“Slow, Same, Slow #2205” by Moon BeomMoon jar by Lee Ki-joKorean minimalist abstract paintings and white porcelain moon jars are on exhibit at the Korean Culture Center in Beijing, offering an insight into the spirit and materials that form the basis of Korean modern art. The exhibition “Empty Fulfillment: Materiality and Spirit of Korean Contemporary Art” showcases 11 Dansaekhwa paintings, minimalist abstract paintings and five moon jars ― white porcelains dubbed as such for resembling a full m

A 12th-century celadon from the Goryeo Dynasty boasts graceful curves and a delicate jade-green color. Displayed behind the celadon, two 1995-1996 paintings in different shades of celadon green by artist Byron Kim add a modern simplicity to the centuries-old artifact. The two artworks made 800 years apart show a harmony that transcends time in the pursuit of pure elegance. The link between old and new, the East and West runs throughout the 10th anniversary exhibition of Leeum, Samsung Museum of

Pope writes letter to families of missing in ferry disasterPope Francis has written a condolence letter to the families of those still missing in April’s ferry sinking, saying he prayed for the victims of the tragedy throughout his stay in South Korea.“I deeply regret that I was not able to personally visit and comfort everyone who is suffering,” the pontiff began in the letter written in Korean with his signature at the bottom. “However, I never forgot to pray for the deceased, the missing and

For many, the thought of solving math problems doesn’t bring positive feelings, but evokes memories of stress from agonizing over equations.An exhibition commemorating the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians currently underway in Seoul attempts to ameliorate such discomfort in an artistic way. Instead of equations and graphs, the exhibition “Matrix: Mathematics ― Heart of Gold and the Abyss” features artistic aspects of mathematics in the forms of painting, sculpture, design, media, so

Art has inspired many areas of culture. Recently, designers, musicians and a filmmaker who seek inspiration from art have teamed up with artists for collaborative exhibitions. The “Phantasmagoria” exhibition underway at Insa Art Center in Insa-dong, Seoul, presents new painting series by celebrated pop artists Mari Kim and Kim Nam-pyo and two short films by filmmaker Min Byung-hun that trace the artists’ respective quests for creative inspiration. Known for supernatural images of an unlikely mix

“Untitled” by Kate Barber. (DiGiFun Art Festival)Applications for smartphones and tablets have become a creative tool for users. It is easy to make art on the devices, without paper or paints. Smartphone paintings will go on exhibit at the Seoul Metropolitan Library from next week. The exhibition, “DigiFun Art Festival,” will showcase some 400 sketches, drawings and paintings done on mobile devices by 300 artists and members of the public. They will be on view on the first to fifth floors of the

A man holds his smartphone up in the air to take a snapshot of a protest over the Sewol ferry disaster. Artist Noh Sun-tag spots him and photographs the man and another protester pressing his smartphone camera button for him. Noh has observed scenes of protest and various social conflicts through his lens. His photographs are on display at the Korea Artist Prize exhibition, the annual artist award by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The exhibition showcases works by fou

DANGJIN, South Chungcheong Province ― Excitement over the pope’s visit prevails in South Chungcheong Province, with welcome placards hung at entrances of rural towns. Nestled in South Korea’s central region along the west coast, the province is usually not the most-visited tourist destination for Korean or foreign tourists. “We’ve never had a VIP guest like Pope Francis visit the region and I don’t think we ever will in the future,” said Kim Jeong-gyum, director of the culture and tourism divisi

Seasonal summer menu at Renaissance Seoul Hotel Renaissance Seoul Hotel’s Japanese restaurant Irodori is offering a summer seasonal food promotion until Aug. 31. Featured on the menu are the River Eel special and Spicy Croaker set, both priced at 120,000 won. The River Eel special includes broiled river eel with steamed rice, clear soup, river eel sushi and tomato soba noodles. The Spicy Croaker set, Irodori’s signature item, includes broiled eel, spicy croaker soup and steamed rice. The appetiz

The period blockbuster “Roaring Currents” drew a record number of viewers in just two days, surpassing the number of viewers who saw “Avatar” in the first week of its release. According to the Korean Film Council, the movie drew more than 1.4 million viewers in the first two days of its debut, the fastest record so far this year. The movie attracted 700,866 viewers on Thursday, making it the most-watched film on a single weekday in Korean cinema history. It also had a record opening with 680,000

The pure simplicity of moon jars from the Joseon period (1392-1910) has inspired generations of Korean artists, including pioneer of abstract art Kim Whanki. Three exhibitions this summer highlight the beauty and value of white porcelain together with the modern artwork inspired by them. Gana Art Center displays seven of 20 remaining moon jars in the world. Moon jars are a type of white porcelain that is more than 40 centimeters tall, and made between the late 17th and 18th centuries. Their simp

Bags are more than simple carriers. In an exhibition underway at the Simone Handbag Museum, bags are the source of inspiration for artists, who presented works exploring the meaning of bags in relation to sound. Odd as it may sound to associate bags with sound, the exhibition seeks to explore bags as representations of the personalities of the holders using sound as a theme. As part of a series of exhibitions before the launch of the handbag brand 0941 by Simone, the exhibition “Bag is Rhythm” s