Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces have arrived in Seoul, offering a journey through the artist’s 10-year career. The exhibition “The Great Passion: Van Gogh” at Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Art Museum marks the Dutch Postimpressionist’s largest exhibition in the city by number of works. The exhibition showcases 76 oil paintings and drawings from the Kroller-Muller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands, which holds the second-largest collection of Van Gogh’s works

Arts & Design Dec. 20, 2024

Visual record of endangered species National Geographic's "Photo Ark" exhibition, now on display in Seoul, opens with a stark warning: Time is running out for many of Earth's wondrous creatures. The ongoing project, helmed by photographer Joel Sartore since 2006, is a global initiative that has captured more than 15,000 species in human care. The exhibition turns out to be a powerful equalizing force. A tiny mantis commands the same frame size as a towering elephant, each sho

Culture Dec. 20, 2024

Artist Kim Sung-hwan is a research-oriented artist based in Hawaii who digs into history, migration and boundaries. His first solo exhibition at a public museum in Korea, the Seoul Museum of Art, offers an opportunity to consider a specific site through layers of time. The exhibition "Ua a‘o ‘ia ‘o ia e ia" at the Seoul Museum of Art unfolds across three rooms, starting with migration narratives that unpack modern and colonial histories. Figures of different sizes sta

Arts & Design Dec. 18, 2024

The Whanki Museum in Seoul has reopened its doors with the exhibition “Kim Whanki_The Immortal Nature,” following an extensive renovation of the 33-year-old building and gallery spaces. The museum had closed in February. Located on a hill in Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, the museum is dedicated to Korea’s pioneering abstract artist known for his unique dotted paintings. Born in 1913, Kim died of a stroke in 1974 at the age of 60. Kim’s painting “05-IV-71 #200 (Universe),&rd

Arts & Design Dec. 16, 2024

If you have New Year's wishes or resolutions to share with others and want to help underprivileged communities, you may want to visit the wishing trees at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul. The state-run museum collects donations to be used to provide art therapy to children. In the lobby, you can choose a paper flame in one of four colors, write a note on it expressing your hopes, and hang it on a wishing tree. A donation box is set up nearby to collect con

Arts & Design Dec. 12, 2024

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has brought together masterpieces of modern and contemporary ink art from South Korea and China at its Deoksugung venue in Seoul. The exhibition “The Modern and Contemporary Ink Art of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China” was jointly curated with the National Art Museum of China. The two museums agreed to co-host the exhibition in 2022 in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Arts & Design Dec. 11, 2024

Jeju Biennale marked its fourth edition in November with the theme of “drift,” inviting some 87 artists from 14 countries to participate. The regional biennale is a latecomer in South Korea's biennale scene, following far behind the Gwangju Biennale and the Busan Biennale. Since its inauguration in 2017, it has continuously suffered from internal conflicts over whether it should continue. Jeju Province's budget for this year's biennale was around 1.2 billion won, a cut

Arts & Design Dec. 10, 2024

Jeju Island -- Rows of plastic waste found in the ocean hang from the ceiling of the Jeju Museum of Art as though they are chandeliers. Korean artist Kim Soon-im collected the plastic pieces while walking on Jeju beaches to make up the installation titled "Sea_Scape_Jeju." The fourth edition of Jeju Biennale “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind and Stars” kicked off Nov. 26, under the theme of the “drift” to explore the diverse aspects of South Korea'

Arts & Design Dec. 10, 2024

Korean artist Joung Young-ju, known for paintings of fast-disappearing old shantytowns in Korea, is having her first solo exhibition in London at Almine Rech through Dec. 20. The exhibition “Way Back Home” includes some of her new works such as “Spring Series” and “Autumn in Village 1031” which feature the artist’s experimentations with color and natural elements. “While inherently Korean in subject and material, Joung’s work speaks to transn

Arts & Design Dec. 9, 2024

The lyrics of "Into the New World," Girls' Generation's 2007 debut single, echoed through the streets of Yeouido on Saturday evening: "Our rough road is before our eyes. Unknown future and walls. I won't change, I'm not giving up." What could have been a scene from a K-pop concert was, in fact, a massive demonstration being held in response to an unthinkable development in South Korean democracy: a president's shock declaration of martial law. The str

Social Affairs Dec. 7, 2024

If you are looking for exhibitions to visit this winter to spend time indoors in the cold weather, here is a roundup of shows that are worth your visit in Samcheong-dong, Hannam-dong and Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul. On view are two exhibitions of video art pioneer Bill Viola and Korean popular painter Park Jina at Kukje Gallery, Chun Kwang-young's hanji installation at Gana Art Center and Lawrence Weiner's conceptual art at Pace Gallery. Bill Viola, Park Jina at Kukje Gallery Kukje Galler

Arts & Design Dec. 7, 2024

Seoul Auction, a major auction house in South Korea, has opened an exhibition highlighting modernist design led by prominent 20th-century architects and designers, with a particular focus on the works of French architect and designer Jean Prouve. Prouve is celebrated as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, renowned for developing cutting-edge technology and modular systems for mass production during the postwar modernist era. His exhibition, titled “Jean Prouve 6x6,&rdq

Arts & Design Dec. 6, 2024

Line Cultural Foundation, run by Line Construction, has opened exhibition space “Project Space Line” in southern Seoul to support visual artists. The inaugural exhibition “When All Scenes are in Harmony” shows new works by installation artist Park Ki-won and botanical artist Park So-hee. The exhibition, which kicked off Nov. 12, aims to bring in an imaginary courtyard-like space to the midst of the city in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, according to the foundation. The tw

Arts & Design Dec. 3, 2024

An international art fair jointly launched by Korean art entrepreneur Art Meets Life and digital art platform Artue kicks off Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together some 30 galleries based in Asia and members of the Korean art network. Access Bangkok Art Fair aims to introduce a global art fair to a country that has garnered relatively less recognition in the global art market, despite a rising number of emerging and renowned artists, according to the organizer. The fair will run from

Arts & Design Dec. 2, 2024

Ten leading architecture and housing experts gathered at “Architecture Talk: More Than APT,” in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss ways to foster diversity in housing in Korea. Organized by The Korea Herald, "Architecture Talk" sought to expand upon the ideas and perspectives explored in the five-part article series, "More Than APT," published in The Korea Herald in November and to facilitate discussion on the issue with the public. "I am glad we could invite lead

Culture Dec. 1, 2024