Having being forced to think about issues concerning the presentation of Korean culture in London for the recent seminar at I-MYU, here are some additional thoughts, with maybe some more to come. The current exhibition at the Cultural Centre provides a stimulating and thought-provoking panorama of environmental issues. Present at the opening reception were two … [Read More]
Month: October 2009
Gansong Art Museum – a must-visit if you are in Seoul May or October
Paul in Uijeongbu visits the Gansong Art Museum (간송미술관) in Seongbuk-gu, northern Seoul. Only open twice a year, and full of priceless treasures http://bit.ly/uf5jYH [Read More]
MacGyver and the Imjin War
I was puzzled when I learned that Koreans regard the time bomb as a proud addition to their list of inventions. This is because I associate the time bomb with incidents involving James Bond and MacGyver, in which the emphasis is on defusing the bomb and foiling the plans of an evil terrorist. Although it has … [Read More]
Have I got Nanta for you
Sharp-eyed fans of the BBC TV comedy news quiz Have I Got News For You will have spotted a still from Nanta just before the closing credits in the show which aired on 17 October. Just after the final “caption competition”, the presenter is allowed two final illustrated one-liners. And the show’s researchers had unearthed … [Read More]
Dorothy Yoon at SaLon gallery
Notice of a solo exhibition by Dorothy Yoon at SaLon gallery. A brief review is appended in the comment section. Dorothy Yoon: “8 Of Heroines” 14th October – 22nd November 2009 SaLon Gallery, 82 Westbourne Grove London W2 5RT http://salongallery.co.uk/ SaLon Gallery presents Dorothy Yoon’s London debut solo exhibition entitled ‘8 Of Heroines’ featuring the … [Read More]
True to Younee – a review of Younee’s international debut album
“It’s not my kind of thing. Why don’t you have a listen?” So said a well-connected jazz buff to me a couple of months ago. He happened to have a promotional copy of Younee’s debut Western album. “She’s coming to London later this year to do some gigs at Pizza Express.” I was happy to … [Read More]
Gong Myoung in Chichester — Korean Musicians Win English Hearts
Jennifer Barclay, author of Meeting Mr Kim, reviews Gong Myoung at the Chichester Festival Theatre, 12 October 2009 He enters the stage wearing an oversized orange hat and sunglasses, carrying a toolbox and a walking stick. From the toolbox he takes out a saw and a drill, saws off the end of the walking stick, … [Read More]
Kwon Kisoo at Flowers East
Notice of a solo show by Kwon Kisoo, whose work was recently seen at the Moon Generation exhibition. KWON KISOO “From Deep Black” Flowers Gallery, 21 Cork Street, London W1S 3LZ 8 – 31 October 2009 Opening times: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-2 Born in 1972, Kwon Kisoo trained in classical Korean painting at Hongik University. … [Read More]
Indieful RoK in the Herald Biz
Yup, that’s me in the HeraldBiz. In a hanbok a bit too small while drinking tea the traditional Korean way — confesses Anna Lindgren of @Indiefulrok. http://u8grq.tk # [Read More]
The Turtle Ship
There is a story that when the nascent Korean shipping industry was attempting to raise capital, Barclays asked what the Koreans could provide in the way of security for the loan. The Korean executive is said to have taken a 500 won bill from his pocket, which featured the turtle ship of Yi Sun-sin, and … [Read More]
An evening with the Korean Artists Association – event report
Last summer, the Korean Artists Association put on an evening of performances at the Korean cultural centre. The evening was well attended and popular, but somehow you felt that they could do better. They came back 15 months later and did just that. Recognising that the visual artists did not get much of a look-in … [Read More]
Tearliner revisited
Anna Lindgren of Indieful ROK gets in touch with Tearliner again, two years after her first interview. The past couple of years, my favourite Tearliner has gone from being the loveliest of indie musicians to becoming the excellent music director that perfectly sets the mood for any scene. Working on popular dramas he’s largely responsible … [Read More]
Korea’s 21st Century Music: There and Now
Notice of a concert of traditional and fusion music at the British Museum on 30 October: Korea’s 21st Century Music: There and Now The British museum, BP Lecture Theatre Tickets: £5 – Concessions £3 Friday 30th October 2009: 19.00~20.30 Booking Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8181 www.britishmuseum.org As a part of this autumn’s programme of traditional … [Read More]
Korean Literature Workshop with Ch’oe Yun
Alas, it comes too late to give me any useful input into the Korean Literature Translation Institute’s essay competition, but this is a worthwhile initiative: The Korean Literature Workshop With Ch’oe Yun, the author of ‘There a Petal Silently Falls’ The Korean Cultural Centre Tuesday 27th October 2009: 18.30~21.00 Facilitator: Dr Jo Elfving-Hwang, the University … [Read More]
Behind the scenes with the KAA
The plan for an evening of performance and visual arts at the KCC came quite suddenly, and when I met Park Sunnee for a quick chat about it six weeks ago the plans all seemed rather vague. I have in the past been sceptical about Korean organisational abilities, and the mountain to climb in such … [Read More]
Tweeting the KAA October performance
19 Oct 2009: Photos from the Korean Artists at the KCC event (16 October) are up on Flickr http://bit.ly/1qhGtz. Thanks to Mr Lee Hyung-wook of The East # 17 Oct 2009: Totally relieved that the KAA event at the KCC is over. I think it was a massive success. Well done all. # 16 Oct … [Read More]