The 14th Gwangju Biennale, titled “Soft and Weak Like Water,” takes water as a metaphor for solidarity, coexistence and recovery. Flowing across structural divisions and differences, water implies an alternative model of power with its endurance and gentleness. The 94-day biennale, curated by artistic director Lee Sook-kyung alongside associate curator Kerryn Greenberg and assistant curators Sooyoung Leam and Harry C. H. Choi, is set to start April 7, bringing together some 8

BUSAN -- When Kim Hae-ju was inaugurated as the artistic director of Busan Biennale, she set about conducting thorough research about the port city, which is also her hometown. She was attracted to the history of migration and how the city is being formed even to this day. “I wanted to stress the historic narrative of how the port city has evolved to be open to migrants. It is not confined to international migration but also includes Koreans, particularly during the Korean War and industr

BUSAN -- When you think of Busan, what comes to mind? While many would think of beaches in the port city, only a few would think of the hillside roads that connect villages and people from its surrounding regions. Sambok Road, a mountainside road in Choryang village that overlooks coastal areas, is one the venues of the Busan Biennale 2022. “I think what really defines Busan is this kind of winding mountainside road which is found across the city and little-known to people outside of Busan

Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation and Herald Artday are hosting “Discoveries 2022,” an exhibition introducing 15 emerging artists, at Summit Gallery in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The exhibition shows some 60 works by five artists based in Gyeonggi Province who have been selected by Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation and 10 artists chosen by Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp. The five young artists based in Gyeonggi Province are Jung Eun-bin, Jeong Joo-hee, Jo Jung-eun, Choi Jeong-s

  The inaugural Frieze Seoul swept through the local art world just as Seoul was beginning to get attention in the global art world. Now, whether Seoul has a potential to become Asia’s art hub remains to be seen. The world’s two leading galleries -- Hauser ＆ Wirth and Gagosian -- shared their views on the art market here in recent interviews with The Korea Herald when they were in Seoul in early September. 'Asia will continue to be an engine for the art market' Founded by Ame

Korea-born video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s masterpiece, “The More, The Better” -- an 18.6-meter-tall video tower -- was unveiled on Thursday after completing a three-year restoration. The reincarnation of the artist’s largest work is celebrated with the archive exhibition held by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The national museum celebrated the reoperation of “The More, The Better,” on Thursday at the museum’s Gwacheon venu

Paik Nam-june’s masterpiece “The More the Better” restarted operations on Thursday, unveiling its prototype after completing its three-year restoration. The largest piece by Paik, the video tower consists of 1,003 monitors and had a test run for six months early this year. "The More the Better" was first unveiled to the public on Sept. 15, 1988. (MMCA)

Paris-based Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has pushed the boundaries of architecture as an ecological architect. He has advocated eco-responsible architecture and taking inspiration from all living things, employing shapes and structures found in ecosystems, also known as biomimicry. “Dealing with ecological and social issues is not an option in an architectural project. This is the basis of our professional commitment. Our role is to imagine eco-responsible lifestyles and then to de

Frieze Seoul was a storm. The inaugural event was not just about the art fair; it brought a new culture to the city, creating a platform for talking about art. Parties and exhibitions at galleries and museums in Seoul‘s art districts were full of people late into the night. “It has been a fabulous week. I visited a lot of parties and events that took place alongside Frieze Seoul and got to meet many collectors there. It has been kind of an exclusive culture to talk about collectin

Works of modern art from Korea have traveled to Los Angeles, where they will be shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in an exhibition titled “The Space Between: The Modern in Korean Art.” The exhibition shedding light on the development of Korea’s modern art from 1897 to 1965 opens Sunday and runs through Feb. 19, 2023. It is the first show focusing on the history of Korea's modern art to held in a museum in the West. Bringing together some 130 artworks by 8

The inaugural Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul together attracted more than 70,000 visitors from home and abroad. Frieze Seoul took place from Friday to Monday at Coex southern Seoul while Kiaf Seoul, also at Coex, ran through Tuesday, bringing together some 350 galleries from across the world. While the two fairs did not disclose the sales record, the transactions from the two fairs will reportedly raise the size of the country’s art market to over one trillion won this year. “We used

When Korean contemporary artist Kim Whan-ki’s masterpiece “05-IV-71#200 (Universe)” fetched 13.2 billion won ($9.6 million) as a highlight of the Christie’s autumn auction season in 2019, it became the highest-ever price for a Korean artwork sold at an auction house. The record remains unbeaten. The record sale has attracted attention to the late artist from home and abroad. Kim is a pioneer of Korean abstract paintings that feature lines and dots with colors reminisce

The Pinault Collection, French billionaire Francois Pinault’s collection of contemporary art, holds more than 10,000 works of art by the world’s established artists. The internationally influential art entity, founded in 1999, runs three museums in Europe. “When it comes to the ultimate goal of collecting art, for Francois Pinault, it is really to share. As an entrepreneur, he always goes further, and he is curious about the younger generation,” said Caroline Bourgeois,

As 2 p.m. neared, people stood in a line wrapping down the hall on Friday at Coex in Seoul to enter the inaugural Frieze Seoul, with great anticipation for which works would be brought to the first art fair by Frieze in Asia and how its collaboration with the local art fair would turn out over the four-day event. The first edition of Frieze Seoul kicked off at the same time as Kiaf Seoul, a local art fair held since 2002, for its VIP opening. Their first collaboration has attracted some 350 ga

Ahead of the inaugural Frieze Seoul, Hannam-dong in northern Seoul -- an art cluster for international galleries, popularly known as a “hip neighborhood” among young generation -- was full of energy on Thursday night with art lovers from home and abroad who flocked to the town to enjoy the eve of the art fair as part of “Hannam Night.” Galleries stayed late open welcoming guests to showcase exhibitions by artists they represent with music and cocktails; some of galleries

Commemorating the inaugural Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul that kicks off on Friday, the capital is in a festive mood with a flood of art events such as exhibitions, artist talks and parties well into the night. Sept. 1 to 11 has been designated as the week of art, naming it “Dive into Korean Art,” coinciding with Frieze and Kiaf Seoul. Two art clusters in Seoul, Samcheong and Hannam neighborhoods in northern Seoul, are must-visits this weekend if you are a fan of art. Of course, there

Two international art fairs joined by some of the world’s most established galleries will open Friday in Seoul. With more than 350 galleries setting up booths at Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, the events are expected to attract hundreds of art aficionados from around the world. VIP openings for both shows at Coex in southern Seoul will begin 2 p.m. Friday. Frieze Seoul will be open to the public from Saturday to Monday while Kiaf Seoul will open Saturday through Tuesday. Those who purchase j

The following is the fifth in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. - Ed An automatic reclining massage chair moves back and forth with music playing in the background. Former US President Donald Trump appears on the side issuing a warning against North Korea: “They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power.” Sounds of old ladies' laughter drifts out from the video, seemingly tickled by his remarks. Korean-b

The following is the fourth in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. - Ed The piano is a familiar instrument in Korea, but how did the Western musical instrument come to the country? What impact did the piano have on the music scene at the time? Korean-born artist Kim Young-eun touches on the questions in “Brilliant A.” The video follows the journey of the first-ever piano to arrive in the country, coming acro

Following is the third in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. – Ed Bold color field paintings come into sight upon entering Hejum Ba’s studio in Seoul. The vivid paintings evoke a feeling of mystery in viewers, who may stand in front of the artworks, trying to figure out the subjects of the painting or decipher the artist’s intentions. When it came to explaining the paintings, Ba was reserved. People t