Exhibitions
“The American Art: Masterpieces of Everyday Life from the Whitney Museum of American Art”: To present an overall view of U.S. contemporary art of the early 20th century, the National Museum of Contemporary Art is exhibiting 87 artworks from the Whitney Museum of American Art’s major collections. It will feature diverse media, from paintings, photos to installations by 47 U.S. artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray, Jeff Koons, Jasper Jones, Edward Hopper and Richard Estes. The exhibition runs through Sept. 25 at MOCA’s Deoksugung museum in central Seoul. Admission is 12,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2188-6000 or visit www.moca.go.kr.
“Still Life with Crystal Bowl” by Roy Lichtenstein, from the exhibition “The American Art: Masterpieces of Everyday Life from the Whitney Museum of American Art”. (MOCA)
“Dream and Reality: Masterpieces from Musée d’Orsay”: Including Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece “La Nuit Etoilée, Arles,” the show introduces 134 artworks by great 19th century French artists such as Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne and Paul Gauguin, from Musée d’Orsay in France. The exhibition runs through Sept. 25 at Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Art Museum in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 12,000 won. For more information, call (02) 325-1077~8 or visit www.orsay2011.co.kr
“Aggregation 2007-2011”: Chun Kwang-young, one of South Korea’s best-selling artists, is holding a solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai Gangnam Space in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. He will be showcasing his signature series, “Aggregation,” which he began in the 1990s. He used pages from old books and numerous triangular Styrofoam blocks to create three dimensional artworks, even on canvas. The exhibition runs through June 30. For more information, call (02) 519-0800 or visit www.galleryhyundai.com.
“Korean Rhapsody: A Montage of History and Memory”: Korea’s restless modern history unfolds at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, southern Seoul, in the form of paintings, photographs, installations and media works. The exhibition displays 80 historical documents and artworks that reflect crucial moments in Korea’s painful but dynamic past. While staying within the theme, the exhibits are of very high quality, created by renowned local and foreign artists. The exhibition runs through Aug. 21. Tickets range from 4,000 won to 7,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2014-6900 or visit www.leeum.org.
“Dreams Come True: The Art of Disney’s Classic Fairy Tales”: Organized by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, the exhibition offers more than 600 drawings, original animations, concept artworks, figures, props and music notes from Walt Disney. The exhibition is divided into nine parts -- “Three Little Pigs,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Mickey and the Beanstalk,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled.” It runs through Sept. 25 at Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Design Museum in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. For details, visit www.DCTexhibition.com.
Theater
“Mozart!”: The musical “Mozart!” which tells the life of the legendary musician through musical genres including rock and jazz, is carrying on its second run at Seongnam Art Center Opera House in Yatab-dong, Gyeonggi Province. K-pop group JYJ member Kim Jun-su, veteran musical actor Im Tae-gyung and up-and-coming stars Park Eun-tae and Jeon Dong-seok share the lead role. Written by Michael Kunze with music by Sylvester Levay, the musical “Mozart!” premiered at Theater An Der Wien in Vienna, Austria in 1999. The musical will run through July 3. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 13,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6391-6333 or visit www.musicalmozart.co.kr.
A scene from the musical “Mozart!” (EMK Musical)
“Fellas of Wind”: Through music and conversations in an eatery in Osaka, the play depicts the eventful lives of Korean-Japanese living in Japan, who are regarded as outsiders in both countries. It is directed by Kim Su-jin, a member of the performance troupe Shinjuku Ryozanpaku, who is known for her works that portray the lives of Korean Japanese. The play runs through July 2 at Doosan Art Center’s Space 111 in Yeonji-dong, central Seoul. Admission is 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 708-5001 or visit www.doosanartcenter.com.
“Spring Awakening”: “Spring Awakening,” which premiered on Broadway in 2006 and recorded a hit in 2009 in Korea, has started its second run. Based in 1891 Germany, the musical tells a story about teenagers who struggle to live a life in a world ruled by adults. It runs through Sept. 4 at Doosan Art Center in Yeonji-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 60,000 won. For more information, call (02) 744-4334 or visit www.springawakening.co.kr or www.doosanartcenter.com.
“Jekyll & Hyde”: Based on the novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson, the musical “Jekyll & Hyde” runs through August at Charlotte Theater in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul. It is one of the most popular musicals in Seoul, and has produced many musical stars like Cho Seung-woo. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 130,000 won. For more information call 1644-0078.
“Audition”: The musical portrays the friendship, love and hope of an unknown rock band. The whole show is like a live concert with the band playing all the music. The musical is steadily becoming more popular since its premiere in 2007 and a decision was made earlier this year to turn it into a movie. Moon Hee-jun, former leader of the popular 90’s K-pop group H.O.T., plays Jun-cheol, the band’s leader. The musical runs through July 24 at Art One Theater in Daehangno, central Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 762-0010 or visit www.e-eda.com.
Dance
“The Korea World Dance Stars Festival”: International Performing Arts Project organized a special performance to bring together Korean dancers working all over the world. It features 11 dancers who currently work abroad including Kang Hyo-jung, the principal ballerina at the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, and Stephanie Kim, a dnacer at Los Angeles Ballet Theater who used to be a K-pop group member. The performance runs from June 29 to 30 at HanPac in Daehangno, central Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3674-2210 or visit www.ipap.co.kr.
Ballerina Kang Hyo-jung (left), one of the dancers to be featured at “The Korea World Dance Stars Festival” (ipap)
“Flying Lesson”: The nation’s three top ballerinas -- Kim Ji-young, Kim Se-yeon and Lim Hye-kyung -- will hold a contemporary ballet show from July 22-23 at Seoul Arts Center’s Towol Theater in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. Casey Herd, Jozef Varga and Rubi Pronk, three ballet dancers from the Dutch National Ballet, will join them as partners. The lineup includes “Minos,” “The Grey Room,” “Drink Me, Eat Me” and “Flying Lesson.” Tickets range from 10,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6900-3900 or visit www.ligarthall.com.
“The 1st Ballet Festival Korea”: Korea’s leading ballet troupes gathered together to better promote the dance in the country. Korea National Ballet opened the festival with “Swan Lake” on June 12 at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater and 11 more performances by ballet troupes such as Seoul Ballet Theater, Universal Ballet Theater and Gwangju City Ballet are following. The festival runs through June 28 at venues nationwide. For more information, call (02) 587-6181 or visit www.kballet.org.
“Miso”: Translated as “beautiful smile,” the musical “Miso” offers a compact presentation of everything Korean culture first-timers could wish for. It blends ten different kinds of traditional dances, five traditional games and a wedding ritual into the main story line based on a well-known folktale, “The Tale of Chunhyang.” There are very few spoken lines throughout the whole performance, making it ideal for audiences of diverse nationalities. “Miso” is showing as an open run at Chongdong Theater in Jeong-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 751-1500 or visit www.koreamiso.com.
Pop Music“Broccoli, You Too: Early Tropical Night”: Indie band Broccoli, You Too is currently staging a summer concert series “Early Tropical Night” at the Sangsang Madang Live Hall in Hongdae through July 3. The act is staging three concerts per week ― on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Their 2007 debut EP album “No Encore Accepted” became the talk of the town in the Hongdae scene and their first studio album “Universal Song,” released in December 2008, helped them gain popularity in the mainstream music scene. Broccoli, You Too’s sophomore studio album, “Graduation,” (2010) became weightier in sounds and more serious in lyrics. The act received the Korean Pop Music Award Best Modern Rock Song for “Universal Song” in 2010 and the Korean Pop Music Award Best Modern Rock Song for “Graduation” in 2011. Tickets are all standing and cost 25,000 won. For more information, visit www.broccoliyoutou.com.
Broccoli, You Too (Duruduru AMC)
“No Reply Concert: Golden Age”: No Reply will be “the first Hongdae scene band” to hold a solo concert at the large-scale, 3,500-seat Olympic Hall in Olympic Park in Seoul on July 16, according to concert organizer Mint Paper. Their 2009 debut album “Road” was praised for its refined sensibilities. They followed up with the EP album “Tune Your Mind” in late 2009 and the second studio album “Dream” in late 2010. The band has also been releasing digital singles, including popular song “Propose Day,” since 2008. The band’s composer and keyboardist Kwon Soon-gwan said the concert will be fun and dynamic with visual effects. Tickets range from 55,000 won to 77,000 won. For tickets, visit ticket.yes24.com or call 1544-6399. For details, visit www.mintpaper.com.
“Linkin Park Live in Seoul”: U.S. rock band Linkin Park, whose concerts in Korea completely sold out in 2003 and 2007, are to visit again to hold a live concert at the Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium on Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. Ticketing opened on May 19 at ticket.interpark.com. With record-breaking sales of its debut album “Hybrid Theory” in 2000, the band’s musical style has kept evolving over the past 10 years. The upcoming concert is to promote their 2010 album “A Thousand Suns.” Tickets range from 99,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488.
“2011 Jisan Valley Rock Festival”: The nation’s largest festival takes place from July 29 to July 31 at Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. The rock festival began in 2009 and reached 70,000 revelers in 2010. The lineup announced so far includes Suede, The Chemical Brothers, Arctic Monkeys, Incubus, Deli Spice, Jaurim and 10 cm. Korean singer Kim Wan-sun and male group DJ DOC have been also added to the fourth line-up. The online ticket purchase, which offers a 10 percent discount, is currently open at valleyrockfestival.mnet.com. One-day passes are 110,000 won and three-day passes 220,000 won, if purchased on-the-spot. Teenagers will get 20 percent discount for only one-day ticket. For more information, visit valleyrockfestival.mnet.com.
Festivals
“Boryeong Mud Festival”: The Boryeong Mud Festival is one of the largest festivals in Korea, attracting a large number of international visitors. This year, it will take place from July 16 to July 24 at Daecheon Beach area in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. Immersed in both the mud and the festival’s great atmosphere, visitors can try mud wrestling, mud sliding and even swimming in the mud mega tub. In the evening, music and fireworks will spice up the party atmosphere the beach. Other programs include local specialties exhibition and sale and a yacht parade. For more information, visit www.mudfestival.or.kr or call (041) 930-3820.
“World Taekwondo Culture Expo”: The Taekwondo Culture Expo will be held from July 8-13 in Muju and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province. The programs not only include taekwondo competitions of movement, sparring and aerobics but taekwondo performances, cultural activities and sightseeing in Muju, Buan and Jeonju. The festival aims to give international taekwondo practitioners a chance to learn more about the culture of North Jeolla Province and Korea. Korean cultural experience programs include Korean dish making, Jeonju bibimbap tasting, traditional village visits, Korean folk games, rice cake making, “wish paper” flying and trying samulnori, or traditional percussion quartet. For more information, visit www.wtcexpo.net.
“Daegu International Musical Festival”: The Daegu International Musical Festival, or DIMF, is the only exclusive international musical festival held in the central city of Daegu. The event will run through July 11, featuring seven invitational works and the premieres of 11 original Korean musicals. For the opening, the Daegu Opera House will showcase a musical version of Puccini’s “Turandot” on June 19. The festival will be held at the Opera House and other venues in the city. For more information, call (053) 622-1945 or visit dimf.or.kr.
Poster of Daegu International Musical Festival (Daegu International Musical Festival)
“K-pop Cover Dance Festival”: The Visit Korea Year Committee has kicked off the 2011 K-pop cover dance festival at www.coverdance.org. The committee will conduct an online preliminary competition until July 24. Applicants around the world can submit their K-pop cover dance video to the webpage. In countries where the registered videos get the most hits and “recommended” button clicks, the committee will run a second round competition by September. The finalists will be invited by the committee to visit Korea and compete on Oct. 3 in Gyeongju where the Korean Wave Dream Concert will be held on the same day. The final winners can join K-pop stars on stage at the Korean Wave Dream Concert. For more information, visit www.coverdance.org.