Be-Being (비빙) was the first of the five musical events of the All Eyes on Korea festival on the South Bank and set the scene well for the remainder. It was an evening of fusion: contemporary music on traditional instruments, with some of the numbers accompanied by traditional mask dances from a variety of traditions. … [Read More]
Category: Event reports and reviews (page 32)
Crossroads of Youth – a constantly-evolving performance of Korea’s earliest silent film
Crossroads of Youth is one of Korea’s earliest silent films, which would have at the time had narration by a byeonsa (the Korean equivalent of the Japanese benshi). The function of the byeonsa was to tell the story in the absence of diagetic dialogue (which in Western cinema was told through intertitles), in addition to … [Read More]
Concert notes: HJ Lim at the Wigmore
She strode onto the stage in her trademark silk trouser suit, casually tossed a handkerchief into the piano and launched immediately into the intensity of the first of Rachmaninov’s Etudes Tableaux Op 33. HJ Lim’s debut at the Wigmore had departed. As when a bus driver puts his foot on the accelerator before his passengers … [Read More]
Kim Soo-myun: no joy in the men’s gymnastics individual all-round finals
It was Tuesday evening before I could settle down to watch the men’s gymnastics finals – individual all round. It had already been a day of controversy for the Koreans in Badminton and there was disappointment yesterday with the fencing, so I hoped Kim Soo-myun would do well for his country. Not in the top … [Read More]
Black Eagles showcase the T-50 for Korea Aerospace Industries at the Savoy
Eleven handsome pilots in aviator sunglasses swagger down the runway in slow-motion choreographed formation. Behind them is parked a sleek black and gold aircraft pointing menacingly towards you. A booming Hollywood soundtrack could be announcing the start of a Top Gun sequel. But it’s the start of the promotional video for Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic … [Read More]
Concert Notes: All Eyes on Baramgot at the Purcell Room
I had expected the five-piece ensemble Baramgot (바람곶) to provide a solid evening of traditionally folk-inspired Korean music. Having attended a number of traditional Korean music performances before, I had a fairly clear idea of what I was in for, and I was looking forward to it. The 75 minute programme consisted of seven items, … [Read More]
Korea’s male gymnast team loses out, but three solo efforts make it to the finals
Settling down to the 2012 Men’s gymnastics qualifier, I decided to do a little coverage for LKL. I’m a big fan of gymnastics, probably because of the inability to do even a cartwheel these days, and it has always been the highlight of the Olympics for me. Whilst I’m not the most technical person when … [Read More]
The gala opening of Korean Eye 2012
Korean Eye 2012 opened this evening, with speeches from the great and the good including Lee Charm, head of the Korean Tourism Organisation. Entertainment was provided by Dulsori in the form of traditional music. This is going to be a great show. [Read More]
Kimchi for beginners at the Korean Cultural Centre
The Korean Cultural Centre was packed for a cookery demonstration by Master Chef Tony Yoo, executive chef at the Korean embassy, entitled Introducing Korean Cuisine. Slightly to my surprise most of the audience were Koreans, who have possibly spent such a long time in Britain that they feel more at home making baked beans on … [Read More]
Planet of Snail: amusing, touching and life-affirming
Soon-ho: What are you doing? Young-chan: I’m talking to the tree Soon-ho: Is it fun? Young-chan: We’re on a date Soon-ho: Can I join in? Soon-ho interrupts her husband who has been tenderly running his fingers over the trunk of a pine tree, feeling the contours of every crevice in the bark. The conversation, at … [Read More]
Video highlights of Lee Bul’s talk at the Hayward Gallery
For those who like me didn’t manage to get to Lee Bul’s talk “From Me, Belongs to You Only” at the South Bank recently, the KCCUK have posted a quick video giving highlights of the evening: [Read More]
Michael Karikis captures the other-wordly sound of the haenyo
Mikhail Karikis’s Sea Women project, installed in the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station for six weeks up to 7 July, comprised two separate but connected works. The less remarkable part was some video footage of the haenyo at work. In subject matter this was nothing that has not been seen before in other documentary films – … [Read More]
Korea’s Black Eagles steal the shows
Amy Lloyd, a regular spectator on the air show circuit, catches the Black Eagles in Gloucester. The Black Eagles Display team are The Republic of Korea’s Air Force Aerobatic Team, and run eight supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle jets. This season was their first in the UK and so far they have attended three major air … [Read More]
Gumok: a simple, powerful portrayal of the story of a young Comfort Woman
In general, my heart sinks when I have to go to a musical. I’ve rarely come across a piece of music theatre from the last 50 years where the quality of the music and lyrics has lived up to the ambition of the production as a whole. The two big Korean musicals that have shown … [Read More]
Which Korean TV programmes would YOU buy?
LKL’s editor poses as a TV suit at a 2012 trade fair where a wide range of Korean TV programmes from many genres are being touted to potential UK buyers. He takes a semi-humorous but critical look at which programmes might work for LKL’s hypothetical TV service. TLDR: some will work better than others… [Read More]
Yeondoo Jung in Irrepressible Seoul: Contemporary Korean Video Art
It was refreshing to have a drink while watching video art at the Hackney Picturehouse. Yeondoo Jung’s ‘Handmade memories’ in particular caught my eye. I saw it in an exhibition setting at a gallery space in South Korea but this time it became a different work. When I went to his exhibition in the gallery, … [Read More]