Some of the exhibited works for Korea Artist Prize 2020 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, are under fire for including sex dolls. Works by visual artist Jung Yoon-suk are part of the exhibition for Korea Artist Prize 2020, co-organized by the MMCA and SBS Foundation. Four visual artists were selected earlier this year, and their works were unveiled at the MMCA Seoul venue on Dec. 4. At the center of the controversy is the two-hour documentary film “Tomorrow&

KBS investigative TV show to look into alleged forgery cases of painting master

The heartwarming Japanese novel “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,” written by mystery writer Keigo Higashino, is coming to life in the real world. The novel, which centers on general store owner Namiya who communicates with neighbors through handwritten letters and offers sincere advice, has been a steady seller in South Korea since its 2012 release. In commemoration of the 100th printing, publisher Hyundae Munhak kicked off a project inspired by the story in collaborati

Sohn Chang-kun, who has donated more than 300 important cultural heritage items that he collected throughout his life, was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit Geumgwan on Tuesday, becoming the first recipient of the country’s highest honor for cultural heritage preservation. “The honor is given to a contributor who has devoted at least 15 years to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage,” an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration told The Korea Herald. “

Spaces underneath overpasses are neglected spaces, many of them left shabby and used as illegal parking spots. In Seoul alone, the total space underneath the nearly 200 highway overpasses is equivalent in area to about 55 percent of Yeouido, or 210 football fields. But only 10 percent of these spaces are used efficiently, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “Compared to the density of the Seoul population, many public spaces like those underneath overpasses are left wasted

Suh Se-ok, a leading artist who pioneered contemporary abstract ink painting, died on Nov. 29 at the age of 91. The announcement was belatedly made on Thursday after the family funeral was conducted in accordance with social distancing regulations out of consideration for the bereaved, according to the National Academy of Arts in Korea. Suh was born in 1929 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, as a son of an independence activist who fought against Japanese colonialism during the Japanese c

Hakgojae Gallery hosts exhibition of Jeongho tea bowls created by ceramist Kim Jong-hun

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, kicked off its annual year-end MMCA Wishing Tree event Wednesday. Visitors to the Seoul venue are invited to make wishes for 2021 amid the pandemic situation. Visitors will be given pieces of paper to write their wishes on, which they can then tie to the MMCA Wishing Tree. Participants can also donate money to World Vision, an international humanitarian aid organization, to support art therapy for children at local institutions. The

The Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private organization dedicated to promoting Korean aesthetics and cultural heritage, will showcase pieces created by two artisans -- “gat” master Jung Choon-mo and ceramicist Kim Deok-ho. The exhibition “Lines/Layers” will open Dec. 1 at Yeol Bukchonga in central Seoul as part of the organization’s annual year-end showcasing of works by the winners of the Yeol Artisan of the Year and Yeol Young Craftsman of the Yea

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will stream its fourth online performance as part of the MMCA Live series planned to reach a wider range of audiences amid the pandemic. The fourth show will feature a performance by Korean synth pop group Adoy. The performance “MMCA Live X Adoy,” which took place at MMCA’s Cheongju location, will be released at 4 p.m. on Dec. 4 via the MMCA’s YouTube channel. MMCA has released the MMCA Live series starting wit

Pioneer of abstract art in Korea urges young people to think critically, to love Korean culture

Experimenting with new materials and unconventional approaches, Lee came up with ‘nonsculpture’

  The Inje Icefish Festival -- one of the most popular winter festivals in South Korea -- will not be held next year as the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic has hit the country. The annual winter festival held in Inje, a mountainous county in Gangwon Province some 165 kilometers northeast of Seoul, is centered around a pond with small ice holes, measuring 20 centimeters wide, made for visitors to try to catch the fish that live in water below. The nine-day festival was scheduled to kick o

The first comprehensive book in English on South Korea’s modern artist Yoo Young-kuk, a pioneer of Korea‘s abstract art, will be published in December by Rizzoli New York, introducing the artist’s philosophy and Korean art history of the time. Known as a “magician of colors,” Yoo devoted himself to pioneering a unique compositional approach to his art. Born in 1916 in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, he lived through the Japanese colonial era and the Korean War

After stepping into a completely purple exhibition hall, visitors to this gallery may find themselves a bit confused. On display are metal sculptures with multiple eyes, a line of hands with a string of magnetic beads, the Virgin Mary with minerals attached to her pupils -- each looking quite odd, but also beautiful. Visitors will each have their own interpretations of the objects and find themselves curious about Yangachi, the creator, and what he intended to achieve through these beautifull