Overdosed on high culture recently? What could be better than a Saturday afternoon slobbing out on the sofa in front of a not too demanding film, with a beer and some nachos in front of you? The film is the thriller Desire to Kill, courstesy of the Asian Movies Meetup Group and Terracotta Distribution, who … [Read More]
Month: July 2012 (page 3)
Korea’s Black Eagles steal the shows
Amy Lloyd, a regular spectator on the air show circuit, catches the Black Eagles in Gloucester. The Black Eagles Display team are The Republic of Korea’s Air Force Aerobatic Team, and run eight supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle jets. This season was their first in the UK and so far they have attended three major air … [Read More]
Gumok: a simple, powerful portrayal of the story of a young Comfort Woman
In general, my heart sinks when I have to go to a musical. I’ve rarely come across a piece of music theatre from the last 50 years where the quality of the music and lyrics has lived up to the ambition of the production as a whole. The two big Korean musicals that have shown … [Read More]
Korean Music: Tradition, Innovation, and Identity
For those not going to HJ Lim’s barnstorming debut at the Wigmore on Friday evening, there’s the last of this month’s All Eyes on Korea / Global Korea Lectures on aspects of Korean culture. Wish I could do both. If you’ve heard Keith Howard lecture before, you know you’re in for a fascinating evening at … [Read More]
Introducing Korean Cuisine at the KCC
Book immediately for what promises to be a very popular demonstration at the KCC on Wednesday. Introducing Korean Cuisine DATE: Wednesday 18 July 2012, 19.00 VENUE: Korean Cultural Centre UK Master Chef Tony Yoo Executive Chef with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea Korean Cuisine is known across the world for its taste and … [Read More]
The Butcher of Culloden is brought to life in soap
This is an idea I like. Many of you may have seen Meekyoung Shin’s soap sculptures before — she had a huge solo show at the Haunch of Venison last year. One of her themes is examining how her soap sculptures erode over time, and in the past she has worked on her “Toilet Project” … [Read More]
Soon Yul Kang at Art in Action 2012
KAA chairman Soon Yul Kang has been invited as a demonstrating artist at Art in Action since 2010. She will again be there from July 19 -22, at Waterperry House, Wheatley, Oxfordshire. She shows her serene tapestries and demonstrates how she works in the Textiles marquee. She also will be exhibiting her woven tapestry at … [Read More]
Japanese invaders colonise Dokdo
This month’s Korea.net magazine features Dokdo, but in cataloguing the island’s human and plant inhabitants, the magazine reveals five species with suspiciously Japanese-sounding names that have a firm foothold on the Korean islands. In the plant world, there’s Artemisia japonica var. macrocephala Pampan and Rumex japonicus Houttuyn (both ominously said to be “spreading quickly these … [Read More]
Korean Eye 2012 at the Saatchi Gallery
After a break from London last year, Korean Eye is back, bigger than ever, taking over the whole of the Saatchi Gallery – not just a couple of rooms. All the works are owned by the Korean Eye organisation, but this exhibition has been independently curated. A great contribution to all the Korean cultural events … [Read More]
Which Korean TV programmes would YOU buy?
LKL’s editor poses as a TV suit at a 2012 trade fair where a wide range of Korean TV programmes from many genres are being touted to potential UK buyers. He takes a semi-humorous but critical look at which programmes might work for LKL’s hypothetical TV service. TLDR: some will work better than others… [Read More]
Rachmaninov, Flamenco and Han: LKL meets pianist HJ Lim
LKL is surprised four times in the space of a twenty minute interview with Korean pianist HJ Lim, and ends up an even bigger fan than before. Having enthusiastically listened to HJ Lim’s industry debut at Abbey Road Studios in May, and having purchased her boxed set of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas, we’re really … [Read More]
HJ Lim’s Wigmore debut
Korean pianist HJ Lim has her official London debut at the Wigmore Hall on 20 July 2012. Expect passion and nostalgia in her Rachmaninov, and an explosive opening to her Hammerklavier. LKL heard her at Abbey Road studios earlier this year, and got a chance to interview her this week. We’ll be in the front … [Read More]
La Chun Hyang – a traditional tale brought up to date with ballet. Free admission!
The story of Chun Hyang, Korea’s most famous Pansori tale, has been updated and choreographed into a ballet. Catch it for free at the Peacock Theatre on Thursday 19th July. Here’s a trailer to give an idea of the style of the production, and you can see some stills from the ballet on their Facebook … [Read More]
Yeondoo Jung in Irrepressible Seoul: Contemporary Korean Video Art
It was refreshing to have a drink while watching video art at the Hackney Picturehouse. Yeondoo Jung’s ‘Handmade memories’ in particular caught my eye. I saw it in an exhibition setting at a gallery space in South Korea but this time it became a different work. When I went to his exhibition in the gallery, … [Read More]
A little memory of Korea for your walls – lovely woodblock prints at Mokspace
With their current exhibition, Underneath the Gam Tree, MokSpace continues its recent form of putting on exhibitions of work which is both affordable and desirable. Hyun Jeung’s woodblock prints will remind you perhaps of William Morris or Charles Voysey: gingko, peony, persimmon, jasmine and apple (reflecting her childhood origins in Daegu) in delicate interweaving patterns. … [Read More]
Kim Beom: The School of Inversion at the Hayward Gallery
While the KCC holds a two-month long exhibition in Grand Buildings, a parallel exhibition is at the Hayward Gallery Project Space, also as part of All Eyes on Korea, the 100 day festival of Korean culture linked to the Olympics: Kim Beom: The School of Inversion Hayward Project Space, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre 17 July … [Read More]