[Well-curated] Twisted art, fine craftworks and film about female director by a female director

If you are a big fan of director Tim Burton or an even bigger fan of his “Edward Scissorhands,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or “Alice in Wonderland,” you won’t want to miss a special exhibition now in Seoul.

“The World of Tim Burton” traces the footsteps of the iconic American director, presenting around 520 of Burton’s unique artworks across mediums such as paintings, drawings and photos. As part of the retrospective’s world tour, Seoul is the first stop.

It is Burton’s second time holding an exhibition in Korea, following a similar display held at the Seoul Museum of Art. The director chose Dongdaemun Design Plaza this time as the venue because he is a fan of Zaha Hadid, the British Iraqi architect who designed the building. 

This year’s exhibition is divided into 10 sections and displays a number of puppets used in the making of Burton’s films, his unrealized projects and personal creations spanning the past half century. Visitors can enjoy about 150 unpublished works and get a sneak peek at the artist’s studio, which is being unveiled for the first time in Seoul.

“The World of Tim Burton” runs through Sept. 12 and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with the last entry at 7 p.m. Tickets are 20,000 won for adults and 15,000 won and 13,000 won for teenagers and children, respectively. Tickets can be reserved via local e-commerce platforms Naver Booking and Interpark. 

’Hommage,’ a film for women with dreams

If you would like to take a peek at the working environment of female directors past and present, visit a local cinema this weekend to watch “Hommage,” directed by Shin Su-won.

With shoulder-length hair and iconic square glasses, it seems quite obvious that the protagonist of the new film “Hommage” represents director Shin, who is best known for winning the Canal+ Prize for Best Short Film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival with her “Circle Line.”

“Hommage” begins by introducing director Ji-wan (played by “Parasite” star Lee Jung-eun), who is in a slump. Ji-wan aims to entice 200,000 patrons to her new film, but finds it difficult to reach her goal.

Her family provides little support. Her son says Ji-wan’s movies are boring, imploring her, “Mom, stop making movies. Do you know what dad says? He said it is lonely when you live with a woman with dreams.”

One day Ji-wan gets a part-time job restoring an old film about the first female judge created by first-generation female director Hong Eun-won.

However, there are parts missing from Hong’s old film. Ji-wan then decides to go on a journey to search for the missing portions, and through this process, her passion for filmmaking is renewed.

Aside from the realistic and detailed storyline, “Hommage” is also special because Lee acts in her first lead role in the feature film. Lee has created a convincing mother and female director character without exaggeration.

Another factor that differentiates this movie is how it includes time-traveling elements using cinema to effectively connect the lives of female directors living in 2022 and 1962.
 

Discover beauty of craftsmanship at Yeol Bukchonga

The beauty of craftsmanship inspired by Korea’s traditional elements is shown at Yeol Bukchonga in Insa-dong, Seoul, where eight artisans who use different materials -- glass, ceramics, wood, metal and textiles -- present their own unique craftworks to reflect the beauty of Korean culture.

“The Line the Color,” running through July 8, is organized by the Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private organization dedicated to promoting Korean cultural heritage.

The craftworks on display include Lee Si-san’s furniture made of metal and rocks, Chung Su-kyung’s glass craftworks and hemp fabric craftworks by Choi Hee-ju. Also on view are Finnish artist Annaliisa Alastalo’s glassworks inspired by traditional Korean porcelain, Kim Min-wook’s wooden crafts and Park Joo-hyung’s lacquered craftworks. 

The exhibition is part of “Korea Craft Week 2022,” organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society annually presents the Yeol Artisan of the Year and Yeol Young Crafts of the Year awards. Yeol Bukchonga is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free.

(yeeun@heraldcorp.com)

(ssh@heraldcorp.com)

(yunapark@heraldcorp.com)