Congratulations to Jin Han Lee (Goldsmiths College) and Hyojun Hyun (Glasgow School of Art) for making the 20-strong shortlist (out of 200 applicants) of the Saatchi Gallery / Channel 4 New Sensations 2012 Prize (via London Korean Times) [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 103)
Bae Doo-na’s London fashion shoot
Bae Doo-na was in London earlier this year, staying with her language coach in preparation for the shooting of Cloud Atlas (which we’re really looking forward to at LKL). She took the time out to do a fashion shoot for Marie Claire Korea, which recently hit the news stands. Thanks to Yuna at the Marmot’s … [Read More]
A quick tour of this month’s Korean First Thursday openings
The First Thursday of every month in the London art scene is when many galleries tend to have their official openings – when you can tour loads of galleries, get a glass of wine at each one, get to meet the artist, mingle with all the visitors and maybe get to see some of the … [Read More]
Comrade Kim Goes Flying at the Busan Int’l Film Fest
Some interesting stuff at this year’s BIFF. Apart from Studio-MWP’s adaptation of Buckwheat Season, there’s a North Korean film being screened there, for the first time since 2003. “Comrade Kim Goes Flying,” was co-directed by a North Korean and two Europeans. (Source: AP / Guardian) [Read More]
Join the Korean Literature in Translation / Catch the Wave competition for some rare Korean literature
Charles Montgomery at KTLit.com and Catch the Wave (Arirang International Radio) are running a short essay competition to enable you to start your library of Korean Literature. 200-300 words (provided they are well chosen), and a hard-to-obtain volume of Korean literature is yours. More details here. [Read More]
Buckwheat Season to get the Green Days treatment at Busan Film Fest
One of Korea’s most famous short stories, Lee Hyo-seok’s Buckwheat Season / When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom (메밀꽃 필 무렵, 1936) is to be brought to the cinema by the creators of Green Days (Korean title 소중한 날의 꿈, 2010). Green Days was LKL’s film of the year 2010 and was the stand-out film at the … [Read More]
October Events 2012
Here are the events I know of for October: Film This month the KCC focuses on Im Kwon-taek, with a 15 film retrospective at the BFI and the ICA, with a Q&A or conversation with the revered director himself at both venues The BFI London Film Festival has six Korean films, including Nameless Gangster (Yoon … [Read More]
He’s the UK Chuseok #1 – but will he ever be allowed to perform anything else?
In this evening’s UK popular music chart listings, PSY finally made it to the top slot, having reached number three last week. Not bad going for a track released in mid July the other side of the Eurasian landmass. It’s been interesting watching the Gangnam wave as it has spread from Seoul to the rest … [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary #18: The hike to Beopgyesa
Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Thursday 29 March 2012. The road through Jungsan-ri stops in a car park beyond which are the Jirisan National Park office and a barrier across the road. Jungsan-ri is the start of the shortest (but not necessarily the gentlest) trail to Cheonwanbong, Jirisan’s highest peak. We are permitted to proceed through the barrier, shaving … [Read More]
Book review: Michael Gibb — A Slow Walk through Jeong-dong
Michael Gibb: A Slow Walk through Jeong-dong Illustrations by Ah-young Jung Hollym, 2011, 144pp How can one write a whole book about a stroll down a street tucked in behind the Deoksu Palace? How can one spend a whole day there? Well, in part, the clue is in the title – the walk is slow. … [Read More]
And for Christmas I’d like…
If there are any chaebol bosses out there with 500 million won to spare, there’s an opportunity to buy me a nice Lee Ufan which would look very good above my fireplace at home. The auction is 12 October at Christie’s in London. Thank you. [Read More]
Based on the design talent at Goldsmiths, the future of Korea at 100% Design London is in safe hands
One of the regular features in the London calendar is the London Design Festival, which this year ran from 14-23 September. Two big exhibitions form the cornerstones of the festival, at opposite ends of the Circle Line: 100% Design London at Earl’s Court, and Tent London at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. And given … [Read More]
Two months after installation, Shin Meekyoung’s soapy Duke of Cumberland is still looking good
Two months after installation, Shin Meekyoung’s soapy Duke of Cumberland is still looking good, with not much evidence of erosion yet (this picture was taken on 22 September 2012). I wonder how it will survive a rainy autumn. [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary #17: On hiking in Korea
Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Thursday 29 March 2012. “Have you got proper hiking boots?” That’s the standard question from concerned Koreans when I told them I was going to walk up Jirisan. I was familiar with the Korean custom of dressing properly for hiking. You can’t miss the hikers on the subway, and indeed heading out to Gwacheon … [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary #16: Silla pagodas, Korea’s first beautiful village, and Nammyeong’s tomb
Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do, Thursday 29 March 2012. Today is the day we start the ascent of Jirisan, but first there’s a couple of local sites of interest that I need to visit. First, the two Unified Silla dynasty stone pagodas, which are now the only remnants of Dansoksa, a temple built in the middle of the eighth … [Read More]
Choi Jeong-hwa: a summer on the South Bank
The summer is over, and Chuseok approaches. The gay green baskets and balloons which adorned the drab concrete pillars beneath the Hayward Gallery and Queen Elizabth Hall during the Olympics period have been packed away. Here’s a reminder of what was there. Choi Jeong-hwa supervises the inflation of the spiral balloons for his installation Life-Life … [Read More]