The Korea National University of Arts (KNUA) kicked off the Ars Electronica Garden Seoul Festival to present diverse ideas on how society would transform after the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival is part of the 2020 Ars Electronica Festival, an international new media art festival held annually in Linz, Austria, every September. Due to the pandemic, the festival has been expanded to both online and offline with more than 120 organizations participating across the globe under the theme of &l

When the second wave of COVID-19 infections hit South Korea in late August, forcing people to suspend many of their daily activities, the Busan Biennale‘s organizing committee went into crisis mode. With the government announcing that strict social distancing rules would remain nationwide until Sept. 20, the Busan Biennale 2020 -- the international contemporary art show scheduled to open Sept. 5 in the southern port city of Busan -- had to quickly change its plans only a few days before

Korean International Art Fair(KIAF), the largest international art fair in Korea, will go online as the government’s strengthened social distancing system continues, the KIAF Art Seoul Committee announced Monday. KIAF Art Show 2020 – which was scheduled to be held in late September at Coex in southern Seoul -- will take place online through Online Viewing Room, showcasing around 4,000 works of art from 143 galleries from home and abroad. The number of participating galleries, howe

A painter widely known for the Minjung Art sociopolitical movement that flourished in the 1980s, Choi Min-hwa has unveiled his new “Once Upon a Time” painting series that has been 20 years in the making, inviting viewers to enter a utopia he envisions as integrating the mythologies of the West and the East. The exhibition, “Once Upon a Time,” at Gallery Hyundai showcases 60 paintings and 40 sketches by Choi that were inspired by “Samguk Yusa,” a collection o

In the age of COVID-19 and the prolonged lockdown, getaways to nature and relaxing summer holidays no longer seem available for urban dwellers. A’strict, a multimedia installation showcase by design company d’strict to run from Aug. 13 to Sept. 27 at Seoul’s Kukje Gallery, may be an attractive alternative for those dreaming of seascapes and serenity. Driven by a relentless interest in the interaction between mankind and technology, along with the burgeoning importance of dig

Eko Nugroho’s atmospheric embroidered paintings deal with social issues

Furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon and the Living and Arts Creative Center -- a social enterprise that promotes craft art -- were selected for Craft Prize 2020, an annual craft award organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Crafts & Design Foundation. The annual award is given to craft artists or institutions that have contributed to promoting the beauty of craft art at home and abroad. The creativity section of the award went to furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon wh

Starfield Coex Mall in Gangnam, southern Seoul, is holding a media art exhibition titled “Cube9” to commemorate its installation of ultrahigh-definition LED signage. Cube9 presents impressionist paintings of various artists in video format on the signage, providing shoppers another type of entertainment at the mall. The exhibition will run through Sunday. (Photos: Shinsegae Property Starfield-Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

Print Bakery by Seoul Auction in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, has turned into an upscale multicultural complex. The art store reopened on Aug. 14, after going through an extensive renovation, under a new brand name, Print Bakery X Collector, according to the company. Print Bakery, which is run by Seoul Auction, the largest art auction firm in Korea, has eight branches across the country. The flagship store in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul will offer premium print editions of artworks

Art gallery run by French luxury house shows second contemporary art exhibition of 2020

Gana Art, a major commercial art gallery in Korea, will host the solo exhibition of sculptor Ji Yong-ho, who is widely known for his “Mutant” series of giant animal sculptures made from abandoned tires. The upcoming exhibition aims to show how his mutant series has developed with the use of new techniques and different materials. With the “New Mutant” series Ji’s previous mutants have been turned into new mutant sculptures reproduced with 3D modeling techniques.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, has launched an online store that offers nearly 500 items including exhibition catalogs and books. The online store has 57 exhibition catalogs as well as books. Some have been translated into English, including “The Transnational Museum,” “What Do Museums Collect?” “MMCA Collection 300” and “Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future.” Museum merchandise such as postcards, magnets an

State museum purchases Buddhist relics that failed to sell at auction in May

Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private organization founded to promote Korean beauty and cultural heritage, will host its first exhibition of the year, presenting the beauty of Korean craft art from 12 promising artists. The exhibition, “Ornament,” will be held from Sept. 1 to 28 at Yeol Bukchonga in central Seoul, showcasing a variety of ornaments and scarves that feature Korean traditional beauty from nine craft artists and three textile artists. The artists includ

The Daegu Culture & Arts Center in Dalseo, Daegu, is hosting an exhibition titled “Pandemic & Daegu.” The event kicked off Wednesday and will run until Aug. 30. The exhibition presents a range of mask-inspired artworks created by members of the Daegu Contemporary Artists Association and many foreign artists, including eight from France. (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Sae-byul (nstelle@heraldcorp.com)