Asia’s largest art event invites citizens, visitors to become part of artworkThe city of Gwangju has again turned itself into a huge contemporary art exhibition that experiments with and showcases the latest trends in the art world. The 9th Gwangju Biennale, opened Thursday, offers a variety of artworks not only at the main exhibition hall, but also at sites such as a Buddhist temple, a local market and a theater. Titled “Round Table,” this year’s exhibition features about 300 artworks by 92 ar

Theater“Hedwig”: The Korean adaptation of John Cameron Mitchell’s rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” is being staged for its seventh run. The musical, which tells the story of an East German transgender singer, has been performed in Korea a total of 1,256 times since its opening run in April 2005. For the current run, actor Oh Man-seok, who was cast in the leading role in the 2005 run, is once again starring as the singer. Actor Park Gun-hyung, who recently made his TV appearance in MBC dr

Gospel rapper Lecrae’s new album is solidLecrae “Gravity” (Reach Records)Christian rapper Lecrae doesn’t fit the typical mold of a gospel artist. His arms are covered with tattoos, he normally sports his hats tilted to the side and often wears slightly sagging pants.Don’t let that be a distraction. The Houston native is a true talent with a unique ability to deliver thought-provoking messages on life without sounding like a Bible-thumping preacher. His rap approach has earned him praise by many

Pieta (Korea)Opened Sept. 6Drama. Directed by Kim Ki-duk. A man (Lee Jung-jin) lives as a brutal loan shark, making money by mercilessly threatening people to pay their debts. The solitary man, an orphan, has nothing or no one to lean on and hurts people shamelessly without realizing the pain he causes. One day, a mysterious woman (Jo Min-soo) appears claiming that she is his mother. The man rejects her at first, but gradually becomes attached to her accepting her into his life. He eventually de

There are two questions on the table during a recent interview regarding “The Words.” The first, to Bradley Cooper, is: What role did you play in helping the small independent movie with the big stars and bigger ideas get made?The second, to the writing-directing team, is: What’s the real scoop?“Why would you think I wouldn’t tell you the real answer?” asks a playful Cooper, who, at 37, is at a career point where just dropping his name could make or break a project. Then he laughs at the explana

VENICE, Italy (AFP) ― South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” and U.S. director Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” are tipped as the critics’ favorites to win the coveted Golden Lion award on Saturday night.The two are among the 18 movies in competition at the world’s oldest film festival in Venice where stars, auteurs and industry honchos have been rubbing shoulders at the seaside for nearly two weeks of art house cinema.The selection is “the best around,” said festival director Alberto Bar

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The Church of Scientology denounced as “hogwash” Wednesday a report that it auditioned candidates to be Tom Cruise’s girlfriend, while the star’s lawyer branded the claims “tired old lies.”Vanity Fair quoted sources as saying the controversial church tested actresses as potential brides in 2004, after his split from Nicole Kidman and before he met and married Katie Holmes, who recently divorced him.The report included details of a failed match with an Iranian-born  actress, w

Lives of loan shark victims explicitly captured on ‘Pieta’After “Arirang,” the self-reflective documentary about his personal failings and struggles, director Kim Ki-duk returned to the movie scene with a gruesome revenge tale ― about a cruel debt collector running into a woman who claims to be his mother. “Pieta,” which is one of 18 films vying for this year’s Golden Lion prize in Venice, is Kim’s 18th feature-length film. The movie has almost every element that would make an audience uncomfort

Director of the National Trust Wales talks about running the conservation charity, essence of travelingJustin Albert knows how to tell stories, and how to travel.The director of the National Trust Wales, a U.K. conservation charity, holds two passports: one British, one American. He grew up in film studios, watching his mother making movies. When he was 14, his mother took him to Japan for the first time. His first visit to Japan was like “reading a fantasy novel,” he remembers. “I wish I had a

Art exhibition commemorates the 100th birthday of Korea’s beloved poet Baek SeokPaintings inspired by Korea’s beloved poet Baek Seok will be on display at Tong-In Auction Gallery in Seoul, which will open with a poetry reading on Thursday. The exhibition, organized by The Daesan Foundation and Tong-In Auction Gallery, will feature 33 paintings by 10 of Korea’s well-known painters including Kim Duk-ki, Lee In, Kim Sun-doo and Oh Won-bae to commemorate the 100th birthday of the poet Baek Seok (19