Maybe at LKL we’ve been over-focussing on Korean Literature this past week, so this weekend I paid a belated visit to HADA Contemporary to catch their exhibition of Park Seungmo’s latest work. I managed to miss his show last year, and it was Shin Eunjeong who reviewed his 2012 solo show for this site, so … [Read More]
Month: April 2014 (page 3)
Lee Jung-myung in London to promote The Investigation
Unannounced to any apart from the Korean press, Lee Jung-myung was in town this week with his agent, signing copies of his novel The Investigation (another Kim Chi-young translation). He appeared at Goldsboro Books on Monday night, 7 April – the day before the Book Fair opened. The man behind the counter described the book … [Read More]
Shin Kiwoun & Wang Ziwon at sketch London
Sketch seems to be turning into a regular alternative venue for Korean art. Hot on the heels of Yun Sungfeel’s show there comes another one from Hanmi Gallery artists: Shin Kiwoun & Ziwon Wang sketch, 9 Conduit Street, W1S 2XG 14 April to 29 June, 8am – 2pm Hanmi Gallery is delighted to announce the … [Read More]
Kim Young-ha rounds off the Korea Market Focus events in London
The final event of the Korea Market Focus of London Book Fair 2014 took place last night at the London Review Bookshop near the British Museum – a fascinating and engaging conversation between Kim Young-ha and young British writer, editor and translator Daniel Hahn. Kim is off to Brasilia this weekend for another book event … [Read More]
In pictures: London Book Fair, day 3 – looking forward, looking back
The London Book Fair is over now, but the collaboration with Korea continues, for which a huge thank-you is due to the British Council and the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that Britain (or was it the UK?) is invited as guest country at the Seoul Book … [Read More]
In pictures: London Book Fair, day 2
Day 2 of the London Book Fair, in which: Han Kang said very nice things about her translator (Deborah Smith) and Shin Kyung-sook called hers her “twin soul”; We discovered that Kim Young-ha was about to start writing a historical novel set in the Joseon dynasty, only to find out that Kim Insuk had already … [Read More]
Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon is the second of the KCC’s film professionals
News of season 2 of the KCC’s “Year of the Film Professionals”. This quarter we are focusing on cinematographer Chung Chung Hoon, who is associated with, or indeed created, Park Chan-wook’s visual style. Note that the Q&A is mid-season, at the end of May. Here are the screenings: Thursday 10 Apr 7pm: Sympathy for Lady … [Read More]
LBF 9 April events at Earls Court: your conflict-checker
Take your pick. Here are the choices you have on the second day of the fair at Earls Court. Thankfully, there are no diary conflicts in the evening. Click on the graphic for a more legible version, and click on the various hyperlinks in this post for more details of the different events. You can … [Read More]
In pictures: London Book Fair, day 1
Hwang Sok-yong, Kim Young-ha, Lee Seung-u, Kim Hyesoon, Shin Kyoung-sook, Yi Mun-yol, Krys Lee… and those were just the Korean literary figures that we got to see today. There were plenty more talks – mainly focusing on the Korean publishing industry – that we didn’t get to, thanks to unfortunate scheduling clashes, and writers from … [Read More]
A Boy’s Sister (누나, 2013) review: rain, faith, and surrogate healing
One moment moving and poignant, another brutal and difficult to watch, ‘A Boy’s Sister’ is ultimately a gripping depiction of deep-seated pain, guilt and blame and though, to my mind, one theme in particular is rather unnecessarily overstated, the film overall deftly succeeds in its goals. [Read More]
LBF 8 April events at Earls Court: your conflict-checker
Take your pick. Here are the choices you have on the first day of the fair at Earls Court. And of course you have to choose between Yi Mun-yol at the British Library and Yoon Tae-ho at the KCC in the evening too. Click on the graphic for a more legible version, and click on … [Read More]
The Face Reader (관상, 2013) review: fate, power and intrigue in Joseon Korea
While The Face Reader could be said to have a somewhat simpler story overall than many of its Joseon era set contemporaries, its narrative is nonetheless as nuanced, multilayered and gripping as any; the sidestepping of any sexual/adult content serving to show that graphic sexual imagery is not a prerequisite for insightful drama. [Read More]
Hyun Jeung: Jardins Croisés, at Mokspace from 17 April
Hyun Jeung’s exhibition of lovely woodblock prints at Mokspace in 2012 still lingers in the memory. So I’ll be sure to call in at her new solo show: Hyun Jeung: Jardins Croisés 18th April – 7th May 2014 Opening night: Thursday 17th April 6.00 – 8.00 pm Mokspace | 33 Museum Street| Bloomsbury | London … [Read More]
“Asian Literature” in Hong Kong
Before we get carried away by the idea of the new Korean Literature Wave, here’s the “Asian Literature” (in English translation) section of a decent Hong Kong bookstore this week (Page One in Times Square). Almost 50% Murakami, some Japanese Asia Extreme, and some Chinese. While this would be a normal state of affairs in … [Read More]
The Art of Printing: Korea’s Evolving Printing Types
Organised to coincide with the London Book Fair, this exhibition at the KCC is curated by the Korean Publishers Association: The Art of Printing: Korea’s Evolving Printing Types Exhibition Dates: 07 April 2014 – 14 June 2014 Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK The World’s Oldest Wooden and Metal Printing Technologies – Korea’s Printing Culture presented … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Kim Jihee — Between the Lines, at cueB Gallery
In quick succession, London has had three exhibitions by Korean artists who use books as a medium. All three artists destroy the book: Kwon Jukhee shreds the pages into tiny strips to transform the books into sculptures in which the paper cascades like a waterfall; Chun Kwang-young tears pages out of the books and uses … [Read More]