In some group exhibitions, you wonder what it is that has brought the several artists together. Not so with the current show of Korean artists at the Albemarle Gallery. Lee Jae-hyo has shown at the Albermarle before, and together with Park Seungmo was included in the Albemarle’s stand at the London Art Fair back in … [Read More]
Category: Event reports and reviews (page 43)
Gateways to Korea
Peter Corbishley digests some recent Korean history lectures at SOAS and the KCC, and a recent book by Alexis Dudden My introduction to the nasty side of Korean history over March and April of this year began with a heartwarming UK personal interest story from 1908. At the Korean Cultural Centre 10th March, Patrick Cockburn … [Read More]
A celebration of young Korean talent
A somewhat ponderous performance of Shostakovich’s Fifth by an international maestro marking a fifty-year association with one of London’s orchestras might seem to be an odd occasion to choose to celebrate young Korean talent. But when the companion piece is the same maestro’s Music for Cello and Orchestra played by the young star cellist Han-na … [Read More]
Concert notes: Jasmine Choi’s Wigmore debut
In the first few moments of a concert you can often tell whether the next hour and a half is going to be enthralling or simply pleasant. With Jasmine Choi’s opening notes of Debussy’s Syrinx, you knew it was going to be the former. Being an item for solo flute, the lights could be dimmed … [Read More]
Four Ambassadors – the official photos
Thanks again to Sylvia Park for her efforts in organising the Four Ambassadors event at the Houses of Parliament last week, and to Frank Cook MP for hosting. Here are some photos by the official AKS photographer, reproduced here with permission. For a full write-up of the evening, click here. Committee Room 14: a panorama … [Read More]
Event report: Four Ambassadors, and not enough Space
Space was the issue at the historic Four Ambassadors event last week in the Houses of Parliament. There wasn’t enough of it. First, because of the popularity of the event, and the size of the available room, people at one point had to be turned away. Fortunately a larger room was made available at the … [Read More]
The Gwanghwamun and its many rebirths
When General Yi Song-gye founded the Joseon dynasty and moved Korea’s capital to Seoul, he needed a palace of suitable magnificence. The Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) was carefully sited by the royal geomancers to benefit from the perfect Pung Su (풍수), and at its southernmost point, in direct alignment with the main throne room, the Gwanghwamun (광화문 … [Read More]
Escaping North Korea book launch
At the book launch of Escaping North Korea last week, author Mike Kim explained that he wanted the book to be “inspirational”. Having seen the huge obstacles faced by North Korean escapees, he found hope in each of their stories: “If the North Koreans can overcome their mountains, I can overcome my hill”, is the … [Read More]
Waiting with Dae-hun Kwon
On visiting Rachmaninoffs gallery in Hackney, the main exhibits are initially familiar to those who know of Dae Hun Kwon’s (권대훈) work from his installations at I-MYU, the Bargehouse and elsewhere: white images of bare trees in a forest created by the shadows cast by tiny tabs illuminated by a slowly changing pattern of halogen … [Read More]
Mudang and minhwa
When we think of pre-modern Korean aesthetics, we think of the restrained tones of Koryo celadon, of the austere white of Choson porcelain, the subdued tones of Chong Son’s landscape paintings. But, as Charlotte Horlyck reminded us in her introduction to the informative day of decorative arts and folk customs at SOAS, that is only … [Read More]
Love and loathing: This isn’t Romance
It was a good time to launch a play called “This isn’t Romance”. Helium-filled red valentine’s day hearts floated from the balcony of the Soho Theatre, encouraging the passing trade. But people turning up on the Friday night (its second night) expecting to buy tickets were disappointed. It was a sell-out performance, and deserved to … [Read More]
The BKVA annual report 2008
With the kind permission of Colonel GM Gadd OBE, National Chairman of the British Korean Veterans Association, we reproduce here the annual report of the BKVA’s activities, as presented to the annual general meeting of the Anglo-Korean Society last week. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ANGLO-KOREAN SOCIETY HELD AT THE KOREAN … [Read More]
Dulsori gets Chichester jumping to the beat
Jennifer Barclay meets Dulsori at their performance in Chichester’s Festival Theatre, 24 January 2009. I’m not sure the theatre staff were quite prepared when the drummer troupe led the audience dancing into the foyer, bashing gongs and drums in a frenzied finale to an energetic evening. Young and old, the Chichester crowd jumped, laughed and … [Read More]
Forge of Nature – a look at Lee Jae-hyo’s current exhibition at Albemarle Gallery
Lee Jaehyo was born in Hapchen, Korea, in 1965 and obtained his BFA in Plastic Arts from Hongik University, Seoul, in 1992. His first solo show was in 1996, but it is really in the last few years that his career has snowballed, with three solo exhibitions in 2007 and four in 2008 – including … [Read More]
A North Korean Feelgood Lecture
By Peter Corbishley The first of the Spring Term SOAS Lectures heard Nicolas Bonner (right) talking to extracts from his and Daniel Gordon’s three films on North Korea: The Game of their Lives (2002), A State of Mind (2004), Crossing the Line / 푸른 눈의 평양시민 / A Blue-Eyed Pyongyang Citizen (2006). The often almost … [Read More]
Oriental male, Western female
One of the most memorable images in the 4482 exhibition on the South Bank last October was a large, carefully staged, meticulously lit photo of a scene from a fairy tale. An elaborate coach looks as if it could turn into a pumpkin at any moment. It’s certainly not going anywhere, despite the alert coachman … [Read More]