Organizers of the 2013 Seoul International Typography Biennale said the focus of the event will be the role of typefaces as inspiration for active writing, as the event will serve as a channel to shed light on different characters from the West and the East. “The Seoul International Typography Biennale is the sole typography event in the world. And as a country with its own alphabet, it is our responsibility to let others recognize the importance of letters and typefaces,” Ahn Sang-soo, one of t

Retrospective to show the 99-year-old artist’s lifetime endeavor of depicting spaceSpace has been an inspiration for Korean abstract artist Han Mook since he saw the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.Over a half century, bearing that theme in mind, the 99-year-old Paris-based artist created all sorts of depictions of space, from the two-dimensional to the four-dimensional, using geometric structures and vibrant colors. At his upcoming retrospective at Gallery Hyundai Gangnam in Seoul, Han presents

Korean pop music is undoubtedly the leading force in the Korean culture boom that is attracting thousands of visitors to the country. K-pop was the main reason that brought 21-year-old Hungarian Lici Nemczov to Korea in March. “I first listened to K-pop music and then learned about Korean culture and food on the Internet. And I came to Korea in March this year to learn the Korean language,” said Nemczov at the K-pop dance class at Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center in Myeong-dong last week.

SEATTLE ― Pike Place Market. The Space Needle. Pioneer Square. Check, check and check.If you’ve hit these obvious Seattle destinations, you’re not a newbie. But maybe you’re not an insider either.So, this Seattle checklist is for you. It skirts those three attractions and several other popular stops to make more room for Ballard, Capitol Hill, Fremont and the University District ― four asset-rich Seattle neighborhoods my family and I explored on a visit last summer. Our list starts with three st

International cultural leaders will gather next month in Seoul to experience Korean culture and discuss how to better promote it. The Corea Image Communication Institute will invite 14 cultural icons from around the world to its third 2012 Culture Communication Forum from Sept. 4-6. The CICI organized the C20 (Culture 20) side event during the G20 Seoul Summit in 2010. “The third CCF is an event that facilitates cultural communication among the participating leaders and helps them learn Korean c

Society’s mental state expressed in awkward, uncomfortable settingsAnxiety seems to be the word that best explains the current state of Korean society, as demonstrated in the choice of anxiety and tension as the focus of an upcoming experimental art exhibition. The annual thematic exhibition at Arko Art Center in Seoul portrays different aspects of anxiety under the theme of “Playground” from Friday to Sept. 28.It features works by nine artists, illustrating the anxiety-ridden state of contempor

Bangle to share design vision at second Herald Design Forum Sept. 19-21The following is the first in a series of email interviews with leading designers participating at the Herald Design Forum on Sept. 19-21. ― Ed.As companies try to create competitive advantage with innovative design, new design concepts are fast emerging, according to Chris Bangle, head of the eponymous design brand Chris Bangle Associates, in a recent e-mail interview with The Korea Herald. Just as Bangle said in the intervi

Art company launches project to discover young creative talentArtday has launched a project to discover young, promising artists and help them debut in the art market. The online auction company, a subsidiary of the Herald Corp., is holding an exhibition of 15 young artists in their 20s and 30s from Aug. 15-31 both on its website and at a gallery in Seoul.The Rising Artist Project serves as a platform to facilitate the sales of the young artists’ works, a feature that distinguishes it from other

Top designers at the Sept. 19-21 forum to inspire audience in design, lifeA design forum organized by Herald Corp. is once again set to start a discussion on the role and impact of design next month, hosting leading designers, architects and artists. Launched last year, the Herald Design Forum has positioned itself as a major design forum in Korea, inviting acclaimed figures in the field and attracting local audiences looking for inspiration. The forum, titled “Re-imagine! Herald Design Forum,”

The Arts Council Korea announced Monday the appointment of Kim Seung-duk to curate the Korea Pavilion of the 2013 Venice Biennale.A nine-member group of art experts selected Kim as the commissioner for the Korean exhibition for her expertise in and knowledge of international art as well as international curatorial experience and a broad network that can effectively promote Korean art to an international audience, the council said.“I am honored to be given an opportunity to work for the Venice Bi

Despite the long distance, Mexico has become one of the most sought-after travel destinations for Koreans, a high-ranking Mexican official said Thursday.The Mexican Tourism Board saw 15.3 percent increase in the number of Korean travelers to the Latin American country from 34,965 in 2011 to 40,303 this year. It attracted a record 23.4 million tourists from around the world in 2011, making it the 10th most visited country in the world. “Korea is a strategic market for Mexico. As this year celebra

LILLEHAMMER, Norway ― The visitors touring Maihaugen Heritage Village were itching with curiosity. They’d wandered the site’s narrow lanes and peered inside the 200-year-old log cabins. They’d explored the craft shops and traditional hand-hewn barns brought from far-flung farms and forests and reassembled here, under the trees. Now they wanted to know if any of Norway’s leading figures ― statesmen, film makers, painters or artists ― had their roots in these humble huts.“What about Thor Heyerdahl

The Korea Tourism Organization and CJ Donors Camp, CJ Group’s charity organization, have launched summer camps for children from multicultural families and underprivileged children as part of a joint effort to spread a new charity culture through travel. The KTO and CJ Donors Camp will conduct three camps in August on Anmyeon Island, Namhae, from Aug. 7-9, Aug. 9-11 and Aug. 14-16 and offer a variety of programs including hands-on experience with marine life and sports activities such as rafting

Illustrations in children’s books may have been long seen as less important than fine art, but French illustrator Joelle Jolivet hopes picture book illustrations will receive as much appreciation as fine art. “Even in France, picture book illustrations are not considered the same as fine art. But I hope it receives the same appreciation in the future and I think the history of picture books should be studied someday,” said Jolivet Tuesday. She was in Seoul for the French illustration exhibition

The Grand Hilton Seoul is hosting its annual traditional German Oktoberfest on Sept. 8.The hotel, located in Hongeun-dong, northern Seoul, invites guests for an evening of celebration with beer and traditional German food. The festival is Korea’s largest Oktoberfest event, which draws more than 1,000 people every year. Originated in Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest festival attracting about 7.5 million people every year. The origin of the festival is known as the celebration p

A Chinese dating game show will air a special episode in Korea to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea, according to the Korea Tourism Organization, which facilitated the filming of the show in Korea. The show titled “Fei Cheng Wu Rao” in Chinese (“If You are the One” in English) has had China’s highest TV ratings for five consecutive years. About 400 million viewers watch the weekly show, the KTO said. The show features men and women choosing their dat

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Some 300 Marilyn Monroe fans gathered Sunday at the Los Angeles cemetery where she is buried, commemorating the iconic sex symbol on the 50th anniversary of her death. Culminating a week of celebrations organized by various fan clubs, the ceremony was held at her final resting place in Westwood Village Memorial Park, a small patch of greenery between a parking lot and a residential part of the city.Fans as well as friends and relatives paid homage to the actress, who died on

 Underwater photographer Chang Nam-won’s humpback whale photographs on displayKorea’s first underwater photographer Chang Nam-won will offer a journey into the deep blue sea with awe-inspiring photos of humpback whales this month. Chang’s photographs will be on display at Lotte Gallery from Wednesday, allowing audiences a moment to cool down from the heat and dive into the rarely-exposed world of humpback whales. Chang spent five years capturing humpback whales living off Vauvau Island of the Ki

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― “The Dark Knight Rises” topped the box office for the third week in a row, making $36.4 million this past weekend.The finale in Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy has now made nearly $355 million in the U.S. alone, according to Sunday estimates from Warner Bros.“Total Recall,” starring Colin Farrell in a new take on the thriller that provided Arnold Schwarzenegger with one of his best-loved actions roles in 1990, opened in second place with $26 million, Columbia Pictures

A performance featuring K-pop singers who belong to the same entertainment agency has attracted more than 100,000 fans in Tokyo, the organizer said Monday.The concert was held at Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital on Saturday and Sunday as part of a world concert tour organized by the S.M. Entertainment Agency to capitalize on the rising boom of the Korean pop culture.During the “SM Town Live World Tour III in Tokyo” concert, the crowd enthusiastically sang along with the singers, waving colorfu