The time has come to bring out the Christmas tree and deck the halls with holly. Online shopping has never been so convenient, but Christmas markets are always worth a visit if only to enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Here are two places you can purchase Christmas decorations at relatively lower prices. Namdaemun Market, a large traditional market located next to Shinsegae Department Store in central Seoul, has a wide variety of shops, vendors and wholesalers offering a seemingly endless array of g

Artists reveal what they hold inside -- something deeply hidden in their minds -- through their work. From a distance, Rhee Ki-bong’s landscape paintings appear misty, like dreamy scenery. “Art is to bring out things from one’s unconscious. It is often said ‘to create’ things, but it is -- in fact -- ‘to reveal.’ To reveal is not as easy as it may sound; one may need to have many experiences in life and most of all, a strong will to persevere as an artis

A golden tapestry-like assemblage shimmers on a wall struck by light coming through a large glass window. The 6-meter-tall installation “New World Symphony” is a new work created by acclaimed Ghanaian artist El Anatsui for his second show in Seoul at Barakat Contemporary. It is hard to tell that the shimmering comes from light hitting numerous small bottle caps unless one takes a very close look. Bottle caps have been a significant art medium for the artist since the late 1990s. It i

The Balvenie, a single malt Scotch whisky, has collaborated with Korean artisans for the exhibition “The Balvenie Makers Exhibition," highlighting one thing they have in common -- the unrelenting pursuit of the highest craftsmanship when creating their products. Hwigyeomjae in Bukchon, Seoul, built as a hanok, is decorated with barley, provoking curiosity from visitors about barley's relation to the whisky brand. Founded in 1892, Balvenie still grows its own barley for malting an

JEJU CITY -- About an hour‘s flight from the South Korean capital of Seoul, Jeju Island is a popular destination for those who want to get away from the grit of the city. The ubiquitous porous basalt, covering more than 90 percent of the island, is evidence that the island was created as a result of volcanic activity. "Dolharubang," or village guardian statues carved out of porous basalt, fresh seafood, mandarin oranges and more than 368 parasitic cones are iconic symbols of t

Perrotin Gallery will present paintings by Korean artist Shim Moon-seup in Hong Kong for the first time in December, as part of efforts to introduce more Korean artists in the global art scene, the contemporary art gallery said. “Perrotin Gallery was the first gallery that introduced Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo and Chung Chang-sup in Europe in 2014 and 2015. We will continue presenting Korean artists overseas as a global gallery,” Perrotin said recently. Shim’s sol

Enjoy playing racing games like Mario Kart or KartRider? At Ganghwa Luge located at Ganghwa Seaside Resort in Incheon, you can enjoy the thrill of a high-speed ride in real life. Some 50 kilometers west of Seoul, Ganghwa Luge located on the foothills of a mountain offers a spectacular view of the horizon on the West Sea. After buying tickets, make sure to pick up a safety helmet before taking the five-minute gondola ride to the starting point. Brief safety instructions are offered for first-time

One of the few self-portraits by German painter Max Beckmann (1884-1950) will be auctioned by the German auction house Grisebach in Berlin on Dec. 1. The artist, who lived through the two world wars, is known as one of the most influential artists of the time. “Selbstbildnis gelb-rosa” is a self-portrait painted in 1943 and has been privately owned since its creation. Beckmann took refuge in Holland during World War II to flee Nazi Germany and the self-portrait was painted during thi

Art collectors in South Korea have largely remained reluctant to share their collections as collecting art pieces has long been considered a niche for the wealthy. This reluctance, however, has been gradually changing, especially among younger generations who are willing to share what they collect as well as wanting to learn about others. The newly opened exhibition space ABCollections caters to the increasing number of collectors in the country who would like to show their art collection to o

Walking westward from the main gate of the main palace Gyeongbokgung is a large open space filled with flowers and plants. The 37,000-square-meter space in Songhyeon-dong, previously blocked off by high walls on all sides, has been transformed into a park where people can now come and go freely. “Yeorlin Songhyeon,” meaning "open Songhyeon," opened to the public in early October with its autumnal flowers in full bloom. People came to sit on benches and take in the view wi

“Korean Art 1900-2020” Published by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Since the 1900s Korea has had a turbulent history -- looking back at the Japanese colonial era, Korean War and rapid industrialization within the country -- Korean society has always had to keep pace with these changes. The book “Korean Art 1900-2020,” newly published in English by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows how Korean art has evolved in its own way

With its centennial coming up, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is looking to enhance relationship with Korean art scene amidst the rising popularity of Korean culture in the US and around the world. The museum is home to 46,000 artworks, five times the initial collection donated by its founder Charles Lang Freer in 1923, but a relatively small proportion of these are from Korea. As part of efforts to address this, the art museum -- the first fine art museum to become a Smith

British art auction house Phillips recently appointed Suh Min-hee as the new regional director for the Seoul office, which opened in 2018. Founded in 1796 in London, the auction house focuses on contemporary art and design from the 20th and 21st century, and runs offices in New York, London, Geneva, Hong Kong and Seoul. The Seoul office is located in Hannam-dong. The Seoul operation has seen an increase in transactions in recent years with a growing body of new collectors. The Korean market

  A red painting by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo has been turned into one of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Capucines bags, making Park the first Korean artist to collaborate with the French luxury brand for the Artycapucines collection. Park began the Ecriture series -- also called "Myobop” in Korean -- in the late 1960s working with pencil before creating the color Ecriture series in the 2000s, inspired by a variety of colors found in nature. The red painting, which w

With international galleries opening in Seoul in recent years, the city has become an art destination where ones can appreciate works by artists from around the world. A number of must-see exhibitions at international galleries that have opened in the city’s affluent neighborhoods -- Cheongdam-dong and Hannam-dong -- are in full swing this week. American contemporary artist Mathew Barney's second solo exhibition in Seoul is currently running at Gladstone Gallery. Known for the restraint

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea on Sunday kicked off exhibition "Project Hashtag 2022" which showcases interdisciplinary collaboration among young artists. "Project Hastage 2022," co-hosted by the NMMC and Hyundai Motor, will exhibit the new works of the two winners -- Cyrpton and Lost Air -- selected from106 participants who applied in the open call contest in May. This year's winners' works highlight artworks integrated with virtual spaces.  

Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a popular year-round travel destination, facing out to the East Sea with the Taebaeksan mountains in the hinterland. It is little known, however, that the coastal city historically has long been home to literature and the arts. Korea’s great literati, Shin Saimdang, Yi Yul-gok, Heo Nanseolheon and Heo Gyun from Joseon era (1392-1910), were born in the city and some of their houses still stand there. The inaugural Gangneung International Art Festival kick

While the global attention on the Korean art scene in the last few years has focused on the commercial side of things, 2022 Korean Art Week is to be held from Thursday to Sunday in the US with hopes to elicit interest in Korean art among academia and arts institutions. The four-day Korean Art Week, jointly held by the Korea Foundation, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and Dartmouth College, will be a gathering of curators from US museums, academics and researchers who stu

Itaewon has long been a neighborhood where people can experience and enjoy a variety of international cultures. International visitors and foreign residents could feel at home in the community, while many Koreans would visit in search of an international vibe. “I don’t feel homesick very often, but when I do, there is usually something I can feel comfort in there. In Itaewon, I am just one of hundreds of foreigners and no one will pay particular attention to me. So it feels a bit

Artist Kim Byung-jong's paintings are a homage to life. He might have explored various themes throughout paintings over the past 40 years, but what he has expressed in the brushstrokes boils down to one thing: the preciousness of life. The 69-year-old artist looks back on his artistic career at the exhibition "40 Years of Kim Byung-jong's Drawing Life: His Brushes Don't Know How to Fall Asleep" at the Namwon City Kim Byungjong Art Museum founded in 2018 in Namwon, home to 81,000 peop