Seomi director says Samsung still owes her 53 billion wonAre the once-best-and-strongest partners in the local art scene turning their backs on each other or starting yet another scheme together? Gallery Seomi director Hong Song-won, arrested May 6 for money laundering, filed a law suit worth 5 billion won ($4.6 million) against Hong Ra-hee, director of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art and wife of Sam

Yoon Young-dal, CEO of Crown-Haitai Confectionary, has been selected the winner of this year’s Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, announced Euro Trading Co. on Wednesday. The foundation recognized Yoon’s contributions to developing and promoting “gugak,” or Korean traditional music, worldwide and his efforts to discover and foster young gugak musicians. Yoon established RaGeum Orchestra

KANSAS CITY, Missouri ― When you push through the revolving doors of an inner-city hospital, you don’t expect modernist sculptures in Popsicle colors between the glass doors.But at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, glazed ceramics in abstracted flower shapes twirl around with the human traffic 24 hours a day. The display shelves are positioned low, at wheelchair level. Or scared-kid level.The

LACMA expands Korean art gallery and REDCAT Gallery showcases works by Kim BeomLOS ANGELES ― Four conservators were sprawled on the floor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Korean art gallery, concentrating on their brush tips. They have been restoring “Buddha Shakyamuni Preaching to the Assembly on Vulture Peak,” an 18th century Korean Buddhist painting, since last August. “Since 2000, the

VENICE, Italy (AFP) ― An array of sometimes disconcerting sights and sounds went on public display Saturday on the shores of the Venice lagoon for the Biennale contemporary art festival.From a picture of Jesus in his underwear to a human skull decorated with pearls, the images at the festival provoke, bemuse or titillate.“This is completely amazing!” exclaimed Edouard Duval-Carrie, an artist from

Seoul’s major river parks offer ideal routes for cyclistsThe weather is warming up, and many Seoulites are heading for the water. The Han River, in particular, offers plenty of ways to stay cool while having fun. From inline skating to fishing to water skiing, there are countless ways to enjoy the river and its surroundings. Yet for those who are environmentally-minded and want to stay active, bik

VENICE, Italy (AP) ― Outside the U.S. Pavilion, a runner pounds a treadmill on an overturned 60-ton military tank. The visually commanding exhibit at the 54th Biennale contemporary art exhibit reverberates ― loudly.At the Danish Pavilion nearby, a contemplative exhibition that explores free speech issues is periodically disturbed by the rumbles.The juxtaposition of the booming Americans and the qu

Rochester, New York (AP) ― At Image City Photography Gallery, Gary Thompson delights in pointing out qualities of light, contrast and clarity in one of his best-selling prints ― a winter-sunset view of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan peak shot with a hefty Pentax film camera he bought in 1999 for $1,700.His wife, Phyllis, a latecomer to fine-art photography after they retired from teaching in

Artist Ham Jin returns after six years with darker and more profound micro worldThe dark gray alien-like clods hanging from the ceiling and sticking on walls at PKM Gallery in Hwa-dong, central Seoul, are not lumps of dust, hair or eraser shavings.Look at them carefully ― really carefully ― and you can see tiny worlds made of polymer clay. With enough imagination, you may be able to spot some huma

Exhibitions“Isabelle Huppert: Woman of Many Faces”: The photo exhibition shows the lesser known sides of Isabelle Huppert, France’s star actress. It features more than 110 portrait photos of the actress taken by around 70 photographers including Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Chun Kyung-woo and filmmaker Ronald Chammah, Huppert’s husband. The touring show was held in seven cities includin

Nobel laureate Le Clezio tells of his affection for ‘unique’ KoreaFor the Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, traveling is an essential part of his job, which provides insights and inspiration for his work. He picks South Korea as one of his favorite places. “Korea still remains a question mark to me,” he says sitting in an office in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Le Clezio, 71, who won the