With explosive noise and thudding bass line, Apollo 18 launched the headline Korea Rocks gig in the South East. The whole room shook, and you wondered whether the beams supporting the floor were able to take the vibration. As energy levels increased further the long hair of the lead guitarist flew back and forth – … [Read More]
Category: Event reports and reviews (page 29)
The Korea Rocks tour – good for Hyundai Card, and good for the audience
If you’re in London and a fan of quality rock music, this Sunday at the Barfly in Camden is a must for you. For fans of Korean culture in London, it is of course an unmissable opportunity to see some of the best indie rock bands that dominate the Hongdae music scene. And for their … [Read More]
John Sweeney in BBC Panorama North Korea Undercover
“I compromised the LSE and my tour guides, and all I could produce was a lousy tourist video,” would be a suitable slogan for the T-shirt of tonight’s BBC Panorama programme. OK, so they also interviewed BR Myers, John Everard and a defector or two, but really it was not worth all the hype and … [Read More]
I can’t believe he asked her that
The context was this. It was the Q&A after the 4 April screening at BAFTA of Hong Sang-soo’s Hahaha, attended by the lead actress Moon So-ri, the first featured actor of the KCC’s Year of the Four Actors. Tony Rayns was talking to Moon So-ri about how she got her first screen role. Moon started … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Hur Shan — new, playful, and portable revelations at Gazelli Art House
“You said my work wasn’t very portable,” smiled Hur Shan as we chatted at the opening evening of his two man show at Gazelli Art House. “Well, take a look!” It was true. I had said precisely that in my notice of the current exhibition, The Tainted, at Gazelli Art House in Dover Street. In … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Bae Chan-hyo – Punishment, at Purdy Hicks
Tomorrow is your last chance to see the first public showing of Bae Chan-hyo’s Existing in Costume series, this particular project bearing the subtitle Punishment. Earlier in the series, Bae has focused on fairy tale characters, or aristocratic western women, each time with Bae dressing in immaculate costume to pose for his self-portrait. In Punishment, … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Ceramics by Lee Chang-sook and Kim So-yeop at Mokspace
Mokspace has done it again with an exhibition of affordable pieces which are a pleasure to look at. And with the current exhibition the pieces are a pleasure to handle as well. And useful. Kim So-yeop’s stoneware in particular begs you to pick it up and turn it in your hands. The rough texture and … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Lotions and potions in old Joseon
The current exhibition at the KCC gives us an historical overview of the methods used by Korean womanhood to beautify themselves. Clearly it’s not possible to exhibit the original ancient cosmetics themselves, but the containers used to store them have survived: from Silla and Baekje kingdom earthenware powder bowls and oil jars, via beautifully inlaid … [Read More]
Bankable and emerging Korean artists at Art13: London’s latest international art fair
To a casual observer, there might already seem to be a wide range of art fairs in London. The season starts with the London Art Fair in January and finishes with the Frieze in October. In between there’s plenty of smaller shows to keep various parts of the market satisfied. So launching a completely new … [Read More]
Aashish Gadhvi assesses Korea’s poor performance against Croatia with the help of Ki Sung-yueng
South Korea were back in rainy old London Town to have their now annual friendly against Croatia at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC. After previous visits to London to play Greece, Serbia and Ivory Coast, Korea has now made London a decent stop in their international calendar. Although some cynics would see these … [Read More]
A day to shake off the last few weeks… a visit to Soon Yul Kang’s Spiritual Journey
Today was a day to unwind, to shake off the last few weeks of chaos and work….and be me. To spend time with myself and just be. Stop doing and just be. And so it was that I decided to visit the galleries, first the Tate Modern, then Tate Britain and then finally the British … [Read More]
Concert notes: Bach and the Battle of the Red Cliffs — the KCC’s 5th birthday concert at the Cadogan Hall
It is difficult to know what to make of a programme which was so obviously in two parts, and potentially likely to appeal to two completely different audiences. There will have been many who, in advance of the KCCUK’s fifth birthday concert, would have thought: “maybe I’ll just turn up for the second half”, or … [Read More]
Korea v Croatia – the live tweets
The as-it-happened commentary on South Korea’s defeat at the hands of Croatia, live on Twitter (Craven Cottage wi-fi permitting)… 2:09pm #koreaVcroatia kicks off… Come on Korea! 2:11pm A rainy but lively Craven Cottage: 2:14pm Son Heung min with a wide long shot which makes the crowd go wild! 2:14pm A narrow misses header from Ivica … [Read More]
A perfect reinvention of Korean traditional flavours for a modern banquet
Korean cookery writer and teacher Kiejo Sarsfield decomposes the menu served at the KCCUK’s fifth birthday banquet. The Korean Cultural Centre is perfectly situated near Trafalgar Square. I still remember when it was opened, I could not believe the location: it simply could not get any better that this. The centre sits in the middle … [Read More]
The KCCUK’s fifth birthday celebrations
It really should be us thanking the KCCUK, not the other way round. But on the occasion of its fifth birthday the KCCUK has been characteristically generous in its expressions of gratitude to its supporters. Last Saturday at Cadogan Hall saw a free concert with Pansori Master Song Soon-seop, plus Pansori singer Lee Jaram, pianist … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Disruptive Drinking and Creative Curating at the RCA
When you’re invited to a session of disruptive drinking, it’s hard to refuse. And that was what was promised in Sun Ae Kim’s invitation to her stall at the Royal College of Arts Biennial Research Exhibition. Disruptive? Well, there were certainly some surprises. First of all the exquisite ceramic vessels we were offered to drink … [Read More]