The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Wednesday the exhibition line-up for the year and a plan for earlier completion of restoration of Paik Nam-june’s largest artwork, “The More the Better.” Among the 23 upcoming exhibitions, “Pandemic -- Catastrophes and Cure,” which will look into how the artists are living through the pandemic and how it has affected countries and individuals’ lives, is the main highlight of the year. The

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and has also made many people think about the environment, after seeing piles of throwaway face masks and plastic containers from food deliveries. With that, “upcycling” is gaining renewed attention in the fashion scene. Upcycling involves creating new items using old materials or reusing discarded products. Kim Byeol-ri, a 22-year-old college student, recently purchased a denim miniskirt and handbag made from an old pair o

Contemporary art master Kim Tschang-yeul died Tuesday at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering Korean abstract art. The artist’s unique “waterdrop paintings” greatly influenced both the Korean and global art scene, harmonizing Korean and Western values. Having lived through turbulent periods in Korean history, he condensed his philosophy and agony into waterdrops, which became his signature art. Kim was born in 1929 in South Pyongan Province, in today‘

The pandemic year saw interest in interior design rise as people were forced to spend more time at home. Responding to such interest, PKM Gallery’s first exhibition of the year sheds light on how artworks and home furniture that transcend time and region can be harmonized at home. “Time in Space: The Life Style” held at PKM+, part of the PKM Gallery in central Seoul, showcases around 40 paintings, sculptures, ceramics and pieces of furniture. The exhibition hints at how artw

An art installation shaped like a giant moon has been constructed on a dock on the Han River, the Seoul city government said Monday. The installation, named "Dalbitnodeul," which means "Nodeul under the moonlight," is made up of two circular metal structures, each 12 meters in diameter, adjacent to Nodeul Island near the middle of the city. There is an observation deck on the second floor, with a view of the Han River and downtown Seoul, and steps inside the installation wh

British painter Rose Wylie has brought her bold, expressive brushwork to Korea for the country’s first museum exhibition of her work. Her large-scale paintings have a bright feel to them, often with a childlike look. The 86-year-old artist gained global fame relatively recently. Although she gave up art to raise a family after marrying in her early 20s, she resumed her studies at the age of 45, entering the Royal College of Art in London. She would have to wait even longer for widesp

13th Gwangju Biennale slated to open February after pandemic forced rescheduling last year

Singer and artist Kwon Ji-an, better known as Solbi, sought to stifle allegations that she had plagiarized artist Jeff Koons’ famous sculpture Play-Doh by uploading a video on Instagram of herself eating the cake at the center of the case. Kwon uploaded an almost 10-minute video on Monday that shows her opening a cake box and eating the cake in silence before ending the video with the phrase, “Just a cake, Seoul.” A previous post on Dec. 22, showing Kwon making the cake, spa

The English-language edition of a biography of Park Seo-bo, a contemporary artist who led the “dansaekhwa” movement of the 1970s, was recently published online as an open-access publication at www.parkseobo.life. Dansaekhwa refers to a style of Korean abstract painting that accompanies a process of repetition and meditation. The original biography, “Park Seo-bo’s Art&Life,” was written in Korean by the artist’s daughter Park Seung-sook, an art therapist,

Critics question ethics of president’s son getting 14 million won from Seoul City-run foundation

K-pop singers RM and Henry have been named This Year’s Art Patron by the Arts Council Korea. The state-run Arts Council Korea on Monday announced six firms and four individuals selected for seven awards related to art patronage. The awards highlight supporters of the local arts scene. BTS’ RM, who donated 100 million won ($91,000) to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in September made the individual awardee list. The MMCA used the donation to publish its ou

Arario Gallery presents exhibition dedicated to artist Choi Byung-so

American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer is widely known for her large-scale flashing LED signs that display the artist’s ideas, arguments and sorrows in public spaces. “A great function of the signs is their capacity to move, which I love because it’s so much like the spoken word. You can emphasize, you can roll and pause, which is the kinetic equivalent to inflection in the voice,” the artist once said, according to Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Kukje Gallery, the major c

Loungewear emerging as ‘pandemic-fitting’ fashion trend

Painter Park Jong-sook, known for her dreamy landscapes, has opened up a solo exhibition “Part of Memory” in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition, which runs through April 11 at Glass Island Museum in Ansan, showcases her painting series under the theme “Part of Memory.” The artist’s semi-abstract paintings feature portraits of her mindscape derived from her childhood, a mixture of elements from nature including winding roads in rural areas, trees, farms and