One may raise their eyebrows hearing the philosophy of the French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal whose practices are opposed to demolishing buildings to build new ones. The Pritzker-winning architects’ approach is particularly unusual in Korean society where the wholesale reconstruction of apartment complexes to be taller, newer and more luxurious is a common and positively regarded way to raise home and property values. “We do not think it is necessary to demolish

Take a stroll in downtown Seoul to check out some art amid the autumn breeze, works by emerging artists at Peres Projects near Songhyeon Yeollin Park, Korean pioneering abstract artist at PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong and Swiss-born, US-based artist Urs Fischer at Jason Haam in Seongbuk-gu. Emerging artists at Peres Projects Peres Projects in Seoul is currently presenting exhibitions of British artist Rebecca Ackroyd and Danish artist Anton Munar. Ackroyd's “The Party Is A Woman&rdquo

Listening Room by Ode at The Hyundai Seoul Visitors can easily spend hours exploring major international brands and local shops at The Hyundai Seoul, Seoul's largest department store and pop-up store mecca. Among all the shops, entertainment facilities and restaurants vying for attention, be sure not to miss Listening Room by Ode when visiting the mall. Located on the second basement floor near the main escalator, the shop welcomes music lovers with colorful LPs and record players. Visitors

A 22-meter high wall with 20,000 colorful blocks of Korean letters, or Hangeul, was unveiled Wednesday at the newly opened Korean Cultural Center New York, on E. 32nd Street in Manhattan. The monumental work was created by New York-based artist Kang Ik-joong, known for his iconic works of Hangeul blocks. Kang’s installation “Hangeul Wall: Things I Love to Talk About” was created in collaboration with participants from more than 50 countries around the world. Some 7,000 submissi

GWANGJU -- A soundscape combining rainfall with a Qatari children's folk song fills the corridor where a reflection of Qatari traditional architecture patterns surround visitors. On the wall are Qatari idioms. One reads: “Whatever comes from the sky, the earth accepts.” The National Museum of Qatar presents its national pavilion exhibition at the Gwangju Biennale, Asia’s leading art biennale, which kicked off Sept. 7 across the city of Gwangju. The title of the exhibition

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea has unveiled a virtual reality exhibition tour for “Performative Home: Architecture for Alternative Living," which is currently physically on view at the museum’s Gwacheon venue. For the VR tour, the actual exhibition space was captured in 360 degrees, and architectural materials such as 3D models and sketches were used. The 360-degree VR exhibition tour, provided in English and available on the MMCA’s YouTube channel, is the

GWANGJU -- The 15th edition of the Gwangju Bienanle, which kicked off on Saturday in Gwangju, in Korea's southwest, presents “Pansori, a soundscape of the 21st century" as its theme, featuring 72 artists. Behind this theme of reinterpreting pansori -- a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling accompanied by a drummer -- is French curator Nicolas Bourriaud. Asia’s prestigious biennale has maintained its foundation in the "Gwangju Spirit," also known as the

The fourth edition of Jeju Biennale will take place across the island from Nov. 26 to Feb. 16 under the theme “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind and Stars,” touching on the identity of the island. Lee Jong-hoo, artistic director of the Jeju Biennale and director of Jeju Museum of Art, drew upon the “drift” theme to explore diverse aspects of the island, encompassing its culture, environment, migration and refugee history. “Jeju Biennale is relatively less

The economic slowdown has affected the third edition of Frieze Seoul, which started Wednesday at Coex with relatively slow sales. Galleries brought works at lowered prices as though they were bracing for the economic impact on the art market. Some galleries were hesitant to share sales figures, saying that collectors appeared to be taking more time to make purchases, or that sales had been similar to -- or worse than -- last year. “We know that the economy here has not been at its best, ev

Customize smartphone cases at Casetify Buying new accessories for and decorating your smartphone might be some of the easiest ways to refresh your look nowadays. Though there are many unmanned stores and pop-up shops featuring smartphone-themed merchandise, pay a visit to Casetify to customize your phone covers with the inspiration-filled designs. Located at the second basement floor of The Hyundai Seoul -- the biggest department store in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, Casetify displays a wide

The work of Suh Se-ok, a late pioneer of modern Korean ink painting, has been re-created as media art for the third edition of Frieze Seoul in the LG OLED lounge. The re-creation was made possible through collaboration between LG OLED and the late artist's two sons: artist Suh Do-ho and architect Suh Eul-ho. The exhibition “Suh Se Ok X LG OLED: Reimagined by Suh Do Ho, Shaped by Suh Eul Ho” -- which is on view during Frieze Seoul at Coex until Saturday -- shows media works in th

It takes time when you are striving to change people’s long-standing perceptions. Kate Oh, vice president of the Brand Communication Division at LG Home Entertainment Company, is starting to see progress after years of trying to redefine art with OLED TVs. LG OLED has collaborated with over 30 globally established artists since 2021, including Anish Kapoor, Barry X Ball, Damien Hirst, Sir John Akomfrah, Kevin McCoy, Kim Whan-ki and Suh Se-ok. LG OLED joined Frieze Seoul as the official hea

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul kicked off Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul with VIP openings for their third collaboration, bringing a festive mood to the city, albeit in a cautious mode amid concerns of a slowdown in the art market. Some 110 galleries are participating in Frieze Seoul, while 206 are represented at Kiaf Seoul. Frieze Seoul runs through Saturday at Halls C and D while Kiaf Seoul will continue through Sunday at Halls A, B and the Grand Ballroom. A single ticket offers admission to

Installation artist Lee Sung-kuen’s solo exhibition “The Circle of Life” at Artcube 2R2 in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul encompasses the artist’s 70-year career that has evolved around the act of continuous binding and tying. The exhibition that kicked off on Aug. 29 features the artist’s iconic installations created with oil-tempered steel wire, widely used for springs, wrapped in hanji, traditional Korean mulberry paper. The wire is woven into a mesh in round shapes

Ahead of Frieze Seoul kicking off on Wednesday, Seoul is in a festive mood with numerous art exhibitions and events taking place at museums, galleries and auction houses around the city. In a two-part series, The Korea Herald offers a roundup of selected events in the city -- in southern and northern parts of the capital. The following piece is the second in the series. -- Ed. Amorepacific Museum of Art Amorepacific Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu has become a key destination for Seoul Art Week this

Ahead of Frieze Seoul kicking off on Sept. 4, Seoul is in a festive mood with numerous art exhibitions and events taking place at museums, galleries and auction houses around the city. In a two-part series, The Korea Herald offers a roundup of selected events in the city -- in southern and northern parts of the capital. The following piece is the first in the series. -- Ed. Its streets lined with flagship stores of luxury brands, Cheongdam-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul south of the Han River, is

Kansong Art Museum Daegu brings together several designated national treasures in the largest-ever show of national treasures in its collection. The museum's inaugural exhibition “Treasures of the Kansong Art Museum Daegu,” which opens Sept. 3, marks the opening of a new home for the country's oldest private museum. “It took nearly 10 years to open the museum in Daegu, and I am glad we can offer an opportunity to people outside Seoul to enjoy our collection of natio

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the history of the pavilion is being presented at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta, a few minutes walk from the Giardini Garden, one of the main venues of the Venice Biennale. Entitled “Every Island is a Mountain,” the exhibition at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta brings together 36 artists who have participated in the prestigious biennale over the last three decades, as well as archival material on the Korean Pav

As Frieze Seoul approaches, galleries are bustling with activity as they prepare to showcase their works to art enthusiasts at the annual art fair, which runs from September 4 to 7 this year. The nation's art scene is entering festive mode, with many exhibitions slated to open at the end of August. Notable examples of galleries embracing this celebratory atmosphere with their exhibitions, include Gallery Baton and Lehmann Maupin in Hannam-dong and Tang Contemporary Art Seoul in Gangnam. Dok

In today’s busy modern society, people often seek a retreat from the city -- a place where they can find peace and fresh air in nature. Chwihoga, meaning "Temple of the Tiger" in Korean, offers just that. Consisting of three private houses, the property was curated by a married couple who left the bustling capital of Seoul in 2020 to find a new home in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The couple encountered Pyeongchang during their travels and felt an inexplicable sense of peace th