Lady Gaga @ Seoul

Lady Gaga Visits Seoul for First Time

American pop star Lady Gaga holds a press conference at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel, southern Seoul, Wednesday.
/ Yonhap
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Pop star Lady Gaga lived up to her reputation as a fearless fashion icon when she wore a black see-through catsuit with an exaggerated clown collar to a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday.

"Gaga style does not equal kooky. I have a natural inclination for haute couture and avant-garde fashion. To me, this is not shocking,'' Lady Gaga said, referring to the skintight outfit by Tokyo-based designer Dress Camp. ``It's vogue and beautiful.''

Lady Gaga was in Seoul for a three-day promotional trip, which included a showcase at Club Answer, Cheongdam-dong Wednesday evening.

The petite blonde singer has topped the charts with catchy dance songs like ``Just Dance,'' ``Poker Face,'' and ``Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say).'' However, it was her eclectic style that elicited more questions during the press conference than her music.

"It's exciting for me (to be considered a fashion icon). A year and a half ago, when I first came out, people said I looked funny. … It's great that now it's so mainstream,'' Lady Gaga said.

Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, Lady Gaga grew up in Manhattan and studied at a private Catholic school where she has said she was an ``outcast.''

Now that she's a star, Lady Gaga still feels like a ``outcast.''

"In some ways I'm still a pop cultural misfit. I don't think I've changed. I'm still myself,'' she laughed.

Beneath the outrageous outfits, it was obvious that Lady Gaga takes her music, fashion and performances very seriously.

"You can say the philosophy of Gaga is fashion-music-technology-performance art. It's an interactive experience for the audience," she said. "I design everything together and New York is the nexus of my inspiration. I was born and raised in New York City. I am inspired by street fashion and the attitude. Andy Warhol is a huge inspiration of mine and I have a lot of Pop Art elements in the show. I am so passionate about my music."

Lady Gaga is planning to release a new version of her debut album, tentatively titled ``The Fame Monster,'' later this year. ``I'm obsessed with 1950s science fiction monster movies. The inspiration from the album comes from the sort of dark infatuation with monsters and apocalypse and darkness and theater. So you will see in this album, a more scary Lady Gaga, if I wasn't already freaking you out enough,'' she said, wryly.

Lady Gaga is currently planning a fall tour with hip-hop star Kanye West in the U.S., but Korean fans just might have a chance to see her againthis summer.

"Nothing's been decided on a international tour with Kanye, but I'm tentatively coming to Korea this summer on my own for some summer festival,'' she said.

During the press conference, Lady Gaga, who loves collecting wigs, was given a traditional Korean wig.

She also revealed that one of her best friends while growing up in New York was a Korean adoptee.

"We used to go out for Korean food together. She's never been here before so I sent her photos and told her about what I've seen here. It's personally very exciting for me,'' she said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Blood: The Last Vampire

Rating:	★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Jun Ji-hyun Shines but 'Blood' Disappoints



Jun Ji-hyun
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

After blockbuster vampire movies like ``Twilight" and ``Thirst," here comes another movie about those bloodsuckers. This time, hallyu star Jun Ji-hyun, also known as Gianna Jun, plays a half-vampire, half-human demon hunter in her first English-speaking role in the film ``Blood: The Last Vampire."

Based on a popular Japanese anime film, series and manga, ``Blood" follows Saya (played by Jun) as she tracks down and brutally kills those nasty demons in human disguise throughout Tokyo in 1970. Saya does the dirty work for a group of mysterious men in black suits, but she is on a personal mission to hunt down the ``oldest and vilest of all demons" Onigen, who she blames for the death of her father.

The youthful but age-less Saya goes undercover at high school at a U.S. military base in Japan, even though one of the characters pointed out ``she's older than all of us combined." She soon rescues Alice, an American student, from two mean girls who turn out to be actual demons.

Directed by Chris Nahon (``Kiss of the Dragon"), ``Blood" suffers from a convoluted plot (especially for someone who has not watched the original anime), cheesy special effects and overacting from the supporting cast.

Some of the stunts are impressive but reminiscent of other Chinese martial arts films, which is probably not surprising since the film's producer is Bill Kong, who also produced ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and ``Hero."

The title ``Blood" should be a clue for how much blood and gore is in the film, but much of the violence seems gratuitous. Do viewers really need to see a close-up of a man gruesomely slashed in half? How many scenes of demons being killed does the viewer really need to see to get that Saya is a fierce fighter? It probably would not have been as bad if the computer-generated effects were better.

Kong defended the violent scenes, saying the film needed stronger, edgier action scenes since it is competing with other action-packed TV series and movies around the world.

The film bombards viewers with non-stop action and violence, but the much-anticipated showdown between Saya and Onigen (played by Japanese actress Koyuki) lacks any real excitement.

Jun is probably the only bright spot in this film. Clad in a Japanese schoolgirl uniform for most of the film, Saya doesn't speak much, preferring to hide her pain behind a tough, almost emotion-less facade.

Jun delivers her lines in fluent English, although at times stiffly, while in comparison, Koyuki's thick accent makes it difficult to understand her lines.

Jun, who gained fame for her role in ``My Sassy Girl," also does well with the action stunts. In a press conference after the film's preview at CGV Yongsan, Thursday, Jun admitted having a hard time preparing for the action scenes, but is pleased with how the movie turned out.

Kong praised Jun for her commitment to the film, and even leaves open the possibility for a sequel.

``When we embarked on this movie, I asked Gianna whether she is willing to commit to doing a movie in English because this is very important. … The second most difficult thing was if she's willing to commit to the time to train to become the biggest action star in the world. It takes a lot of time and devotion and commitment. Looking at the film, I think she did more than we asked for. If there is any sequel to this movie, there's nobody else in the world that can fill the role better," he said.

``Blood," jointly produced by Hong Kong and France, hits theaters in Korea on June 11.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

BEP interview

Black Eyed Peas Come Back with 'Boom'

The Black Eyed Peas' latest hit song ``Boom Boom Pow'' topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for nine straight weeks. / Courtesy of SonyBMG

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Selling over nine million copies of ``Monkey Business'' is a tough feat to follow, but the Black Eyed Peas have come up with another chart-topping album ``The E.N.D.'' The first single ``Boom Boom Pow'' stayed at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 charts for nine weeks.

The Black Eyed Peas are undoubtedly on top of their game. But with an album title like ``The E.N.D,'' many speculated that they were about to call it quits.

In an e-mail interview with The Korea Times, will.i.am and apl.de.ap quickly squashed any speculation about the group's possible breakup.

``Never! That's the stamp of that it's not over, you know, to the rumors and that stuff. We are in a group working together but we have been friends for a long time. I think our friendship is the essence of our longevity,'' will.i.am said.

Along with apl.de.ap, and Taboo, he formed the Black Eyed Peas in 1995, and released two albums. But it wasn't until 2002 when Fergie joined that the group finally achieved mainstream success with breakout album ``Elephunk.''

Their latest album's title stands for ``The Energy Never Dies.'' ``Energy can transfer but it never dies, right? And, also, we wanted to twist the meaning of the word `end.' A lot of people think an `end' is something negative. But we wanted to take things that are negative into positive,'' apl.de.ap said.

Filled with groove-driven, hip-hop dance tracks, ``The E.N.D." is decidedly fun and energetic. Filipino-American apl.de.ap even included a fun Tagalog track about Filipino girls called ``Mare.''

``The E.N.D. is more like going out to clubs and having fun. The beats are heavier. We tried to compete with what's going on now so the album became more trendy and it's full of electro music,'' he said.

But ``Boom Boom Pow'' is the undeniable hit. Going out to clubs while shooting ``X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' in Australia provided the impetus, explained will.i.am.

`The inspiration comes from going out, going out to clubs every day _ well, trying to keep up with this guy (apl.de.ap). Ha, ha. Spreading some electro music, yeah, that's the whole energy and drive,'' will.i.am said.

``Making music now is more like working on it as a daily life. You don't come out with a new album and tell people `this is my new album' anymore. The conventional album was more like you do all the preparation and once the album is out, you're done. You have to give them, for example, different versions of a song, not like a couple of remixes on your single, but you got to keep adding stuff to it and keep changing the song. I think that is more like a diary to me, like I was doing this stuff yesterday and today I'm doing other stuff."

In between their group albums, the Black Eyed Peas have been involved in other projects, such as solo albums and movies. Their solo efforts have helped them evolve as songwriters, producers, performers, and people, say will.i.am and apl.de.ap.

``We keep inspiring each other. Also, being able to travel all over the world made us what we are now, like being able to see all different cultures, peoples and genres. We are not just caught up in this bubble,'' apl.de.ap said.

The Black Eyed Peas have been together for more than a decade, and they're still growing strong. The secret to their longevity is to ``treat the one coming up with respect,'' said will.i.am.

``And you always got to be ahead. It's never like you have done something. Nothing is done. We haven't done anything. We are doing now. As soon as you say you did something, that's the end of it. You always got to be ready to compete, to perform, to be with the audience,'' he added.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Kero One

Rapper-DJ Kero One Makes Waves in US

San Francisco-based rapper-DJ Kero One talks to The Korea Times about his second album ``Early Believers.'' / Courtesy of artist By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

With his infectious tunes, wicked rhymes and a positive message, web-designer-turned-rapper Kero One is making waves in the United States.

In an email interview with The Korea Times, Kero One talked about how he started as an indie artist and his own style of hip-hop music.

Born to Korean parents, Kero One grew up in San Francisco, Calif. Like many Korean children, his parents made him take piano and violin lessons, something he didn't exactly enjoy.

``I hated it (piano and violin), I dreaded practicing, but I did it. I also dreaded performing at piano recitals because I would get really nervous. At that time, I didn't think that I was good at making music. It wasn't until I started rapping and producing at age 15 that I realized I really liked making music,'' Kero One said.

After graduating from college, he worked as a web designer but music beckoned. A fan of hip-hop music, Kero One grew frustrated with the bad hip-hop music at that time, so he decided to make his own. Using home recording equipment and own credit cards, he came out with his first single in 2003.

``I just kept pushing myself and was inspired by all the encouragement I received from fans and friends. Starting out was tough. As many people know, I funded my projects on credit cards and did everything from personally passing out flyers, promos, and putting up posters to get my name out. There was no glamour in being an artist back then. I hustled hard, day and night, to get things started,'' he said.

By a stroke of luck, one of the 50 copies of Kero One's first single found its way in a record shop in Tokyo. A Japanese DJ played it at a club, and it elicited many inquiries, including a Japanese label executive who wanted 3,000 copies. It became a hit, and a few months later, Kero One was invited to perform in cities throughout Japan.

In 2005, Kero One self-produced his first full-length album ``Windmills of the Soul.'' The album was well received by critics and fans, and was even named Best Hip-hop album of 2006 by Reemix magazine.

Buoyed by this success, Kero One decided to make the leap of fate and quit his job as a web designer in 2006. ``I felt like pursuing music full time was my calling,'' he said.

By 2007, Kero One opened the office and recording studio for his own Plug Label in downtown San Francisco. This year, he released his sophomore album ``Early Believers,'' featuring collaborations with British singer Ben Westbeech, Finnish singer Tuomo, and Portland's Ohmega Watts.

``I made sure that every track on my album was a track that I love. The way I test songs to make it to my album is if I can listen to it over 50 times straight and I don't get sick of it, then it will make it to my album,'' he said.

His style has been compared to Common, Q-tip, and Kanye West, but Kero One's music is very positive and upbeat, something that people can appreciate in these difficult times.

``My sound can be labeled as uplifting but soulful. My catalogue of music includes a lot of messages about hope and encouragement, which is something that a lot of people, such as myself, need in these economic difficulties and trying times. I like to entertain people but I always want to convey some sort of message that people can find hope in. In every dark situation there is light, as long as you care to find it right? I want to share that hope,'' he said.

Kero One shared the stage with top Korean hip-hop group Epik High at their concerts in Seoul and U.S. last May, and worked with them on their book album ``Map the Soul.''

``They're all great guys. One thing I noticed immediately was that despite the fact they are stars in Korea, they are level headed and real people. I knew about Epik for a while because I always liked what they were doing musically, especially being that they are fellow Koreans. They've also asked me to do some production work for them so you can expect more collaborations in the future,'' he said.

As for the future, Kero One hopes to continue making music and blogging on kero1.com. ``I will also work on perfecting my Korean grammar skills so that one day I may be able to rap in Korean,'' he said.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Latest Crop of British Artists

Exhibition Brings Latest Crop of British Artists

``Red Studies: Jon, Eva, Molly, Amit, Tony, Helen,'' by Dryden Goodwin

/ Courtesy of organizers

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

For the longest time, the so-called Young British Artists (YBA), led by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Gary Hume, defined British contemporary art. They shocked the art world with their provocative art works and wild antics that attracted widespread media attention.

Today's crop of British contemporary artists are no less talented than the YBAs, but they seem to be much more low-key.

British artists Dryden Goodwin and Nathaniel Rackowe talked to The Korea Times last week about their own art works, as well as the influence of the YBAs on their generation of artists. They were in Seoul for the opening of the ``London Calling: Who Gets to Run the World'' exhibition at the Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Pyeongchang-dong,

Goodwin and Rackowe were both young students when the YBAs made their mark in the art scene in the 1990s.

``For our generation of artists, those YBAs were huge. They opened things up but at the same time, when I was in art school, among the artists, there was almost a certain reaction against what the YBAs were doing. We wanted to sort of differentiate ourselves in a way. But the YBAs have really opened it up. The YBAs were already in a sort of post-modern art world. But I think the idea of post-modernism became even much more broader because of them,'' Rackowe said.

The YBAs made it possible for contemporary art to be discussed in the mainstream culture, but there was also a downside.

``The way the art works were communicated and distilled in the newspapers were very `sound-bite-y.' The kind of complexity of the works was boiled down into these raw sensationalized elements, which was part of the strategy of the artists. So the artists worked with that. For me, that aspect didn't come from a process, but from self-consciousness,'' Goodwin said.

Both artists are aware of the pressure to live up to the YBAs, but it doesn't mean that they are interested in shocking the public.

``I worry the wider public will think contemporary art has to be all about shock value. Actually things have moved on so far. … I don't know any artists who are interested in shocking people anymore. You're in the studio and you're not thinking about that kind of stuff, you think about what's important for you and how to make it into art,'' Rackowe said.

For the exhibition in Seoul, Rackowe is showing several installation pieces that combine light and structure, such as ``Black Shed'' and ``LP 19.''

For Black Shed, Rackowe ordered a shed kit from an online store, cut the wooden pieces into strips, painted it black on the outside and yellow on the inside. Then he placed lights on the inside, which creates lines of light inside the room.

``I'm interested in how we locate ourselves as humans in these crazy cities that we build around us and so I'm always trying to figure out how I exist amid all of this structural mass. So the materials I use, it's important to use the stuff that are used to surround us, the kind of regular materials, stuff that isn't really designed. I take those objects, combine and deconstruct them a bit, and try to trace the situation where as a viewer, you're forced to reconsider your surroundings,'' Rackowe said.

On the other hand, Goodwin's art combines drawing, photography, and film. ``Red Studies'' features delicate portraits of his friends and family that are based on photographs, while ``Searching Damien'' is a series of portraits of his brother, which are also animated in a small video iPod.

``I'm interested in the nature of portraiture and how to make time explicit part of the experience of a piece of work. … With portraits for family and friends, you already have a relationship with them but through the activity of drawing, it provides a duration of time to think about a person,'' Goodwin said.

The ``London Calling'' exhibition hoped to introduce the best of the current generation of British artists to the Korean audience.

``We wanted to cover the different media and, of course, get the most important and most talked about artists at this moment in London,'' said Eunice Eunbok Yu, director for London-based I-MYU Projects, which organized the exhibition.

Other participating artists include Philip Allen, Fiona Banner, David Batchelor, Martin Creed, Peter McDonald and Gary Webb. Incidentally, the title of the exhibition is taken from the song by British punk rockers The Clash.

To get to the museum, get off Gwanghwamun Station Line 3, Exit 3. Take the 1020 or 1711 green bus, and get off at Lotte-Samsung Apartment stop. Visit www.totalmuseum.com or call (02) 379-7037.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Gautier interview @ Opera Gallery

Gautier's Sculptures at Opera Gallery

``La Mere et La Fille'' by Marie Madeleine Gautier

/ Courtesy of Opera Gallery

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

French sculptor Marie Madeleine Gautier's smooth, rounded sculptures at the Opera Gallery Seoul appear to be a celebration of the female form.

But the works, characterized by tiny heads, elongated torsos and voluptuous hips and legs, are not meant to convey any ideological feminist concepts.

In an interview with The Korea Times at the gallery Monday, Gautier said she is more interested in the idea of contradictions.

``I wanted to make the head as small as possible, and the legs and hips as big as possible. I'm interested in the contradiction between the small head, long arms with the legs that are very big and firm. This kind of disproportion is not usually thought of as beautiful, but in the sculptures, you can see it can also be beautiful. The focus is not the woman. The woman is just the language. What I want to convey is harmony,'' she said.

Gautier was in Seoul for the opening of the ``Love Me Tender'' exhibition at Opera Gallery, Cheongdam-dong.

She has been making art since she was three years old. Born in 1956, she studied at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. Her sculptures have been likened to Giacometti for the elongated forms, and Henry Moore for the smooth, sensuous surfaces.

Her bronze sculptures have very small heads and the faces usually do not have any details or expressions. Gautier believes in the power of body language, which expresses real and true emotions.

``In general, we believe in the expression of the face. But actually I am more concerned with language of the body. We can lie with our faces. We can pretend to be happy. But the body expression is the real language. I don't make the face detailed. Without any facial details or expression, we can concentrate on the body language and what the body is saying,'' she said.

In ``La Mere et La Fille,'' there are two sculptures, a larger one of the mother and a smaller one of the daughter.

``This is about the relationship of the mother and the daughter. The sculptures are similar. The daughter is looking at her mother and copying her movements but doing it in a slightly different way. The mother is her mirror but the daughter is still her own person. The mother is always looking at her daughter to protect her,'' Gautier explained.

Interestingly, the two sculptures can be rearranged in different ways, and alter the meaning of the piece.

Her inspiration for the sculptures comes from everyday life, people, and friends. But it may take Gautier weeks, if not months and years, to transform her ideas into a finished sculpture piece.

For ``Un Jour Peut-etre,'' Gautier said she had the idea to make a sculpture showing a lady sitting on the back of a chair around 15 years ago. But it took her a while before she finally executed the sculpture to her satisfaction. In fact, the new sculpture is being shown for the first time anywhere in the world.

It was Gautier's first time in Seoul, but she immediately took a liking to the architecture, the trees in the streets and the friendly people. Her eye-catching hairstyle ― short blue dyed-hair tied at the top with a gray hair scrunchie ― usually elicits stares elsewhere, but only seems to attract friendly smiles from Seoulites.

``Everyone is so friendly. They look at me and smile at me like I'm their friend,'' Gautier said, with a laugh.

The ``Love Me Tender'' show, also featuring paintings by Paris-based artists Kelyne, runs through July 7 at the Opera Gallery, which is located on the first floor of Nature Poem Building, Cheongdam-dong. E-mail seoul@operagallery.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

celebrities support Compassion Korea

Celebrities Support 'Compassion Korea'

Korean celebrities, including actress Shin Ae-ra, second from right, participate in a fashion show, featuring designs by Park Yoon-soo, for the children’s charity Compassion Korea, at KT Art Hall, Gwanghwamun, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Celebrities like Shin Ae-ra, Lee Yoon-mi, Hwangbo, Park Si-eun, and Ricky Kim cheerfully walked down the runway wearing colorful oversized tops and shirts specially designed by Park Yoon-soo.

But this was no ordinary fashion show, since Park's designs were inspired by the drawings of children who are sponsored by the charity Compassion Korea. The Korean celebrities took part in the ``2009 Friends of Compassion'' event for charity at the KT Art Hall, Gwanghwamun, Tuesday.

Shin, who is a public ambassador for Compassion Korea, was at the event with her husband and fellow actor Cha In-pyo. The star couple, who have been deeply involved in the charity since 2003, are sponsor parents to 33 children around the world.

The celebrities who participated in the fashion show were also members of the Compassion Band, a musical group led by Cha. The Compassion Band will give a special performance at 12- 1 p.m. at the KT Art Hall, Saturday.

Aside from the fashion show, a photo exhibition and daily performances by various musicians are also being staged through Sunday.

The fourth annual exhibition features photographs taken by fashion photographer Ho Huh. Ho traveled to the Philippines, Haiti and Thailand to take photographs of the lives of children sponsored by Compassion Korea.

Ho's photographs show children living, studying and playing in dilapidated homes, surrounded by squalor and poverty. Yet, the children's faces are filled with smiles, hopes, and dreams of a better future.

``I may have captured the reality of children's lives too beautifully. I can't show the terrible reality to the people who have never seen them with only one picture. I can't deliver the terrible stinking smell of poverty,'' he said, in the exhibition essay.

The photos show the positive impact the sponsors have on children and their families who are living in poverty. Ho was touched by the children's dreams of being a teacher or policeman, or simply to take good care of their family.

``Children are dreaming at this moment. Compassion's children hold on to their dreams with the support and encouragement of the sponsors and their family,'' he said.

The ``2009 Friends of Compassion'' events are a way to thank the organization's sponsors and donors. The photo exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at KT Art Hall.

Through these events, Compassion Korea organizers hope more people will be encouraged to sponsor children from less fortunate countries.

American evangelist Everett Swanson founded Compassion International in 1952. It was a ministry and charity focused on helping Korean orphans during the war. In 2003, Korea, now a developed country, joined the organization as a sponsor. Compassion Korea currently helps 60,000 children in different countries, including Haiti, Philippines, Bangladesh, Thailand and Africa.

To get to KT Art Hall, get off at Gwanghwamun Station Line 5, Exit 2. For information about Compassion Korea, email info@compassion.or.kr or visit www.compassion.or.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Kent Henricksen at Arario Seoul

Duality of Snakes in Henricksen's Art

“Heavenly Hostilities” is one of the new works presented by Kent Henricksen at his solo show at Arario Gallery Seoul. / Courtesy of Arario Gallery Seoul
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

When American artist Kent Henricksen was growing up in New Haven, Conn., he and his friends would catch small snakes, put them in a bucket and play with them.

``Now, if I see a snake, I'm never touching it. I don't know how I did it when I was a kid," Henricksen laughed.

The only snakes that Henricksen deals with these days are the ones he creates in his artworks. The 35-year-old met with The Korea Times last week at his exhibition, which introduced a new series featuring snakes, at the Arario Gallery Seoul.

``This is a new series that I'm debuting here. It's based on snakes and the duality of snakes, a powerful creature in ancient times, and an evil creature in the Bible tempting Eve. I'm playing with good and evil. This new series is creating patterns using images of snakes, as opposed to the older works, where I was just using Art Nouveau patterns and medallions from other time periods. I'm creating the patterns instead of appropriating them," Henricksen said.

Henricksen created a blue wallpaper covering one side of the gallery's wall. From afar, it may look like some unusual ethnic or calligraphy pattern, but upon closer scrutiny, one will find an intriguing pattern of thin, curved snakes and hooded angels on the silkscreen wallpaper titled ``Snakes."

His first solo show in Seoul also features silkscreen pieces embroidered with eerie-looking hooded figures and porcelain sculptures.

Embroidery may seem like an unusual thing for a male to do. But Henricksen says he was inspired to embroider after traveling around Asia for a year, visiting countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and India.

``During that time, I became familiar with two things, embroidery in northern Vietnam and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. I tried to incorporate the two things when I went back to New York, making little suicide bombers on small pieces of canvas. I did that for a year. Then I started embroidering the hooded figures on these fabrics," said Henricksen.

Initially, he incorporated into his works the uniforms of the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, a group of suicide bombers in the 1970s who fought for independence. Then he noted that there have always been masked figures in different countries throughout history, such as the white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the United States. The figures started resembling ghosts of the KKK, thieves in ski masks or medieval executioners.

With its gold frame, ``Country Still II" looks like an idyllic Victorian-inspired scene, except the two figures have been covered in embroidery. This juxtaposes the harsh violence symbolized by the masked characters with the feminine medium of embroidery.

``By observing the masked characters dispersed throughout the picture plane, the audience is reminded of words such as robbery, terror, assassination and fear. The imagery has a very approximate relationship to the violence that has always existed throughout human history. … Henricksen calls attention to the passiveness that we feel for the atrocities in the world, especially when they are not directly ours to suffer through," Arario Gallery said, in a statement.

For Henricksen, art is a way to connect people. ``In my narrative base, there is a storyline we can all work with and talk about, and experience together," he said.

The exhibition runs through June 21. Arario Seoul is located near Anguk Station Line 3 Exit 1. Closed on Mondays. Admission is free. Visit www.arariogallery.co.kr or call (02) 723-6190.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

Jim Lambie's striped floors @ Atelier Hermes

Artist Makes Striped Floors at Hermes

Jim Lambie's “Nervous Track” exhibition at Atlelier Hermes
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

With neon-colored strips of tape covering the entire floor of Atelier Hermes, people may wonder if this is a new design for the luxury goods maker's flagship store.

No, it's not. The dizzying, almost psychedelic, strips of color are part of ``Nervous Track,'' Scottish artist Jim Lambie's first exhibition in Seoul on the 3rd floor of the Hermes flagship store in Sinsa-dong.

The Korea Times talked with Lambie Tuesday while he and two assistants were putting the finishing touches to his floor installation.

``The shape of the piece is all dictated by the architecture… The more complicated the space, the more interesting it can look. Even on the simplest space, there are architectural discrepancies that can send ripples in the room. Every space is different, so I am always surprised at how it looks,'' he said.

Lambie's signature floor installations are called Zobop. The artist, a graduate of Glasgow School of Art, first introduced Zobop at his first solo show at the Transmission Gallery in Glasgow late in 1999.

``The question was how to empty and fill up the space at the same time. It was a challenge for me, so I decided to use the floor area to do that. At that time, I've been making sculptures with tape, covering things with tape, so I thought I can cover the space with tape. The idea developed, I started to think about the shape of the space, and use the tape to navigate the shape and edges, add another layer to the piece. I thought about color and thought this was the opportunity to do the most colorful piece I can imagine,'' he said.

His Zobop installations have covered the floors of the Duveen Gallery at Tate Britain, Tate St. Ives, Oxford's Museum of Modern Art and even the catwalk for Louis Vuitton in Paris.

As for the name Zobop, it was something he got from a graffiti tag. ``I don't know who (Zobop) is, but he seems to be very popular,'' Lambie laughed.

Wearing a black jacket and jeans, Lambie was easy-going and relaxed, but has that indescribable ``coolness'' about him. He is also a DJ and musician, playing in a group called The Boy Hairdressers, and now part of a new band called Arthur Black (although he admitted his band only has two songs and has yet to play a gig because of his busy schedule).

Titles of his works are usually taken from song titles, prompting many to speculate about how music influenced him. But Lambie thinks it's the other way around.

``My work never started from a position of trying to explain or talk about music. My concerns are mainly sculptural and the fact that the rhythm is in the piece. I think it is more about my everyday life and my interests that bleed into the work rather than as a starting point. I've never made a piece of work trying to talk about or explain music. It just seeps in. I'm happy about that. In a way it adds another element to the work,'' he said.

The exhibition title ``Nervous Track'' was taken from a club tune, but it is also the name of Lambie's new film work. He filmed an almost empty bottle (filled with tiny amounts of his own body fluids) rolling around in the back of a van while driving around the hills near Glasgow.

Also at the exhibit are oil paintings of flowers placed on top of posters of musicians like John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Billie Holliday and the Ramones, as well as ``Psychedelic Soul Sticks'' (bamboo sticks with various objects covered in yards of thread).

When it comes to the ``meaning'' of his works, Lambie wants viewers to bring and take away what they wish. ``I don't think of myself as a teacher, I don't have hard-edged meanings for the works, I like to think the work is much more democratic than that. Anyone should feel relaxed and be able to bring their own thoughts to it,'' he said.

Even though he was short-listed for the prestigious Turner Prize in 2005, the 45-year-old Lambie says it didn't really affect him. He is still surprised at how successful his art career turned out.

``I never sold my first piece until I was 37. At that stage, I wasn't expecting anything. It was just nice that people liked my work, anything else was like a bonus,'' he said, with a wry smile.

Lambie's show runs through Aug. 9 at Atelier Hermes.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

april stories

'Magnetic Power' Brings ASEAN, Korean Artists Closer

“Kerbau” by Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann / Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Center
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

While already well acquainted with Southeast Asia's beautiful beaches and picturesque tourist spots, Koreans are still unfamiliar with the region's art and culture.

The on-going exhibition ``Magnetic Power'' is aimed at bridging the cultural gap by bringing attention to the exciting world of photography and new media art in Korea and Southeast Asia.

Works by 20 artists from countries under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 10 artists from Korea have been gathered for this unique contemporary photography and media art exhibition.

The event is being held as part of the upcoming special summit between Korea and ASEAN, from June 1 to 2 on Jeju island. ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and political conflicts, ``Magnetic Power'' hopes to highlight the relationships among the participating countries and to emphasize respect for different views and cultures. It also serves to examine the diverse political, economic, religious, and cultural aspects of Korean and Southeast Asian societies.

Curator Kim Yu-yeon choose the Korean and Southeast Asian artists after doing researching the art scene in the various countries. She also discovered some artists who had participated in international exhibitions and biennales.

A total of nine galleries, located in Samcheong-dong, Palpan-dong, Daehangno, and Gangnam, are participating in the exhibition, which runs through June 6.

At the Coreana Museum of Art/ space*c in Gangnam, viewers will find photographs such as Vietnamese artist Hoang Duong Cam's ``The Long Bien Bridge,'' and Thai artist Montri Toemsombat's ``Thai Dream.''

Also at the museum, Barry Sli, a photographer from Brunei, also presented a series of photographs taken during his country's National Day celebrations. Indonesian artist Kuswidananto Jompet created a video installation that examines the coexistence of traditional and modern values in Javanese society.

In Daehangno, Gallery Jungmiso is showing works of Cambodian photojournalist Vandy Rattana, who captures the gritty reality of urban Phnom Penh.

Seven galleries, namely Gallery Sun Contemporary, Gallery Jinsun, Lee C Gallery, Hanbyukwon Gallery, Gallery Doll, Kimhyunjoo Gallery and Gallery Sang, are located in the Samcheong-dong and Palpan-dong areas.

At Lee C Gallery, Filipino artist Poklong Anading presents ``Light Suffers If There's No Place to Fall From,'' that tackles the theme of light and ``how it reflects identity and behavior.''

Hanbyukwon Gallery is showing Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann's ``Kerbau.'' The photograph began as a tribute to the Southeast Asian water buffalo but took on a socio-political theme as Yee became influenced by the street demonstrations in her country.

``Magnetic Power'' is the first inter-cultural exhibition organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre. The project was aimed at creating partnerships between ASEAN and Korean art and cultural groups, and to introduce new aspects of the member countries' diverse culture to Korea.

Established in March 2009, the ASEAN-Korea Centre is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting economic and socio-cultural tourism cooperation among ASEAN countries and Korea. Visit www.aseankorea.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

 

Arko Art Center Celebrates 30 Years in Daehangno

Listening Company” by ps is part of the “100 Daehangro” exhibition at Arko Art Center. / Courtesy of Arko Art Center

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

In the 1970s, Daehangno was the hub of youth and university culture in Seoul. As its name is translated as ``college street," it was known as the area where students from nearby universities gathered.

Now, Daehangno is filled with theaters, cinemas, shops, bars and cafes, but often overlooked is the Arko Art Center. Since moving in 1979, it has occupied the space formerly occupied by the Seoul National University College of Liberal Arts and Science in the street for the last 30 years.

This year, Arko Art Center is commemorating this milestone with an exhibition called ``100 Daehangro," referring to the center's address. It has reflected the changes in the cultural environment of Daehangno throughout the years.

``This is our 30th anniversary in Daehangno, but we didn't want to focus on celebrating. We wanted to have this chance to question ourselves as a public art center, and what kind of role we have in Daehangno," said Kwon Jin, Arko Art Center communications manager.

The exhibition has taken on significant meaning, as the Arko Art Center is once again at a crossroads. The government is planning to transform it from a center devoted solely to art into a cultural hub with a theater for dance and performances later this year.

For the current exhibition, curators Kim Hyung-mi and An Hyun-joo invited 30 artists and art groups to bring the personal and collective memories and experiences of the center into the visual arts. Their paintings, installations, sound and performance art all encourage interaction with visitors.

One of the first things that will catch people's attention are the names stenciled on the red bricks of the center. Kim Seung-young had the idea that the walls are filled with traces of people who have passed it by, so he decided to literally write their names on the bricks.

Inside, Park Ki-won's ``air cubes" serve as wall partitions. Lee Mi-kyung constructed a stage where different performances will be held, juxtaposed with a giant picture frame puzzle.

On one side of the wall are reproductions of old album covers from the 1980s, a work by Park Joo-yeon that hopes to trigger visitor memories of the decade.

Sasa [44] and Sulki & Min collected greetings from exhibition catalogues over the last 30 years into a book, and photos of the artists into a slide projection.

Jackson Hong sought to make as little a mark as possible in the exhibition space. On the second floor, visitors can find the angles of the walls and spaces have been curved as part of Hong's ``30R."

Works by Korean artists, who had a significant influence on the Arko Art Center since the 1970s, are displayed on the deep red-painted walls. Artists include Kim Ku-lim, Kim Eull, Min Joung-ki, Park Hyun-ki, Lee Seung-teak, Joo Jae-hwan and Hong Kyoung-tack.

Visitors will probably be surprised to find a live bird placed in a cage inside the center. Koo Dong-hee tackles questions about the center by comparing it to a pet bird that is bred and trained to please its owner.

As part of the exhibition, Arko Art Center is holding a weekly program series ``made-community," giving the audience a chance to personally interact with the artists.

First-generation Korean performance artists Lee Kun-yong (June 2), Sung Neung-kyung (June 9) and Lee Seung-ta (June 16) will be conducting master classes about performance art.

``Listening company" by ps is a community project involving the Philippine market/community, which gathers near the Catholic church in Daehangno every Sunday. Performances will be held June 14 and 28 and July 5.

Sung Kiwan + Yunsabi will perform ``watchingmeimprovising" at 3 p.m. on June 6, and ``watchingmetalking" at 3 p.m. on June 27. Boochoolaamaa will play their unique music May 30, June 6 and July 4.

Tickets are 2,000 won for adults and 1,000 won for children. Opening hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed on Mondays). To get there, get off at Hyehwa Station Line 4 Exit 2. Visit www.arkoartcenter.or.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

 

Sneak Peek at Korea's Rising Artists

“The One - 1” by Koh Myung-keun
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Art lovers in Seoul can get a sneak peek at the upcoming ``Moon Generation'' exhibition featuring rising Korean contemporary artists that is to be held in London next month.

Works can be previewed on the 5th floor of the SC First Bank building in Chungmuro through Saturday.

Banking giant Standard Chartered, Phillips de Pury & Company and Korean Eye have organized ``Moon Generation'' to promote Korean contemporary art abroad. They have brought together a group of leading artists for simultaneous exhibitions at the renowned Saatchi Gallery from June 20 to July 5 and at the Phillips de Pury space, Howick Place from June 20 to July 1. The art will be sold at the Phillips de Pury contemporary art sales from July 2 to 3.

Curator Lee Dae-hyung chose the artists who he felt were not only relevant in Korea, but also interesting for international collectors.

As for the title ``Moon Generation,'' Lee explained, ``The moon has traditionally been associated with the East and the sun with the West. In the complex process of an eclipse, the sun and moon reconfigure themselves as one passes by the other, often casting a shadow of reflection. In a way, the eclipse suggests an encounter between Korean and Western Contemporary Art, and instead of establishing a hierarchy, the new relationship between the two has become one of symbiosis.''

As can be seen in the preview, the works show the diversity and creativity of Korean artists. There's Bahk Seon-ghi's sculpture of flattened chairs, Lee Yong-baek's fake fish, Sim Seung-wook's black line sculptures and Lee Hyung-koo's playful but realistic skeletons of cartoon characters.

Kim Joon's ``bird land-donald duck" shows digitalized tattoos of Donald Duck on naked bodies. Debbie Han's ``Secretive Three Graces" shows images of Korean female bodies with faces based on the Greek goddess Venus. Park Jung-hyuk made a ``flesh landscape" out of photos from magazines, movies and porn sites.

Some artists offered a new twist on traditional Korean art.

Whang Inkie recreated a traditional landscape with plastic Lego blocks for ``Pla Mountain 09-188.'' Lee Lee-nam breathed life into the iconic images from traditional Asian folding screens by making a digital version for his ``Digital Eight-fold Screen."

The ``Moon Generation'' exhibition is the brainchild of Parallel Media Group chairman David Ciclitira, who became enamored with Korean contemporary art after several visits to the country. He founded Korean Eye, with the aim of promoting understanding of Korean contemporary art internationally.

``As a collector, I see the talent here as probably superior to Chinese or Japanese art. The challenge is to find people to promote Korean art for the long term. I think this exhibition will attract a lot of attention in London,'' Ciclitira said in March.

Standard Chartered has also given its full support for the project, as it hopes to act as ``a bridge between Korea and the rest of the world in promoting Korean contemporary art in the international arena.''

Visit www.koreaneye.org.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

 

april stories

'Magnetic Power' Brings ASEAN, Korean Artists Closer

“Kerbau” by Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann / Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Center
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

While already well acquainted with Southeast Asia's beautiful beaches and picturesque tourist spots, Koreans are still unfamiliar with the region's art and culture.

The on-going exhibition ``Magnetic Power'' is aimed at bridging the cultural gap by bringing attention to the exciting world of photography and new media art in Korea and Southeast Asia.

Works by 20 artists from countries under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 10 artists from Korea have been gathered for this unique contemporary photography and media art exhibition.

The event is being held as part of the upcoming special summit between Korea and ASEAN, from June 1 to 2 on Jeju island. ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and political conflicts, ``Magnetic Power'' hopes to highlight the relationships among the participating countries and to emphasize respect for different views and cultures. It also serves to examine the diverse political, economic, religious, and cultural aspects of Korean and Southeast Asian societies.

Curator Kim Yu-yeon choose the Korean and Southeast Asian artists after doing researching the art scene in the various countries. She also discovered some artists who had participated in international exhibitions and biennales.

A total of nine galleries, located in Samcheong-dong, Palpan-dong, Daehangno, and Gangnam, are participating in the exhibition, which runs through June 6.

At the Coreana Museum of Art/ space*c in Gangnam, viewers will find photographs such as Vietnamese artist Hoang Duong Cam's ``The Long Bien Bridge,'' and Thai artist Montri Toemsombat's ``Thai Dream.''

Also at the museum, Barry Sli, a photographer from Brunei, also presented a series of photographs taken during his country's National Day celebrations. Indonesian artist Kuswidananto Jompet created a video installation that examines the coexistence of traditional and modern values in Javanese society.

In Daehangno, Gallery Jungmiso is showing works of Cambodian photojournalist Vandy Rattana, who captures the gritty reality of urban Phnom Penh.

Seven galleries, namely Gallery Sun Contemporary, Gallery Jinsun, Lee C Gallery, Hanbyukwon Gallery, Gallery Doll, Kimhyunjoo Gallery and Gallery Sang, are located in the Samcheong-dong and Palpan-dong areas.

At Lee C Gallery, Filipino artist Poklong Anading presents ``Light Suffers If There's No Place to Fall From,'' that tackles the theme of light and ``how it reflects identity and behavior.''

Hanbyukwon Gallery is showing Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann's ``Kerbau.'' The photograph began as a tribute to the Southeast Asian water buffalo but took on a socio-political theme as Yee became influenced by the street demonstrations in her country.

``Magnetic Power'' is the first inter-cultural exhibition organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre. The project was aimed at creating partnerships between ASEAN and Korean art and cultural groups, and to introduce new aspects of the member countries' diverse culture to Korea.

Established in March 2009, the ASEAN-Korea Centre is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting economic and socio-cultural tourism cooperation among ASEAN countries and Korea. Visit www.aseankorea.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr