The theme of this year’s New Malden Arts Festival is the quirky “Homeless Penguins Come to Town”. The homeless penguins parade through New Malden on 14 June is designed to raise awareness of their natural habitat being destroyed by global warming. The festival itself runs from 2 – 22 June. Despite its location, and despite … [Read More]
Event Notices (page 247)
Tiger Festival comes to London and Brighton
Three Korean films are coming to London and Brighton as part of the Tiger Far East Film Festival (1) The controversial CGI monster pic D-War (Shim Hyung-rye, 심형래, 2007) Synopsis (from KOFIC): A thousand years ago, in a little village on the Korean peninsula, a child of destiny is born with a Youijoo (a magic … [Read More]
The versatile Yoon Band plays London
Saharial introduces the talents of the Yoon Band, which will be performing in Trafalgar Square on 8 June When I heard that the Yoon Band was coming to the UK for two gigs in June, I was almost jumping round my room with excitement. That my room is rather small and I suffered a few … [Read More]
Sunset for the Sunshine Policy?
The inaugural Global Korea Lecture will be held on Wednesday 28 May at the KCC at 6:30pm The lecture will be on the subject: South and North Korea : Sunset for the Sunshine Policy? and will be given by ‘Britain’s leading Korea watcher’ Aidan Foster-Carter. Dr. Kwang Ho Chun will chair. Aidan Foster-Carter has followed … [Read More]
Family Ties to screen at KCC
The next film to feature at the KCC is Family Ties, also known as Birth of a Family (가족의 탄생), starring one of my favourite actresses, the talented Moon So-ri (below right). Synopsis Mi-ra, who runs a small snack food restaurant, has a trouble-maker brother, Hyung-chul. After being discharged from the military, he goes missing. … [Read More]
Antique Korean maps to be exhibited at KCC
Something completely different at the KCC in May-June, and rather interesting: a collection of Choson dynasty maps, in an exhibition organised by the KCC’s librarian Eunjeong Shin. The exhibition has an associated education programme aimed at local schools, while for the grown-ups there will be a lecture from the V&A’s Beth McKillop. Full details below. … [Read More]
I Don’t Speak Very Much, at I-MYU
A notice of I-MYU’s May show, starting this Thursday. I Don’t Speak Very Much Kijune Park / Rui Matsunaga / Miho Sato 15 May – 7 June 2008 Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12-6pm or by appointment I-MYU Projects presents I Don’t Speak Very Much, an exhibition of new works by Korean artist Kijune Park … [Read More]
The Way Home screens at the KCC
The KCC’s theme for its two film screenings in May is the family. The first of the films, The Way Home (집으로…) was the surprise low-budget hit of 2002. This is director Lee Jeong-hyang’s second film, her first being the gentle rom-com Art Museum by the Zoo, whose draw was the star actress Shim Eun-ha. … [Read More]
Korea, Manchester and the International Art Triennial
Beccy Kennedy reports Britain’s first Triennial of Asian Art launched earlier this month, when a gaggle of global art goers gathered in the grandiose foyer and atrium of Manchester Art Gallery to preview the outstanding art installations from Korea. Of the five Asian countries selected by galleries in Manchester: China, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, … [Read More]
An evening with Warwick Morris
News of an upcoming event organised by the Anglo Korean Society: An evening with Warwick Morris Former British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Wednesday 7th May 2008, 6.30 pm Korean Cultural Centre UK | Grand Buildings | 1 Northumberland Avenue | London WC2N 5EJ Warwick Morris (right) retired from the British Diplomatic Service in … [Read More]
DPRK propaganda at London’s most famous bookshop
To coincide with the launch of David Heather’s book on DPRK propaganda art at the end of this month, Foyles is to be decorated with some examples of DPRK posters from David’s collection. The book, entitled North Korean Posters, comes from Prestel Publishing, and will be launched at Foyles next week. The posters will be … [Read More]
Contemporary Korean Art gallery talk
If you’re free this Friday afternoon it’ll be well worth going along to the KCC to hear Dr Lee Sook-Kyung talk about the current exhibition of works from the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea. Dr Lee previously worked as an assistant curator at the museum and is now at Tate Liverpool. The talk … [Read More]
Leading Korean poet comes to London
Ko Un (고은), one of Korea’s most prominent living poets, will be giving his first ever UK poetry reading at the Korean Cultural Centre, London on Tuesday, 29 April at 7.00-8.30pm. “It is very striking to see the kind of tuning fork [Ko Un] has been, re-inventing himself in every decade through the turns in … [Read More]
200 Pound Beauty screens at the KCC
The fourth film night at the Korean Cultural Centre on 24 April is the surprise hit of last year, 200 Pound Beauty. Synopsis Hanna is a lip sync vocalist for Ammy, the famous Korean pop singer. Even though she is always ignored because of her appearance, she has been a bright and lighthearted girl until … [Read More]
Jump Returns to the Peacock
The smash hit martial arts comedy Jump returns to the Peacock for the third year running. Expect lots of fun, virtuoso gymnastic solos, slick coordination, great visual humour and generally a good night out. But if you’re a shy retiring type don’t sit in an aisle seat near the front. Like many Korean stage shows, … [Read More]
Spring, Summer at the KCC
The KCC’s third film screening, on Friday 11 April at 7pm, is Kim Ki-duk’s Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter … and Spring. From the KCC website: Synopsis Spring, a child monk audaciously stacks rocks on a frog’s back. Summer, a young boy falls in love with a girl who comes to the buddhist monastery to convalesce. … [Read More]