With their current exhibition, Underneath the Gam Tree, MokSpace continues its recent form of putting on exhibitions of work which is both affordable and desirable. Hyun Jeung’s woodblock prints will remind you perhaps of William Morris or Charles Voysey: gingko, peony, persimmon, jasmine and apple (reflecting her childhood origins in Daegu) in delicate interweaving patterns. … [Read More]
Category: Event reports and reviews (page 33)
An Education in P’ansori – a report from last week’s All Eyes on Korea lecture
Annie Cole from Kimchi Soul gives her impressions. As the KCC hall packed out for the latest All Eyes on Korea lecture, it was clear that the concept of P’ansori had caught the imagination of Londoners. The audience were a mixed bunch of professionals, academics, writers and students with varied knowledge of the art form … [Read More]
South Bank workshop disappoints
Not sure we’ll be getting a write-up of Haegue Yang’s day at the South Bank. I got this from someone who was going to write it up: “Haegue’s workshop yesterday was so disappointing… I made two simple origami figures and knitting without anything related to Haegue’s work really. I don’t have anything to write about … [Read More]
Let’s hear the arguments against the Gangjeong Naval Base in Jeju-do
There was a festive gathering last Tuesday at the Old Justice pub at which supporters of the campaign against the Jeju Island naval base held a public meeting. The London-based group has already held two demonstrations against the base this year, one outside the Korean embassy and one outside the Samsung electronics shop in Tottenham … [Read More]
Translation and cultural uniqueness – another take on the KCC Literature workshop
I’ve long been interested in knowing more about modern Korean literature. So I learnt with interest about the Korean literature workshop (Tuesday, June 26, 5-7pm) and looked forward to it as I arrived for the event at the Korean Cultural Centre on London’s Strand. The evening began with a talk by Dr Grace Koh of … [Read More]
The Word for ‘여’, and the Korean for ‘About Raindrops’ – Ra Hee-duk at the KCC Literature workshop
In 21 October, 2009 KCC hosted a Korea Literature Workshop in the presence of Ch’oe Yun of ‘There a Petal silently falls’. The session, facilitated by Dr Jo Elfving-Hwang of Sheffield University, turned out to be a ‘creative’ response to the aspects of the author’s work. It was something of a deja vu to turn … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Dae Hun Kwon — Chalna, at Rachmaninoff’s Smith/Arnatt
When I entered the gallery from the busy street in Hackney I found another world where time just paused and all noise stopped. Several human figures were frozen still. The only warmth I could feel was from the sunlight coming through the opaque gallery windows. The rough, old, wooden floor added to the untouched and … [Read More]
The challenges of translation addressed at All Eyes on Korea literature talk
On 26 June, the KCC UK Korean Literature Workshop opened with a KCC official’s welcoming speech followed by Dr Grace Koh’s lecture (SOAS). Dr Koh emphasized the paramount importance of national identity in post-colonial literature. To introduce Korean literary works to the English-speaking world, we need to understand the issues surrounding translation. They are reception … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Park Seungmo — A Present Moment at HADA Contemporary, Vyner Street
Park Seungmo : A Present Moment at HADA CONTEMPORARY, Vyner Street A review by Eunjung Shin Vyner Street is one of London’s must-visit places for contemporary art and has recently added Korean contemporary gallery, HADA CONTEMPORARY to its list of galleries. (The quiet street was very different from the one I remebered from the first … [Read More]
Naneun Ggomsuda: His Highness gets lampooned in Oxford and London
A guest post from Andrew Jackson, covering the recent visit to the UK of the team which brings you the world’s most popular political podcast. Last month saw the arrival of the ‘Naneun Ggomsuda’ (‘I’m a Petty Minded Creep’) for sell-out shows in London and Oxford. The political satire podcast show, now transferred to the … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Place Not Found – Korean Art Now, at the Smokehouse Gallery
By Kuo Chun Hsuan Forman’s Smokehouse Gallery in Hackney Wick presents Place Not Found: Korean Art Now until 3 June. The location inspired curator Eunjung Shin to put it together. It’s the closest art gallery overlooking Olympic Park. Like many of the artists, I had never been to this area before. ‘The gallery space inspired … [Read More]
Theatre visit: A Korean Midsummer Night’s Dream in the perfect venue
One of the features of Korean theatrical performance is the interaction with the audience. A venue such as the Globe is therefore doubly well suited to a Korean Shakespeare adaptation. Performers could easily mingle with the audience, surprise them from behind with a crash of the small 꽹과리 gong. And the audience standing in front … [Read More]
From Local Monsters to BEAST: 1500 years of Korean music and dance at SOAS
Last weekend’s free seminar at SOAS ranged from Silla dynasty lion dances to last month’s tour of Taiwan by BEAST, and from ancient Confucian ceremonial music to Samulnori and hip-hop via Trot. Juhae Gu introduced us to the dying musical form of Akkeuk (악극) – a form of stage musical using Trot music. It is … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: the 5th Sasapari exhibition – Map the Korea – at the Bargehouse
Every year the big group exhibition by Korean artists in London seems to get bigger and more ambitious. After a first event in New Malden in 2007, its home for the four most recent shows has been the Bargehouse by the OXO Tower, a large and semi-derelict space with plenty of nooks and crannies to … [Read More]
Concert notes: A Little Nightmare Music – Igudesman and Joo
“His parents must be so disappointed” I overheard a Korean woman say, of Joo Hyung-ki. “They wanted him to be a concert pianist, and he’s doing comedy instead.” It was the sort of thing that Maureen Lipman would say, in character as the proud Jewish mother. Joo, one half of the hilarious musical duo Igudesman … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: A New Space Around the Body – International Fashion Showcase at the KCC
The KCC’s last exhibition for a while, in February, was scheduled to contribute to London Fashion Week. It was also a participating event in the International Fashion Showcase, a joint project between the British Council and the British Fashion Council designed to mark the 2012 Olympics with a display of talent to honour Olympic ideals. … [Read More]