Night Break, the current show at Mokspace, compares two Korean photographers who work at night. One of Kim Shin-wook’s ghostly tree pictures, in which the tree is picked out in foreground brightness against a dark background, won him an award at this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. At Mokspace we are able to see a … [Read More]
Year: 2013 (page 3)
Inside North Korea – Life, Love, and The Leader
Ambassador John Everard, British Ambassador to North Korea from 2006-2008, delivers the 2013 Ra Jong-Yil Lecture in Korean Studies in the Umney Theatre, Robinson College, Tuesday 3 December, 5pm Inside North Korea – Life, Love, and The Leader Ambassador Everard will talk about his experiences there and about the lives both of the North Koreans … [Read More]
Gig review: Hyelim Kim, Byron Wallen + notes inégales
I’m sure most of you have been in the scenario of trying to get a drink in a busy bar, with an overstretched barman (or maid) not having a clue who’s next in the unspoken queue. He looks around, and whoever shouts loudest gets served. You wonder if you will ever get your thirst quenched. … [Read More]
Cloud Atlas – one Hollywood appearance of which a Korean actor can be proud
How many Hollywood films have you seen, featuring Korean actors, where you have thought “Yes, he (or she) can be proud of that?” I confess not to having seen Red 2 (Lee Byung-hun) yet, so maybe that will be one of them. But thinking back to the two GI Joe films (Lee Byung-hun), Ninja Assassin … [Read More]
December events 2013
After a hectic November, December is a little quieter. Let me know what I’ve missed. Film The Year of the Four Actors comes an end with two films starring Ha Jung-woo: Berlin File (12 December) and The Terror Live (18 December) Exhibitions Shin Meekyoung’s solo show, Unfixed, continues at the KCC Night Break, featuring photography … [Read More]
Slice – group show at Hanmi Gallery from 7 December
News of Hanmi Gallery’s December exhibition. If like me you missed Choi Eun-sook’s exhibition at Mokspace recently, here’s another chance to see her work. Slice EXHIBITION 7 – 14 DEC PREVIEW 6 DEC, 6-9PM Hanmi Gallery | 30 Maple Street London W1T 6HA | www.hanmigallery.co.uk Hanmi Gallery is pleased to announce its 27th Interim Exhibition, … [Read More]
Lee Joon-ik interview: clowns, kings and wounded souls
A group conversation with The King and the Clown director Lee Joon-ik on filmmaking without formal training, the role of history and humour in Korean cinema, artistic risk, and why healing human wounds lies at the heart of his work. [Read More]
Lee Joon-ik interview: Hope, humanity and the weight of filmmaking
Director Lee Joon-ik explains why Hope/소원 drew him back to filmmaking, outlining its aims to address crimes against children, strengthen legal punishment, and highlight victim support. He discusses reshaping the script, working sensitively with child actor Lee Re, and portraying trauma through shared family and community perspectives. [Read More]
Exhibition visit: The Others, at Hanmi Gallery
The current group show at Hanmi Gallery, entitled The Others, features artists who “question the nature of individuality, solitude and the unreal in a group setting. Rather than work to a strict theme, these ʻOthersʼ present what is individual and personal to them, from dreams to questions of ontology and the fear of death.” Movie … [Read More]
MMCA Seoul’s opening show mired in controversy
It’s a shame that the opening of the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art had to be bogged down in controversy. What should have been an interesting show, Zeitgeist Korea, one of the museum’s five concurrent exhibitions, is tainted with nepotism, as 32 out of the 39 artists featured are … [Read More]
Moebius (뫼비우스, 2013) review: fate, family, violence, and endless loops of desire
Originally given a Restricted rating by the Korean Media Ratings Board, Kim Ki-duk’s twisted tale of sex, religion, castration and incest subsequently underwent a number of cuts to gain a mainstream domestic cinema release. ‘Moebius’ is no less shocking as a result of those cuts. [Read More]
HADA’s seasonal group show: Homo Utopicus
HADA Contemporary takes us into the festive season with a celebratory group show featuring works by Min Jungyeon, Jeong Yunkyung, Kim Younghun, Han Jisoc, Park Seungmo and Kim Jiseon. Homo Utopicus Group Exhibition 5 December 2013 – 31 January 2014 www.hadacontemporary.com, 21 VYNER STREET | LONDON | E2 9DG Wednesday – Friday: 11am – 6pm, … [Read More]
LSESU Korea Political and Economic Forum 2013
Coming up this Saturday at LSE’s Hong Kong theatre: the LSE’s third Korean Political and Economic forum, focusing on the hallyu and mobile contents. Of special interest will be the talk by Yun Sukho, director of the famous TV drama Winter Sonata, one of the first big hallyu hits in Japan. The first, political, session … [Read More]
Conference report: ROK-UK Forum on Peaceful Unification of Korea and Human Rights in North Korea
Thanks to guest contributor Sinae Hong for this report from the conference earlier this week. The ROK-UK Forum on Peaceful Unification of Korea and Human Rights in North Korea was held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel on Friday 19th November, 2013. The Cromwell Suite was full with well over 150 people, from British Veterans of … [Read More]
The Flavours of Korea at the Intercontinental
The Intercontinental in Park Lane has shipped over Executive Chef Bae from its sister hotel in Seoul for a week of showcasing Korean food in its Cookbook Cafe: Flavours of Korea 22nd – 30th November 2013 While many Londoners are discovering the delights of Kimchee and BBQ, Executive Chef Bae of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, … [Read More]
Cold Eyes (감시자들, 2013) review: a high-octane remake of a Hong Kong surveillance thriller
A remake/reworking of 2007 Hong Kong thriller ‘Eye in the Sky’, ‘Cold Eyes’ steps up scale, pace and warmth to stand on its own as a wholly engaging and thoroughly entertaining blockbuster that even largely manages to feel specifically Korean in nature, in spite of never straying too far from the original. [Read More]