One year on from the sinking of the Sewol (16 April 2014), SOAS is holding an afternoon of lectures looking at its impact. You’ll need to duck out of the last session before it finishes if you want to hear Grace Koh and Mark Morris talk on the subject of film adaptations of Korean novels, … [Read More]
Month: April 2015 (page 2)
Shin Yoon-seok lunchtime recital at St George-the-Martyr
An upcoming piano recital in Southwark: Free lunchtime recital with Yoon-Seok Shin (piano) Church of St George the Martyr | Borough High Street | London SE1 1JA [Map] Thursday 16th April, 1pm Sonata for Keyboard No 38 in F Hob XVI/23 – (Franz) Joseph Haydn Nocturne No 9 in B Op 32 No 1 – … [Read More]
Hanmi Gallery to exhibit Leonard Johannson in Seoul
Hanmi Gallery’s Sinsadong space opened last year, with the objective of bringing western artists to Seoul. The next exhibition should be an interesting one, with Swedish/Korean artist Leonard Johannson, whose London exhibition a year ago we rather liked. Leonard Johansson: ‘Under the influence’ Hanmi Gallery | Seoul 한미갤러리 | 서울시 강남구 신사동 608-12 | +82 … [Read More]
Awaiting (민우씨 오는 날, 2014) review: love, memory and national division
Set in the context of families divided by the Korean War, Kang Je-gyu’s short ‘Awaiting’ is a touching, affecting story of aging, separation and yearning within a life put on hold for love. At just 26 minutes in duration, it is easily as worthy of attention, discussion and indeed acclaim as any feature-length drama. [Read More]
Royal Asiatic Society lecture: Humour and Eighteenth-Century Korean Art
It’s not often that the one-time parent organisation the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (est 1900) puts on an event that is anything to do with Korea. But the upcoming talk at the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (est 1823) looks well worth the wait. Humour and Eighteenth-Century Korean Art RAS STUDENT … [Read More]
Great news: 94 “lost” films rediscovered
I’m prepared to trust Im Kwon-taek’s judgement about the quality of his 14th film that is in the batch of lost films just donated to the Korean Film Archive – Battlefield and Mistress as a title doesn’t sound promising. He made similar comments about his early output when he spoke during his London retrospective back … [Read More]
Style Sharing and the AW15 collections at London Fashion Week
Once again the Korean Cultural Centre participated fully in London Fashion Week with a contribution to the International Fashion Showcase. The exhibition, entitled Style Sharing and curated by Tory Turk, focused on Korean designers with London training. To complement the displays, British filmmaker Eoin Glaister was asked to produce short videos inspired by the work … [Read More]
Minjung Baek and Marisol Lee in duo recital
The exciting young duo from South Korea, Marisol Lee (violin) and MinJung Baek (piano) will be performing two recitals on 20 and 21 April: a lunchtime recital at the 1901 Arts Club in Waterloo, which bills itself as “the most intimate and unique event space in central London”, with the programme repeated the next day … [Read More]
Book review: Park Min-gyu — Pavane for a Dead Princess
Park Min-gyu: Pavane for a Dead Princess Translated by Amber Hyun Jung Kim Dalkey Archive, 2014, 262pp Originally published as 죽은 왕녀를 위한 파반느, 2009 Park Min-gyu’s Pavane for a Dead Princess is the first in Dalkey Archive’s second set (of five volumes) of their Library of Korean Literature. Even though I’ve only had time … [Read More]
Ghosts of Jeju to get another London screening
Eighteen months ago there was a screening of this documentary about the 4:3 incident also known as the Jeju Massacre. There’s now an opportunity to see it again at a deli in Deptford on 27 April as part of the Free Film Festival. Free event. No ticket required, but capacity is only 40 so get … [Read More]
A week-long programme of films based on Korean novels at SOAS
April is the month of the London Book Fair (14-16 April at Olympia). Last year Korea was the market focus, an honour assumed by Mexico this year. But the Korea Publishers Association, LTI Korea and other bodies will be attending to fly the flag for Korea. To remind us of the fun we had last … [Read More]
National Youth Orchestra premieres new Unsuk Chin commission
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain has commissioned a new work by Unsuk Chin which will be premiered at a concert at Sage Gateshead on 9 April. The programme, which also includes Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra and Percy Grainger’s eccentric and elaborately-scored The Warriors, will be broadcast live on Radio 3 at 7:30pm, and … [Read More]
A private tour of the British Library’s Korean manuscripts with the BKS
We’ve had private tours of the collections at the V&A and British Museum. Now comes a not-to-be-missed opportunity to go behind the scenes at the British Library. But you’ll need to join the British Korean Society first Tour of the British Library 96 Euston Road | London NW1 2DB Thursday 23 April 2015 6.15 pm … [Read More]
Hong Sang-soo is April’s featured director at the KCC
The month the KCC will be featuring two early films by Hong Sang-soo. Tony Rayns will be introducing The Day a Pig Fell in the Well on 16 April. As usual, reservation is required via the KCC website. Watch out for Song Kang-ho making his movie debut in a minor role in Hong’s first film. … [Read More]
Cart (카트, 2014) review: a Single Spark for the 21st century
While it would be difficult for any film on the subject of workers’ rights and labour laws to come even close to the importance of 1995’s ‘A Single Spark’, with ‘Cart’ Boo Ji-young nonetheless successfully combines an insightful story of workplace injustices with a tale of female empowerment that is both human and humane. [Read More]
Kim Chang-kyum joins group show at Hall Place & Gardens
Bexley Heritage Trust seems to be acquiring a taste for Korean contemporary art. Last year they included Lee Hyunkoo’s work in a group show at Hall Place & Gardens, and Shin Meekyoung’s work in an exhibition at nearby Danson House. This year, Kim Chang-kyum’s work Water Shadow Four Seasons will feature in a water-themed group … [Read More]