Newly appointed Chungmu Arts Center CEO Kim Seung-up has unveiled his vision for the arts center, which includes a heavy emphasis on creating and exporting more original Korean productions. 　Kim officially became head of the Chungmu Arts Center, formerly the Chungmu Art Hall, on Jan. 18, following the retirement of the center’s former leader Lee Jong-deok.  　On Wednesday, Kim met with press to announce his plans to make the Chungmu Arts Center the new “mecca of original Korean productions” and t

HONG KONG (AFP) -- From dancers to corporate executives and rights campaigners, the latest show by photographer Annie Leibovitz revolves around high-flying women she says are more confident than her previous subjects -- though some still hated having their picture taken. “Women: New Portraits” opened in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the fifth stop on a 10-city tour, displayed in a bare bones setting on a disused floor of an industrial building. The images were produced on an Epson printer in her office,

MADRID (AP) -- It may not be the most suitable exhibit for the squeamish but the Prado Museum’s 500th anniversary display of the most and best of Dutch Renaissance master Hieronymus Bosch is definitely a must for art lovers, and maybe gore freaks too.Bosch’s work, with its monstrous, apocalyptic scenes depicting man’s struggle against temptation juxtaposed with idyllic scenes of paradise, has long fascinated art lovers. But rarely has so much of his work been brought together under one roof. The

An abstract painting by Kim Whan-ki was auctioned for 30 million Hong Kong dollars ($3.86 million) at an auction in Hong Kong on Sunday, becoming the third most expensive piece of Korean art to be sold at auction. 　The painting titled “Untitled 3-V-7#203” was sold to an Asian collector at Seoul Auction’s Hong Kong sale at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Sunday. The painting, with a starting price of HK$17 million, drew competition from bidders at the site and over the phone, according to a Seoul Auctio

PARIS (AFP) - How do you make the pyramid at the most famous museum in the world disappear? Turn to French artist JR.The one-time graffiti artist covered the Louvre’s glass pyramid with a vast black-and-white photograph of the facade of the palace behind it.Visitors to the Paris icon are tricked into believing the 21-meter high pyramid is no longer there, particularly if they stare at the image from a certain angle.The 33-year-old artist, known for his large-scale anamorphic images, said he was

The much-beloved veteran actress Lee Hye-young is returning to the stage in a play about the pangs and cruelties of a life in theater, breaking a long absence from the stage.　Lee made a brief return to the local theater spotlight in 2012 after a 13-year-absence, joining the cast of “Hedda Gabler.” It was well received -- Lee snagged the best actress awards at both the Dong-A Theatre and Korea Theater Awards.　Now in her first theater production in four years, the actress will tackle the lead role

Business magnate Moon Duck-hwa talks about his exhibition plan and museum opening

Matthew Bourne’s gothic rendition of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ gears up for Seoul premiere

ROME (AFP) -- A major exhibition of Banksy’s works opens in Rome on Tuesday and, as ever with the secretive British street artist, there is mystery attached.　What will he make of a project he has not been involved in? Will he show up incognito? If he doesn’t approve, will he make his displeasure known on the walls of Rome?　The collection of more than 100 Banksy paintings, prints and sculptures sourced from private collections around the world is being billed by organizers as the first time such