Korean artist Jun So-jung has been selected as the winner of the 18th Hermes Foundation Missulsang, the foundation announced Wednesday.Jun made her name with narrative-focused works of art using various mediums, including photography, installations and video. Her works often include real-life stories of individuals she comes across, framing them in relation to other existing texts and stage works. Artist Jun So-jung (Atelier Hermes)Jun won the Noon Award at the Gwangju Biennale in 2016 the grand

The Seoul Plaza Ice Rink, an iconic winter attraction in the city, will open Friday with upgraded facilities. The ice rink will operate through Feb. 10 for a total of 52 days, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday. An artist’s impression of Seoul Plaza Ice Rink (Seoul Metropolitan Government)The rink’s design has been changed for the first time since it opened four years ago. It has also been expanded from 1,166 to 1,897 square meters, 1.5 times its previous size.In addition,

　South Korea’s performing arts market rebounded in 2017, apparently reflecting greater political and social stability after the presidential election in May that year, officials said.　According to data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service, the nation’s performing arts market grew 8.7 percent from the previous year to 813.2 billion won ($721 million) last year.　It is the first time that the domestic performing arts market has exceeded 800 b

It is that time of the year. “All I Want for Christmas” plays seemingly on repeat and Santa decorations are in every window. The year has almost come to an end. For those tired of the same old alcohol-infused yearend gatherings, museums and galleries are offering a more cultured alternative to celebrating the year that was.Why not grab a beer next to Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain?” An 8-meter tall “Bearbrick” -- the collectible Japanese toy -- might give you a hug. Or just bring some art home by pu

Photographer Koo Bohn-chang is holding a solo exhibition featuring his photographs of traditional Korean porcelains at the newly opened Kukje Gallery’s Busan branch located in a factory-turned-cultural center, F1936.“HA 05-1” by photographer Koo Bohn-chang (Courtesy of the artist)The photographer’s journey tracing the nation’s traditional porcelains spans some three decades. “One day, I came across with this picture of a Korean moon jar and a foreigner sitting right next to it. I wondered how su

South Korea said Monday that it will push to build a K-pop arena in Seoul as part of a broader effort to attract more foreign tourists and create jobs in the cultural sector.The Ministry of Economy and Finance said the project worth about 500 billion won ($442 million) in Changdong, northeastern Seoul, could be financed by private companies, though it did not provide any details.The move comes as K-pop, which mostly features choreographed dances by boy and girl groups, has gained ground not only

(This article was originally published in The Korea Herald's paper on Oct. 23)A large-scale photo exhibition with the ambitious goal of recording our time on this Earth opened at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch Thursday, featuring 300 works by 135 artists from 43 countries. “Civilization: The Way We Live Now,” co-produced by the MMCA and the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, offers a broad view of contemporary civilization, just a few decades old,

Mermaid performances at Coex AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding underwater mermaid-themed performances to mark the Christmas holiday season. Divers dressed in Santa and mermaid outfits perform with sea life, including 20,000 sardines. The shows are held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. There are no performances on Mondays.The Christmas-themed performances will be held until Dec. 25, after which a new version with a different theme will be

The government on Thursday announced a plan to strengthen the country’s creative content market by creating an ideal environment for creators, investing in state-of-the-art content and supporting the export of content by 2022.Officials highlighted that most local companies in the creative content market are small in size and suffer from a lack of funding, infrastructure and manpower. To address these issues, the government seeks to increase investment in the sector from 350 billion won ($311 mil

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Yun Hyong-keun exhibition will travel to the Fortuny Museum in Venice to coincide with the 2019 Venice Biennale, the MMCA announced Friday. The MMCA added that the signing of the contract with the Fortuny Museum took place Tuesday. Yun’s retrospective is set to kick off May 11 next year at the gothic style building in central Venice, but the opening day of the exhibition could change according to the biennale’s schedule. An installation view o

“Newtro” has emerged as a trend in the fashion and design industries here. A combination of “new” and “retro,” the concept mixes trends of the past with fresh interpretations. And an ongoing event rides on that wave. The Seoul Design Festival taking place at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul caters to those who want to swing back to the 1980s or 1990s, with a new, creative twist.  (Seoul Design Festival)The festival’s overall theme is “Young Retro: Design Reversing Back

A map of the South Korean capital showing the districts’ names in English is garnering attenetion across online communities.The post was uploaded to social aggregator Reddit by user nanain_melons in November, and has since been shared on websites like Bestiz and MLB Park.The map gave Mapo the English name “Cannabis Port,” as the word “Ma” can mean “cannabis” and “Po” can refer to ports. (Reddit user nanain_melons)Yongsan was written as “Dragon Mountain,” which on par with the actual meaning, as

Vivaldi Park, the resort complex of Daemyung Group, said it is launching packages for foreign visitors in Korea for the snow-covered season.This includes the one-day ski package and Snowy Land package that offers something for both children and adults.The one-day package is for those seeking to briefly enjoy the slopes on either skis or a snowboard. It includes a free shuttle bus between Seoul and the resort, a lift pass from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the rental of equipment along with parka and

For South Koreans living in a country where the old is compulsively replaced with the new, finding a place that no longer serves its original purpose but has maintained its true form is a venture. Still, there are unexpected nooks in and near bustling Seoul where time seems to go very slow, allowing you to quietly evoke past memories. These are way stations.Way stations are relatively small train stations, set apart by the absence of a stationmaster and the lack of passengers. As time went by, n

A 1994 documentary shows Han Mook starting his morning with a baguette on a small sofa in his small, shabby Paris apartment. Soon he gets dressed, walks out of the room and goes down a spiral stiarcase to his atelier where the late artist spent most of his time.  Han Mook’s 1989 work “Symphony of the Southern Cross” (SeMA)“Han Mook For Another Poetry-Order,” a retrospective of the artist at the Seoul Museum of Art, comprises some 130 pieces, including his major works, drawings and calligraphy. T