Luxury fashion houses have recently begun inviting renowned artists to add artistic sophistication to their style. Louis Vuitton launched an advertisement campaign under its new creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, who took over from Marc Jacobs last yearThree respected photographers, Annie Leibovitz, Juergen Teller and Bruce Weber, participated in the campaign “Series 1,” which features Ghesquiere’s muse Charlotte Gainsbourg and two other models. Photo shoots under the new three-part campaign

Acclaimed photographer Kim Jung-man has returned with an exhibition portraying the beauty of Dokdo, the easternmost islets of the Korean Peninsula.He is presenting 55 Dokdo photographs he took from 2012 to 2013 with cooperation and support from the Northeast Asian History Foundation and the Korea Coast Guard. Kim has donated the copyrights of the photographs to the foundation, which will use his works to promote Dokdo as a Korean territory. Kim is well-known for his fashion photography, photos o

Artist Oh In-hwan asked a security guard at the Samsung Museum of Art, Plateau, to become part of his art project for the museum’s then upcoming exhibition. His project was to build a personal relationship with him, document when they hang out and present the final proof of their friendship ― dancing together at the exhibition opening. After the guard finished work, they went for dinner and drinks. As they got closer, they even went hiking together.But they never got to the level of dancing toge

Peruvian Food Festival at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s signature restaurant The Terrace is inviting guests to a culinary tour of authentic Peruvian cuisine. The Peruvian Food Festival, co-hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Peru, will feature Peruvian and South American dishes cooked by a visiting native chef. To be included in the selection are Ceviche, a lemon-ripened seafood dish, Chicharron, a chewy pork rinds recipe, and Aji de Gallina, a tasty preparation of soft chicken brea

A suite in Mayplace Seoul Dongdaemun (Mayplace Seoul Dongdaemun)The Mayfield Hotel and Resort opened its first business hotel Mayplace in Dongdaemun, Seoul on Thursday.Mayplace is located within walking distance to major tourist spots in the capital such as Changgyeonggung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine. It’s also close to the shopping districts of Dongdaemun, Myeongdong and Insa-dong. “The location, outstanding service and reasonable price make the hotel an attractive accommodation option for both l

Artist Kim Ku-lim has been at the forefront of contemporary art in Korea. He has taken on unprecedented, experimental artistic practices in the conservative world of Korean art. He is the first to have tried many of the independent genres of avant-garde art. His 1970 performance in which he set fire to a vast lawn and then watched the grass grow again is the first example of land art ever practiced in Korea. His 1969 film “1/24 Seconds,” which consisted of 24 still images shown in a one-second t

Korea has unveiled a new tourism slogan that highlights the nation as a trendy and cutting-edge travel destination. The Korea Tourism Organization announced on Tuesday the new tagline “Imagine your Korea” to replace the short-lived slogans “Dynamic Korea” and “Sparkling Korea.” While the former slogans stressed the nation’s economic and cultural dynamism, the new motto focuses on cultural appeals to foreigners. “Korea has a lot for foreign tourists to discover. Korea has changed from a cheap tou

On Jan. 1, 1984, Nam June Paik celebrated New Year’s Day with a transcontinental live broadcast that began with the greeting “Good Morning Mr. Orwell.” It spanned New York, Paris, Berlin and Seoul, involved more than 100 artists, and was viewed by 25 million people. Paik carried out the project to rebut George Orwell’s “1984.” The novel warns against electronic technology and a totalitarian state taking advantage of media to control people.Saying “George Orwell, you were half right,” the artwork

The scorching heat and humidity signals that it’s time to get away from daily responsibilities and set off for white sand beaches or lush green mountains. But summer vacation in Korea is often another round of stressful days. More than half of the population takes summer vacation during late July and early August. Beaches are crowded with endless stretches of colorful parasols. Added to this are congested highways and overpriced restaurants and hotels. The summer fantasy of relaxing on a peacefu

Opening of Cafe 395 at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton is opening the doors of its new flagship restaurant Cafe 395 following a three-month-long renovation. Based on the “open kitchen” concept, Cafe 395 brings diners face to face with chefs who prepare dishes for the restaurant’s buffet selection on the spot. From the seafood corner to the grilled station, from Asian specialties to the Italian and French tables, Cafe 395 offers diners an international experience. The buffet, whic

The undiscovered aspects of contemporary Australian art will be on view in Seoul this summer, highlighted in three exhibitions featuring media art, photographs and a mix of diverse media. Australia is one of the five guest countries invited to the 13th Dong Gang International Photo Festival, scheduled for July 18-21. The Australian photo exhibition highlights contemporary aspects of indigenous photography of aboriginal artists. “Aboriginal art has been thought of as paintings with flamboyant col

The old Seoul Station building, where Tristan Sharps, British artistic director of the theater company Dream Think Speak, will stage a site-specific performance on July 19. (Seoul 284)The old Seoul Station building will turn into a giant stage for a performance that has never been seen before. Tristan Sharps, artistic director of Dream Think Speak, will use rooms, corridors and every corner of the 89-year-old building to put on a site-specific performance. Sharps has been staging shows outside t

Fashion KODE, an annual trade show for Korean fashion designers, kicks off Wednesday at the AT Convention Center in Seoul. It is one of the largest fashion fairs in Korea with more than 400 local and foreign buyers and 120 Korean fashion brands attending.The fair has invited buyers from major fashion stores in Hong Kong, Japan, France, Italy and the United States. Among them are Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Free’s Shop in Japan, L’Eclaireur Paris and Tomorrow Ltd in Italy. A large number of top fas