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

National Museum features some 200 relics from Mayan civilizationKnown for their calendars, art and astronomical systems, the Mayan civilization (B.C. 1500 to A.D. 1500) in Mesoamerica is one of the most fascinating civilizations. Without using any metals or wheels, the Mayans built the well-known ceremonial platforms for religious rites, as well as pyramids, temples and colossal royal palaces. They had their own fully developed written language as well as sophisticated astronomical observatories

STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― Stockholm’s Museum of Modern Art is pitting Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, two of the 20th century’s modernist greats, against each other in a new exhibition showcasing their contrasting approaches to art.The title “He Was Wrong” is based on Picasso’s reputed laconic remark on learning of Duchamp’s death in 1968.The exhibition is a “theatrical” posthumous meeting of the two greats, museum curator Daniel Birnbaum said of the pair who each had a famous dislike for the other’s

Pierre Rigal’s ‘Theatre of Operations’ to be performed by nine Korean dancersFrench dancer and choreographer Pierre Rigal thinks any war is full of contradictions. It’s a situation where acts of sacrifice and destruction contradict one another. Soldiers are told to be brave and often asked to give up their own lives, while ordered kill the enemies. And bravery, too, is almost a contradiction in terms. “Courage means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die,” English writer Gi

An 1877 Steinway grand piano used by many Motown greats has been restored, thanks to a little help from its friend, Paul McCartney.The former Beatle told Motown Museum officials following a concert last summer in Detroit that he wanted to assist with the restoration of the piano after learning the historic instrument could no longer be played.Robin Terry, chair of the museum‘s Board of Trustees, announced late Wednesday that the restoration had been completed.Terry says the 9 foot (2.74 meter) p

BUENOS AIRES (AP) -- Argentine couples recovered their dominance of the world‘s top tango dancing competition, sweeping both the Salon Tango and Stage Tango categories as the annual festival drew to a close.Cristian Sosa and Maria Sciuto won Tuesday night’s stage final with a score of 8.42, followed by four other Argentine couples at the top of an international field. Five Argentine couples also came out on top in the Salon competition the night before, besting a total of 487 couples from 32 cou

Inaugural exhibition focuses on artistic efforts to create renaissance of Korean artAn art exhibition has unveiled the famous bull painting by Korean modern artist Lee Jung-seob to the public this week after it made brief public appearance at an auction two years ago. The painting, purchased by a pharmaceutical company CEO and art collector Ahn Byung-gwang, is the highlight of the inaugural exhibition of Seoul Museum, which was founded by Ahn. About 70 other paintings by modern Korean artists, w

Over 120 works by established Korean and foreign artists on the blockArtday, a subsidiary of the Herald Corporation, presents a special selection of modern and contemporary art this week, aimed at both novice and seasoned collectors. It features about 120 paintings by Korea’s modern and contemporary artists ― from established figures such as Kim Hwan-ki, Sa Suk-won, Lee Sook-ja and Kang Ik-joong to young artists Kim Dong-yoo, Lee Gil-woo and Bae Yoon-hwan. Japanese contemporary artists Yayoi Kus

Veteran actress Son Sook stars in monodrama ‘What I keep till the Very End’Among the many short stories late author Park Wan-suh wrote, her 1994 piece “What I Keep till the Very End” is considered as one of her most personal works.The story was written largely based on the author’s painful loss of her son in a car accident in 1988, just three months after his father’s death. He was 26 years old at the time and was attending a prestigious medical school in Seoul.The novella is now being staged as