I popped over to Cavendish Square this afternoon to see the exhibition on Level -3 of the Cavendish Square car park (directly underneath Shin Meekyoung’s gradually eroding equestrian statue of the Duke of Cumberland sculpted out of soap). ISKAI Contemporary Art had curated part of the exhibition, bringing six Korean artists to the space. It’s … [Read More]
LKL articles by Philip Gowman (page 59)
Sherlock to play in Korean movie theatres?
Found on Facebook: according to Mr Timothy Holm, who will be known to many LKL followers, the Sherlock Christmas Special will be screened in some Korean cinemas. [Read More]
Festival Film Reviews: the four Korean films at the BFI London Film Fest 2015
It was a very pleasing selection of Korean films at the BFI London Film Festival this year. And for the first time that I can remember, I managed to get to all of them. Here are the verdicts. The Assassination 암살, Dir Choi Dong-hoon, 2015. With a fantastic ensemble cast, including Jeon Ji-hyun as the … [Read More]
Please close your eyes and block your ears during the brief documentary on 2 Nov
For all the wrong reasons, I’m not looking forward to the opening gala of this year’s London Korean Film Festival as much as I ought to be. Of course, I’m really looking forward to the actual movie itself. Ode to My Father has been a much-talked-about film, with admissions of over 14.25 million at the … [Read More]
Hyundai Motor celebrates 10 years in UK with London photo mosaic
To celebrate its 10th anniversary in the UK, Hyundai are sending their latest hydrogen fuel cell car in a journey to map The Knowledge in partnership with Ordnance Survey. On the way they are taking photos which will be combined together into a time-lapse video and a giant mosaic. Today’s Evening Standard has more details. … [Read More]
Joo Yeon Sir in broadcast premier and Albert Hall debut
Last November, violinist Joo Yeon Sir won the Arts Club Karl Jenkins Classical Music Award, held in association with the radio station Classic FM. The award was launched in 2013 to identify the most exciting young performers in Britain. According to Classic FM, the “candidates were judged based upon their technique, individualism, musicality, interpretation, communication … [Read More]
Brief conference report: Deconstructing Boundaries: is “East Asian Art History” possible, at SOAS
This weekend’s two-day conference at SOAS (10-11 October), hosted by the Japan Research Centre, presented some fascinating papers on art history in East Asia. The question it asked – ‘Is “East Asian Art History” possible?’ – is at first sight a puzzling one (why should it not be?), until one scratches below the surface as … [Read More]
Koo Jeong A designs UK’s first glow-in-the-dark skate park
The UK’s first glow in the dark skate park opened in Everton Park on 5 October. The park, designed by Korean artist Koo Jeong A, is part-painted with luminous paint. According to the Liverpool Echo: Artist Koo Jeong A worked with young people from North Liverpool and skaters to devise the new wheels park. The … [Read More]
The LKFF schedule in calendar format
Good news folks: Moon So-ri is coming to London again and will be participating in the Q&A at the closing gala Love And… (in which she stars with Ahn Sung-ki and Park Hae-il). And more good news. As last year, I’ve put the detailed film listing into a calendar format to help you plan your … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Simple, Calm, Subtle — Korean crafts at Tent 2015
The Korea Craft and Design Foundation has recently been making its presence felt in London via its promotion of Korean crafts at major exhibitions. They have brought artisans and their work to Collect for the past three years, and this is now the second year that they have put on a spectacular show at Tent … [Read More]
Film review: I am Sun Mu, at Raindance
It’s always nice when you are rewarded for staying at the end of a movie to read the credits. Among the names credited for the soundtrack of Adam Sjöberg’s documentary film I am Sun Mu is kayagum player Jung Ji-eun, a well-known player and teacher based in New Malden. It was also nice that she … [Read More]
Concert notes: Pansori night at the Cadogan Hall
On the rare occasions that Pansori is performed in London I always get a sense of disappointment. The Pansori Night at the Cadogan Hall as part of K-Music was no exception, though there were mitigating factors. With a pansori the whole point is the story that unfolds before you. You know where the story is … [Read More]
October events 2015
Whatever happened to this year? I can’t believe it’s October already. Here are some of the events for the month: Film I am Sun Mu, a documentary about a North Korean artist defector, screens at Raindance on 3 October The BFI London Film Festival has four Korean films: the latest Hong Sang-soo, the gentle documentary … [Read More]
Event report: Ambassador Hyon Hak-bong at Chatham House
Yesterday the DPRK Ambassador HE Hyon Hak-bong gave an on-the-record talk at Chatham House followed by Q&A. Fuller accounts of the talk will no doubt appear. NK News, the Guardian and the Telegraph have already posted theirs. Here are the messages that LKL registered. Obviously, this is not intended to be a transcript – more a … [Read More]
Kim Soyoung presents part one of her Exile Trilogy at King’s London
Film maker and academic Kim Soyoung was in town last week for a screening of her documentary Heart of Snow, Heart of Blood (2014) in an evening hosted by Chris Berry. She apologised in advance that we were about to see the director’s cut – slightly longer than what will be the theatrical version, and … [Read More]
Concert notes: Jambinai at Rich Mix
The somewhat spartan surroundings of the main performance space in Shoreditch’s Rich Mix was an ideal place in which to enjoy one of the most interesting fusion bands to have come out of Korea. For LKL, it was the highlight of the K-Music festival so far, and it more than lived up to my extremely high … [Read More]