter-tall Christmas tree and 100 photo zones ready for Instagram. While all activities will still be masked and socially distanced, visitors can still enjoy rides and attractions in the E-World theme park. Ticket prices vary by age. Updates can be found at www.eworld.kr. Yangju Snow Festival The Yangju Snow Fes

InterContinental Seoul COEX launches Valentine’s Day package InterContinental Seoul COEX presents the “Sparkling Love Diary“ package, which comes with a necklace gift for couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In collaboration with Swarovski, the package includes a one-night stay in the Classic Room, a Swarovski necklace, a bottle of rose wine, and an Instax camera rental service for visitors to document their memories. Guests can enjoy a breakfast buffet for two, prep

Works by seven deceased artists reveal their agony in the mid-1900s

Lovers of ancient history have another full month to view a large collection of Egyptian artifacts in Seoul. The National Museum of Korea’s Egyptian exhibit, organized jointly with the Brooklyn Museum in the US, a museum known to hold significant Egyptian artifacts, has been extended until March 1, according to the NMK. The exhibition, titled “Story of Life, Death, and Resurrection,” is being held at the national museum’s World Art Gallery, which opened in December 20

Asian communities all around the world welcome the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. Lunar New Year is particularly celebrated in East Asia, influenced by the Chinese New Year and the Chinese calendar.  According to the Chinese Zodiac, there are 12 different animals that represent each year in rotation. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger.  A man cleans a statue of Buddha at a temple in Jakarta on Jan. 26. A Chinese god statue is cleaned at the Kwan In Thang Temple on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indon