This year I decided to ease myself into the Korea trip gently: an evening plus a half-day in Seoul before heading off to visit friends elsewhere on the peninsula. I didn’t know how much energy I’d have when I landed, but had made tentative arrangements to meet up with London-based artist Bongsu Park, possibly with … [Read More]
Venue: National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art
2017 travel diary 10: A lazy weekend in Seoul
Insadong, Seoul, 6 May 2018. There is never a shortage of things to do in Seoul. For the final weekend of my 2017 Korea trip I had not scheduled anything other than a couple of dinner engagements. I could easily have done nothing apart from hanging out in my new favourite coffee shop. Their fresh salads … [Read More]
2014 Travel Diary day 10: two art museums and a reality show
In which we have our customary day visiting the contemporary art museums. Eulji-ro, Seoul, Sunday 15 June, 9am. For the first time in recent memory I haven’t scheduled in a trip to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon this visit. And that’s because, since the last visit, the big construction project on … [Read More]
Looking back at 2013: Culture, tourism and branding stories
In the second of five articles looking back over 2013, we recall some of the tourism and heritage stories that made the news. And we also take a look at some of the stories about Korean food, given the increasing popularity of Korean cuisine of Korea. Arts and Heritage Sungnyemun, the great Namdaemun gate, reopened … [Read More]
The London Korean Links Awards 2013
Now in its eighth year, here are the LKL Awards 2013. The year has been both good and bad from LKL’s perspective. Good because there seem to have been more events, more books, more films and more music than ever before as Korean culture gets more and more public attention. And bad because our day … [Read More]
Shin Meekyoung’s 2013
We haven’t done proper write-ups of all Shin Meekyoung’s exhibitions this year – she’s simply been too busy, like us. To make up for this omission, here is a round-up of photographs of some of her installations. All photos are by LKL except where stated – we got to see her work in Seoul, Venice … [Read More]
MMCA Seoul’s opening show mired in controversy
It’s a shame that the opening of the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art had to be bogged down in controversy. What should have been an interesting show, Zeitgeist Korea, one of the museum’s five concurrent exhibitions, is tainted with nepotism, as 32 out of the 39 artists featured are … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #29: Korea Artist Prize 2013
Insadong, Seoul, Saturday 14 September, 8am. However much I plan to rise early and get going with the day when I’m in Seoul, I always seem to be slower than intended. There are too many things to distract me. I have a busy day in front of me: I want to get to the National … [Read More]
Meekyoung Shin shortlisted for Korea Artist Prize 2013
Congratulations to London-based Meekyoung Shin, who is on the shortlist for the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Artist of the Year 2013. She’s recently been in Korea, overseeing the installation of a version of her Duke of Cumberland equestrian soap sculpture in the grounds of the museum in readiness for the opening of … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Who is Alice? – Works from the MMCA collection at Spazio Lightbox, Venice
In previous years, the Venice Biennale has featured a number of Korea-related shows as collateral events scattered around the islands, giving a dedicated visitor the opportunity to walk through the backstreets and explore the vaporetto network while enjoying new artworks. In 2013 most of the Korean artists were gathered together in one place, in an … [Read More]
Who is Alice? – MMCA’s Biennale Collateral event
The Venice Biennale always has some Korean artists participating in collateral events, but this is the first time I can think of that there has been a major government-sponsored initiative. This special exhibition features works from the permanent collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Exhibition announcement courtesy of the MMCA. Who … [Read More]
New Visions New Voices at MMCA
It’s nice to see two familiar names from the London Korean art scene making it into a prestigious show of young artists at the National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art in Korea. Kim Minae and Baak Je are in a group of nine in the exhibition, whittled down from a longlist of 97. New … [Read More]
The London Korean Links Awards 2012
The seventh eclectic and highly personal commemoration of the best of the past year. Personality of the Year Runner up There were plenty of personalities in the South Korean Olympic team, particularly the pistol shooters, archers and the gymnasts. But the athlete that everyone will remember is fencer Shin A-lam, cheated out of a place … [Read More]
100th anniversary of Lee In-sung’s birth commemorated at Deoksu Palace
The Deoksu Palace branch of the National Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a retrospective to commemorate the 100th anniversary of “local colour” artist Lee In-sung’s birth, 26 May – 26 August 2012. Well worth a visit. Links: Exhibition details on the NMCA website. Coverage in Joongang Ilbo | Korea Times [Read More]
2012 Travel Diary 1: Dansaekhwa – Korean Monochrome Painting at the Museum of Contemporary Art
Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, Saturday 24 March 2012. Whenever I come to Seoul I always try to get to Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon to visit the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Even if there isn’t a particularly interesting special exhibition on (and that’s rare), their permanent collection is always worth a browse. This time, the special … [Read More]
Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting, at MMCA Gwacheon
A major retrospective of possibly modern Korea’s most representative artistic style: Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon 17 March – 13 May 2012 Highlights Korean monochrome paintings from the 1970s to the present in the largest such exhibition in Korea. Landscape of the mind as embodied by monochrome painters … [Read More]