In 1999, French artists Philippe Parreno and Pierre Huyghe purchased the copyright of a Japanese character they found in a manga catalog for about $400 at that time. The two artists named the character "Annlee." For the next three years, Annlee was given diverse identities through some 30 paintings, sculptures, videos, books and music by 20 artists. These works were put together in Zurich in 2002 at the exhibition, “No Ghost Just a Shell.” The project was later collected by

How do we relate ourselves to objects around us? Fast-developing technologies lead us to think about a future where human beings interact with objects that are powered by artificial intelligence. In fact, we are already living in that era. The exhibition “What Things Dream About” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul starts by imagining what it would be like if things act and think – much like human beings. “Some may find the theme a little

The newly opened Oh Museum of Art is located in an alley of small buildings in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The monochrome-colored, rough textured facade of the building, reminiscent of the artist’s paintings, may make it difficult for passersby to spot the museum. Artist Oh Chi-gyun, 68, renovated the four-story building used as the artist’s studio and office for the past 15 years to create the museum that holds the legacy of his 40 years of artistic practice. When he bought the buil

Wood sculptures that reveal both the soft inner bark and the rough outer bark appear to be stacked or clumped together – some may remind you of towers of stones carefully placed on top of each other, found along mountain trails and near mountainside Buddhist temples. The sculptures appear to breathe, their forms like blood vessels. The sculptures were part of artist Kim Yun-shin's solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery, which ran through April 28. "I do not know what kind of art is tre

Los Angeles-based artist Steven Harrigton’s vibrant and colorful paintings will entertain visitors who want to take a break from their daily routine. The artist's first solo museum exhibition is currently on show at the Amorepacific Museum of Art in Seoul. The exhibition, titled “Steven Harrington: Stay Mello,” offers a comprehensive view of works infused with the landscapes and culture of California. The recurring appearance of characters like “Mello,” symboli

Enjoy art, beaches in Busan For those who plan to visit Busan this weekend and also happen to love art, Busan's largest art fair is not to be missed. The four-day art fair has returned, bringing together 129 galleries from 20 countries at Bexco. Special exhibitions such as “Herstory,” which highlights pioneering female contemporary artists in Asia and beyond are being held alongside the art fair. The participating galleries are offering works at a wide range of prices, introduc

Pritzker Prize-winning English architect Norman Foster is one of the leading figures in architecture of the past few decades. Those who are familiar with modern architectural landmarks such as the HSBC Building in Hong Kong would also be familiar with his practice's work innovating architecture with technology. The largest exhibition of Foster's works in Asia currently being held in Seoul is focused on his team’s commitment to sustainability, a goal that has been at the heart of

Leading contemporary artist Cecily Brown continuously evolves her artistic world through a battle against her desire. Her solo exhibition at the Gladstone Gallery in Seoul, “Nana and Other Stories,” is the extension of her artistic exploration to the previous exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York last year titled “Death and the Maid” which encompassed her 25-year artistic career. Brown unveiled seven paintings in Seoul newly created over the past two ye

Kansong Art Museum, South Korea’s oldest private museum, will open in May with a return to its regular exhibition schedule after 10 years, unveiling a recently recovered archive that gives insight into how the museum was built 86 years ago by its founder Jeon Hyung-pil. The exhibition “Bohwagak 1938,” scheduled to open on May 1, will feature a set of blueprints of the museum drawn by architect Park Kil-yong. The blueprints were found last year as the museum was undergoing res

A number of galleries in Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul, an area known for posh shops, fine dining and art galleries, have simultaneously opened new shows, making a weekend stroll in the area a perfect time to check out the galleries' latest shows. If you need to grab a drink while gallery hopping, you can easily find unique cafes in the neighborhood as well. Melancholy yet beautiful at One and J Gallery Korean painter Suh Dong-wook imbues the melancholy we all face in our daily lives w

As technology continues to evolve, art also expands its horizon with artists exploring technology-based art. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s LG Guggenheim Art and Technology Initiative launched last year aims to support such pioneering artists. Noam Segal, an LG Electronics associate curator, considers pioneering artists to be those who inspire understandings of how technology shapes and is shaped by society. Segal joined the museum to helm the five-year initiative with Korean conglomer

South Korean boy band BTS leader RM will release his second solo album titled, “Right Place, Wrong Person,” on May 24, according to Big Hit Music Friday. RM was involved in the writing of all 11 tracks in the album, which can be preordered at BTS' official store and global music platforms such as Apple music, Spotify and iTunes Store. RM’s second solo album comes 18 months after his first album, "Indigo," which featured a number of photos of Korean art master Yun

More than a library Throw yourself into the endless rows of bookshelves filled with various kinds of books. Located in Jung-gu, Seoul, near major transportation hub Seoul Station, Sohn Kee-chung Culture Library is a calm, peaceful library surrounded by a beautifully landscaped park and a walking track. In fact, you might even skip the library and just go for a leisurely stroll there. The library reopened in 2021 after an extensive renovation. The library, now spanning over 771 square meters, has

Arts Council Korea announced Thursday an artistic director collective of three curators for the Korean Pavilion at next year’s Venice Biennale. The director collective consists of Chung Da-young, architecture curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Kim Hee-jung, curator at Seoul Metropolitan Government; and Jung Sung-kyu, director of TACT, an architecture firm. The collective will tackle the theme of “The House of Trees,” joined by architects and

It was almost a decade ago that the Kukje Gallery brought dansaekhwa artists to the Venice Biennale, a watershed moment for Korean contemporary art as it came under the global spotlight with the artists garnering international recognition. Lee Hyun-sook, founder of the Kukje Gallery, recalled why she pushed for the exhibition at the time – to present the authenticity of Korean art. The biennale’s collateral exhibition “Dansaekhwa” in 2015 showed works by Park Seo-bo, Chun

The Corea Image Communication Institute is holding two contests to foster cultural exchange as part of the Cultural Communication Forum 2024 which convenes in June. The “New Korea Idea” contest takes ideas that offer a different perspective on Korea that could be used to represent Korea. The other contest, “AI Korea Image,” challenges contestants to create images that introduce Korean cultural contents such as food, film, music and tourism using an AI image program. Submi

The Culture Ministry will take the lead in combining Korea's major art events slated for September and promoting them nationwide under the "K-Art Festival" umbrella, according to the culture minister on Monday. Culture Minister Yoo In-chon said the ministry will step up its support to foster collaboration between major players in the art world, including the organizers of biennales, museums and commercial art fairs. “(Declaring cooperation) is the first step in forging coll

Korean art has come to the forefront at the Venice Biennale 2024 that kicked off Wednesday with a variety of exhibitions featuring Korean artists. The world’s most prominent art exhibition that takes place every two years opened under the theme “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere” at the Giardini and Arsenale venues. The main exhibition of the biennale curated by Adriano Pedrosa includes four Korean artists -- -- Kim Yun-shin, Lee Kang-seung, Chang Woo-soung and Le

Pearl Lam Galleries has established its name primarily in Greater China, working with artists from around the world for the past 20 years. The gallery is now embarking on a move to expand its presence to South Korea, which has grabbed global recognition as another art hub in Asia. “Seoul is an important center of not only contemporary culture but also strong traditional tastes and aesthetics,” said Pearl Lam, founder of the gallery, in a recent email interview with The Korea Herald.

DOHA, Qatar -- Strolling outside the National Museum of Qatar, pieces of black basalt just outside the museum entrance come into sight -- seemingly rough but polished, the installation looks like artwork and, at the same, like chairs. The installation "Afterimage of the Beginning 2023," collected by the museum, was created by Korean artist Choi Byung-hoon who pioneered his own genre of art, so-called “art furniture,” and has pursued it for the past 30 years. The work was in