GWANGJU -- One big change at the 13th Gwangju Biennale is that the public has access to Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall 1, free of charge. It is now an open space for visitors and ticketing as well as an exhibition hall. “I thought it was inconvenient for visitors to purchase tickets and wait outside so I suggested using Exhibition Hall 1 as a meeting place as well as a place to appreciate the artworks,” said Kim Sun-jung, president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, during

GWANGJU -- The 13th Gwangju Biennale was unveiled to the public Thursday with the theme of “Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning” in the city of Gwangju, following two delays since last year due to the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The long-anticipated art biennale showcases a broad range of 450 works of art from 69 artists and collectives across 40 countries, including more than 40 commissioned works created for the biennale. “Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning” fo

A number of masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, including “Massacre in Korea,” will be shown in Seoul for the first time in May at an exhibition marking the 140th anniversary of the artist’s birth. The exhibition “Into the Myth,” running from May 1 to Aug. 29 at the Hangaram Arts Center Museum, will feature some 110 works that Picasso completed from the early 1900s to the 1960s, according to the Vichae Art Museum, the organizer of the exhibition. The e

Korean-born and Paris-based installation artist Lee Seul-gi enjoys using metaphors. She explores metaphors in ordinary objects and different languages through installation works and folkcraft often in collaboration with community artisans. Some of her well-known artworks are her Korean “nubi,” or quilt blanket series, that show diagrammatic designs that are whimsically translated into Korean proverbs. Lee, who recently won the Korea Artist Prize 2020, is currently showing “D

The 2021 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week offered courage and hope to global audience members as the pandemic continued to present a challenge. South Korea’s largest fashion week, which kicked off March 22 and attracted thousands of views for each runway show, ended Sunday with the noon finale by Berlin-based Korean DJ Peggy Gou, which was prerecorded at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. A total of 43 designer brands showcased their collections at museums alongsid

Installation artist Lee Seul-gi has won the Korea Artist Prize 2020, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Thursday. Inspired by traditional craft and folk art, Lee is known for her exploration of the relationship between humans and nature transcending boundaries. For her new work “Dong Dong Dari Gori” on show at the Korea Artist Prize 2020 exhibition at MMCA Seoul, she collaborated with master artisans such as Korean quilters in Tongyeong, South Gyeon

Painter Choi Suk-un captures moments from everyday life, depicting the scenes in his own witty ways. Those who view his paintings would laugh out loud at his wit and creativity. The humor and wit shown in the paintings come from his personality and his belief that an artist and one’s paintings should go hand in hand, representing one another. Otherwise, one or the other is lying, the artist believes. When the pandemic hit, instead of dampening his spirits, it served as inspiration for t

An exhibition in New York that sheds light on Korean immigrant artists in the US is being held at the Korean Cultural Center New York. The exhibition “Creation Continua: Park Joon Photo Portraits of Korean Artist Diaspora in Greater New York” presents photographs of 50 Korean immigrant artists who came to the US in the latter part of the 20th century and are active in their practice. The photographs were taken by Korean American photographer Park Joon, who moved to the US in 198

Seoul Auction will host its Spring Sale on Tuesday in Seoul, after its auction events in Hong Kong were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auction will be streamed live on Artsy’s Digital Saleroom to attract a wider range of global collectors, the auction house said. The auction will start at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center in Seoul, and Artsy users who have preregistered can participate in real time. A total of 149 artworks worth about 10 billion won ($8.85

The exhibition “Andy Warhol: Beginning Seoul” has arrived in Seoul after touring renowned museums in Italy, showcasing 153 works including drawings and silk-screen prints, as well as the artist’s personal belongings. The event opened Feb. 26 at the Hyundai Seoul, the city’s biggest department store, newly built in the business district of Yeouido.  “I think it is a meaningful exhibition for people as they can appreciate the master’s works owned by t

The upcoming 2021 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week, Korea’s largest fashion event, will feature 43 designer brands showcasing their collections at museums alongside artworks and national treasures. “The runways at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, could be considered as an artistic interaction between two artists,” said Seoul Fashion Week Director Jeon Mi-kyung during a press conference held on Wednesday in Seoul. “The runways are filmed quite c

Frustration comes easily in challenging times -- especially amid a pandemic that continues on for more than a year, disrupting our lives and causing a global economic downturn. The first major solo exhibitions of two influential contemporary artists -- Chen Chieh-jen of Taiwan and Yue Minjun of China -- offer comfort and help to relieve depressed feelings in their own ways, presenting either dismal atmospheres or ironic images. Chen’s “Traumatized Body and Transformed Self,&rdqu

A number of art experts and associations suggested revising the tax law to allow donations of artwork as a form of tax payment during a seminar held on Thursday at the Cheondogyo Central Temple in central Seoul. Under the current law, only real estate and securities are recognized as alternative means of paying inheritance taxes. “Korea has become a culturally advanced country, and the culture industry has the potential to play a central role in the future, even more so than the manuf

The artist duo Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho were selected as the winner of the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2021. The two artists have explored the role of art in the rapidly changing world which faces a variety of issues such as contradictory capitalism, historic tragedies and climate change that are threatening humanity. Their representative projects include “News From Nowhere” which the two artists have been working on together since 2012, inspired by the eponymous utopian nov

The next edition of Seoul Fashion Week will expand its runway stages to Seoul landmarks and museums, taking advantage of the online platform to move beyond its usual main venue, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the country’s largest fashion week has been hosted for the last seven years. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, the organizer of the show, unveiled details of the upcoming 2021 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week that kicks off March 22, including the venues and participating designers.

Artist Kim Sung-ho uses books as the main objects for his art, believing that they have helped build up his own world. The 40-year-old painter came up with the concept of a stack of books called “volume tower” that he pursues using hyperrealism. The artist is presenting a new volume tower series inspired by “chaekgeori” - Korea’s traditional paintings that depict books, a variety of scholars’ ornaments and fruits displayed on bookshelves -- at Park Ryu Sook

Lee Bul is one of the most influential contemporary artists both at home and abroad, known for challenging the conventional and pushing the boundaries of art. “Lee Bul – Beginning” at Seoul Museum of Art focuses on Lee’s early works from the late 1980s and 1990s that reflect the artist’s conscious rejection of conventional art when she was only in her 20s and early 30s. Born in 1964, she lived in an era of oppressive dictatorial regime in South Korea, observing p

Gana Foundation for Arts and Culture opened an exhibition Friday to introduce the artists of Jamunbak. Jamunbak refers to a region outside the Jahamun Gate – one of eight gates of the Seoul Fortress Wall in Pyeongchang-dong Jongno-gu – where many artists, including painters, sculptors, novelists and musicians, live or work in their studios. Nearly 200 artists reside in the region, as well as 100 art institutes, according to Gana Art Center. The exhibition is part of the Jamunba

Artist Ryu Sung-sil has been selected as the winner of the 19th Hermes Foundation Missulsang, the foundation announced Tuesday. The young artist has explored a variety of art medium that reflect her critique of social issues in Korea as an artist. Once every two years, the foundation selects a talented new Korean artist to promote in Korea and abroad. The awardee is given 20 million won ($17,800) in prize money and is given financial support to create new works for a solo exhibition at the

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will host an online academic seminar to explore the work of avant-garde artist Lee Seung-taek, as part of a special session associated with the artist’s ongoing retrospective exhibition. The artist’s first retrospective at the national museum, which opened in November, encompasses the artist’s 60-year career through around 250 installations, sculptures and paintings. The exhibition runs through March 28. “The ac