Void of Memory - Platform 2009 Seoul opening Sept 2 - 25, 2009

“Void of Memory”

Platform in KIMUSA (The old Defense Security Command Site) / Artsonje Center of Platform 2009, Seoul

Artists:
Ai Weiwei, AVPD, Seung Woo Back, Jin Hwan Bae, Young-whan Bae, Magnus Bärtås, Christian Boltanski, Nina Fischer & Maroan el Sani, Nayoungim & Gregory Maass, Shilpa Gupta, Mona Hatoum, HWANG Se-jun, Runa Islam, Jang min-seung + Jung Jae-il, Yeondoo Jung, Chosil Kil, Hyun-jin Kwak, Lee Bul, Seulgi Lee, Christian Marclay, Aiko Miyanaga, NOH Suntag, Park Chan Kyong, Jinnie Seo, Shimabuku, Taro Shinoda, Bob and Roberta Smith, Nedko Solakov, Camila Sposati, Sulki & Min, U Sunok, Jun Yang, Yangachi, Yee Sookyung, Tomoko Yoneda, Carey Young

Art Directed and Curated by: Sunjung Kim, Co-Curator(P1section): Mami Kataoka

Under the theme “Void of Memory,” Platform in KIMUSA of Platform 2009 is an exhibition that rediscovers the spaces that have been unused or forgotten for a period of time. Kimusa, the old site of the Defense Security Command (DSC) in Sogyeok-dong, is a meaningful place historically, architecturally, and culturally, because it has undergone several transformations up until today. The exhibition introduces diverse voices from both the mainstream and non-mainstream art worlds, and provides a vision for new institutions. These voices, after all, are the tools that open up the possibility of communication between the members of different communities in the city. Therefore, Platform in KIMUSA is an experimental ground on which critical and alternative discussions on “New Institutionalism” can be held through exhibitions and events. Platform in KIMUSA is comprised of diverse exhibition sections, events and lectures. There are four main sections: P1 is the main exhibition; P2 presents artists recommended by other artists; P3 features a series of projects curated by institutions; and P4 shows the visions of international art institutions. Public Programs and special events are also held throughout the project. Platform in KIMUSA, composed of the various sections above, explores new roles of art by focusing on diverse aspects of art that have been excluded or neglected from contemporary art discourses as well as unrecognized visions and voices of the art world.

Exhibition Opening: September 2, 2009 at 6 p.m.
Exhibition Period: September 3-25, 2009 (Open everyday)
Opening Hours: Free Visiting 5-9 p.m. (entrance until 8 p.m.)
Docent Tours 2, 3 and 4 p.m. (Reservation: ticket.interpark.com)
Venue: KIMUSA (The old Defense Security Command Site) / Artsonje Center
e-Booking: Interpark (www.interpark.com)
Address: 165 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul / 144-2 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Transport: Subway, Line 3 Anguk subway station exit 1. 10 min walk, opposite Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Website: http://www.platformseoul.org/

Art Directed and Curated by: Sunjung Kim, Co-Curator(P1section): Mami Kataoka
Organized by: SAMUSO:
Supported by: Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, Centre Culturel Francais de Seoul, FranceExpress, CulturesFrance, Arts Council Korea, Japan Foundation, Royal Netherlands Embassy in Korea, Royal Danish Embassy in Korea
Media Sponsor: NAVER

Hermes Foundation, Seoul exhibition opening Sept 3 - Nov 15, 2009

PAMS : Performing Arts Market in Seoul- Oct 12 - 16, 2009

PAMS : Performing Arts Market in Seoul

Showcase Marketplace Developed To Facilitate
the Creation, Distribution And Overseas Presence Of Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) is an annual event organized by Korea Arts Management Services, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which aims to strengthen public awareness of performing arts and increase the presence of Korean performing arts and artists overseas.

Celebrating its fifth year since its inception in 2005, PAMS has established itself as a primary venue for the exchange of ideas, trends and issues, facilitating free and open communication among artists and professionals who share an interest in the performing arts.


Are you a member of a performance group?
Booth Exhibition, Speed Dating, and Round Tables are all at your disposal. PAMS 2009 will give you a rare opportunity to market your productions and create an international network. Take advantage!

Overview
-Period: Oct. 12 (Mon) ~ Oct. 16 (Fri)
-Venue: National Theater of Korea, Namsan Arts Centre
-Host: Steering Committee for PAMS 2009
-Organization: Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS),
National Theater of Korea
-Support: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

For inquiries regarding registration please contact:
Balg-eun SONG: Email; bes271@gokams.or.kr
Tel. +82 2 745 3862 Fax +82 2 745 3861
Website (English) : http://www.pams.or.kr/PE/?sub_num=9

○ Registration Period
Registration opens at 10:00AM (Korean Time), August 10, 2009
Registration closes at 6:00PM (Korean Time), September 10, 2009
Registration fee; from 25,000 won for 1 day

Opening - Lee U Fan-sculpture- Kukje Gallery, Seoul, Aug 28 - Oct 9, 2009

What: Lee U Fan - Sculpture exhibition
Date: August 28 - October 09, 2009
Opening reception: Fri Aug 28, 5pm - 8.30pm
Place: Kukje Gallery, Space 2
Sogyeok-dong 62, Jongno-gu Seoul, 110 - 200 Korea
서울시 종로구 소격동 62
■ Tel : + 82) 2 733 8449
■ Website: http://www.kukje.org/
■ Opening Hours:
Monday~Saturday : 10 am - 6 pm / Sunday, National holidays : 10 am - 5 pm

■ Public Transportation
Subway : No.3 line(Orange) Anguk Station or Kyungbok Palace Station 10-15 min, walk from Subway Station

"Making World Peace" -interactive community art event, Sun Aug 30, Incheon Women's Art Biennale

Event: 'Making World Peace' - interactive community art event
Date: Sunday, August 30, 2009
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Theater, Incheon Art Platform
City/Town: Incheon, South Korea

Cost: Free, but general entry to Incheon Women's Biennale is 7000 won for adults

Transport: By subway, go to Incheon station, Dark blue line, 5 mins walk. See directions below.

Description:
This is a fun interactive art performance, where participants can help to create "world peace" - symbolized as a very long, colorful knitted scarf. This project first started in Korea in 2004 as an art experience program for school children, and recently toured to Japan. Please see my art blog for more detailed info about the project: http://penelopethompson.blogspot.com/2006/06/world-peace-production-workshop.html


The performance event is free, and we will be providing afternoon tea for participants, but general entry to the Biennale is 7000 won.

The Incheon Women’s Art Biennale is a very large international art event (ending on August 31, 2009) and well worth a look. You can see the IWAB 2009 website in English here:
www.iwabiennale.org/2009_new/eng/sub01/sub01_01.php

Opening- Insa Art Center - young Korean artists - Wed Aug 26 - Sept 1, 2009

Art Opening: Wednesday 26 at Insa Art Center ( 90 Wonseo-dong, close to Anguk station, Seoul) of young Korean artists including artist Wee Young-Il at 6:00pm.
Website: http://www.insaartcenter.com/main.php



Insa Art Center Address :Insa Art Center 188, Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Fax :82-2-739-0466

Opening Hours :10:00 ~19:00

Open year-round

Subway Get off at Anguk Stn. (Line 3, Exit 6 )

Kang, Seung-Hee Solo Exhibition -opening Thur Aug 27, - Sept 6, 2009 Insa Art Space , Seoul

Kang, Seung-Hee Solo Exhibition (Different Sames)
Kang Seung Hee
August 27, 2009 – September 6, 2009
When: August 27, 2009 (Thu) – September 6, 2009 (Sun)
Opening Reception: August 27, 2009 (Thu) 6pm
Where: Insa Art Space
(Ground Level-1F-2F Galleries)

The Second Exhibition
Kang, Seung-Hee : Solo Exhibition

Artist Kang, Seung-Hee’s Solo Exhibition, , will open on August 27, 2009 and close on September 6th at the Insa Art Space of Arts Council Korea. Kang’s exhibition has been selected and designed on the occasion of 2009 Insa Art Space Exhibition Support Project and is the second show of the project. This project was designed to expand the creation field of the arts scene by providing an opportunity of production to original and experimental young artists. Kang Seung-Hee, who has shown talent through her power of expression and the use of various media, explores the duality of cultures in this exhibition. She embodies the story of ‘different sames’ in her works through comical images and the familiar movement of her hands, which produced her digital prints and embroidery drawings.

Kang has been working with continuous interest in the heterogeneity and clashes of diverse cultures. As an exhibition which extends Kang’s working field from England to Seoul, it takes form of a homecoming report and the artist attempts to show through the performances and workshops that multiple cultural perspectives exist. The culture shocks that she experienced and the clashing of big and small desires are expressed as comical images and performances. The criticizing gestures of the artist that appear in these works are inverted from “cute resistances” to naughty pleasures. Furthermore, the artist’s experiences remembered by the body are expressed through transformation into multimedia drawings or embroidery. Despite the fact that Kang deals with international issues, social discrepancies or absurdity in her works, the images that appear are expressed as “comic drawings” (according to the artist), thus bringing those issues into the funs of everyday life and solving what may be problematic.

Invitation to exhibit - Spacebeam group show - RSVP Aug 31, for exhibition October, 2009

An Invitation to Exhibit at Space Beam, Incheon:

From Oct 6th to the 26th at Space Beam, The 칼mont Family art group is planning an exhibition that exposes native and foreign artists interacting within the city of Incheon. Our show is called Cadavre Exquis, or “exquisite corpse.” A cadavre exquis is a Surrealist technique by which a collection of pictures or words is collaboratively assembled creating a single image or story. Originating in France, cadavre exquis can be described by the following quote by Pierre Reverdy in 1918:

The image is a pure creation of the mind. It cannot be born from a comparison but from a juxtaposition of two more or less distant realities. The more the relationship between the two juxtaposed realities is distant and true, the stronger the image will be -- the greater its emotional power and poetic reality.

This concept resonates with our varied cultural and national backgrounds, but also due to a shared interest in liminal spaces and making work together. We are in continual development and we are open to collaborating and sharing ideas, beliefs, and each other. If you are interested in submitting a project, participating in the events of the exhibition, or if you have any questions, please e-mail us at cadavreexquis@amalgama.cc by August 31st, 2009.

We are accepting works of all mediums which have been developed through active collaborations between two or more artists. Finished work which is the product of collaboration will be considered; however, the 칼mont Family will be actively facilitating the development of partnerships and group projects during the month of September and throughout the duration of the show.

Please send your name, contact information, two or three samples of previous work, and a proposal or any contributions you can make/skills that you have.



인천, 스페이스 빔 전시 초대장:
칼mont Family 아트 그룹은 10월 6일 부터 29일까지 모국인과 외국인이모인 그룹으로서 인천시내 내에서 상호하는 전시를 스페이스 빔 에서 선보일 계획중이다.
우리의 전시는 Cadavre Exquis라고 불리워지거나 “exquisite corpse” 라고 불리워지는데. 그뜻은 초현실적인 기법인데 그림 또는 글을 수집는 방법으로 작가들이 공동제작하여 하나의 이미지 또는 글을 만든다. 프랑스에서 시작된 것으로서, cadavre exquis는 1918년도에 Pierre Reverdy의 시를 이용한 것으로서 아래글과같이 설명될수 있다:

이미지는 마음의 순수한 창조물이다. 그것은 비교에서 나올수 없다 그러나 둘이나 그 이하가 경원하는 현실의 병렬상태에서 나올 수 있다. 병렬상태의 사이에서 관계가 더 멀어 지고 확실해질때, 이미지는 더 강해진다. 더 강할수록 감정적인 힘이고 시적인 현실이 된다.

이 개념은 우리의 다채로운 문화와 국가적인 배경을 통해서 보여진다. 그러나 또한 막 시작하는 공간과 같이 작업하는 것에 대한 공동 관심으로서도 이 개념이 보여진다. 우리는 계속적인 성장 단계에 있다. 그리고 우리는 앞으로 서로 믿고 협동하여 아이디어를 나눌 수 있도록 열려있다. 만약에 우리에게 프로젝트를 주고 싶다거나 협력하거나 이벤트에 같이 일하고 싶으시다거나 질문이 있으면 cadavreexquis@amalgama.cc 로 8월 31일 까지 연락주시기 바랍니다. 둘이나 그 이상의 작가가 모여서 만든 협동 작품 이라면 모든 행위작업이나 아무 매체나 다 받습니다. 작업이 끝난 협동 작품이나 9월에 만들어 지는 그룹 프로젝트모두 참작하나 칼mont Family Art Group 은 파드너쉽 발전에 기이할 것입니다.

가지고 있는 기술이 있거나 프로젝트에 기여할수있는 능력이 있으신분은 2개나 3개의 예전에 한 샘플 작업이 있으시면 이름과 연락처와 같이 보내주세요.

Art Supply Stores in Seoul - a list in the making

This is the beginning of a list of art stores in Seoul.
Contributions are welcome for other notable art supply stores. Please supply details of location, transport, opening hours etc. Thanks.

1. Hongik University Art Supply Store:

One of the biggest and best I know is the Hongik University Art store which is on the ground floor of the fancy new front gateway building at the front of the campus, (R building). You go in through the R Building front door and walk straight, right to the back, into the art store.
Opening hours: 7 days a week. 9am - 10pm weekdays, and til 8 pm on weekends. Prices are reasonable because they cater to students.

Carries: Everything! (from stationery to canvas, architectural model materials, paints, mediums, brushes, clay, plaster, print making supplies, Hanji paper, technical design materials, craft supplies, computer accessories, video tapes etc.)

There are other art stores in Hongdae but the Hongik University one is big, modern, well-laid out, carries a huge range of stock, has some staff who speak English if you need help, and is easy to find.



Public transport: Hongik University front gate is a 10 minute walk from either Line 6 Sangsu station, or Line 2 Hongik University Station.

2. HOMI art store
Another large art supply store that is famous in Hongdae but notoriously hard to find!
It is located behind the Seokyo Hotel district in the little old back street that runs parallel to the main Hongdae parking street. The store front is very small and non-descript. But there is a kind of gold statue on a pole near the front door. See map for directions.
Carries: Everything!
Opening hours: 7 days a week. open til late maybe 10pm weekdays.

Public transport: HOMI art store is a 7 minute walk from either Line 2 or 6 Hapjeong station - exit 3, or Line 2 Hongik University Station, exit 5.

TACIT group - Digital Media Performance Group - Aug 21,22,23, Doosan Art Center, Seoul

TACIT group do algorithmic audio-visual performances and installations.
TACIT will perform on August 21 at 8pm, Sat Aug 22 at 4pm, 7 pm, and Sun Aug 23 at 4pm.
Venue: Doosan Art Center Space 111, Jongno, Seoul.
Getting there: Line 1, Jongno-5-ga subway station, exit 1. Turn right at the "5 ga"pharmacy and walk 5 mins. See map.

Tickets: 20,000 won
Booking: Interpark ticket - TeL: 1544-1555

Website (Korean): http://www.doosanartcenter.com/n_space111/onplaying.asp, http://www.tacit.kr/

Seoul Open Night - Aug 22 from 2pm - midnight - multiple venues across Seoul

Seoul Open Night
Enjoy the City's Culture till Midnight Comes

Celebrate Seoul's culture from 2pm straight to midnight on Saturday, Aug 22 when the city celebrates "Seoul Open Night."

On this special evening, the palaces, museums and performance halls of Jeong-dong, Bukchon, Daehangno, Insa-dong and Hongdae will open till midnight. A 10,000 won pass will grant you entry into all five neighborhoods' cultural spaces and performances --- and there are a lot of them (roughly 200 or so).

The pass can be bought online at www.interpark.com or purchased at information booths that will be set up in the five areas on the day of the event. In the afternoon, you can participate in tours of the city's architecture, an opportunity to reexamine the city's architectural beauty --- walking tours and bus tours are available.

Registration for architectural tours can be made online at http://cafe.naver.com/seoulopennight --- some 30 to 40 applicants will be selected for each area.

Prada Transformer - Art Exhibition -opening Aug 15 - Sept 13, 2009

What: Art Exhibition -'Turn into me' by Nathalie Djurberg, Sweden. Contemporary soft sculpture, installation, video.
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday Noon to 6PM (to 8PM on Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun). Closed Mondays
Admission: Free (but reservations needed -see below)

For the third cycle of transformation of the Prada Transformer in Seoul, the Prada foundation will hold an exhibition of Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg entitled 'turn into me' from August 15 to September 13 in the rotating building designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA next to the sixteenth-century Gyeonghui palace in Seoul.

In the interior of the Transformer, now covered with a surface of white felt that ripples and twists to form a highly baroque, sensual wrapping, the artist has created an installation that she articulates over the floors and walls through the use of objects and projections that mute the whiteness and transform the architectural environment into a cave of the
unconscious and oneiric.

In this shadowy, disturbing envelope, whose cruciform
configuration follows the hexagonal shape used for fashion and the rectangular one
used for cinema, the only thing that visually stands apart is the floor, which is covered
in a grey felt on which objects great and small are placed and lighted in a spectacular mode.

These assume the likenesses of a potato, a dolmen and two small whales—some of them
already exhibited in 2008 at the Fondazione Prada in Milan —with animated videos inserted
as part of the whole. In order, moreover, to emphasize the nature of the interior space
of the Transformer, the artist has chosen to project, at maximum size, two other videos
which, in a symbiotic interaction with the white, almost flesh-like covering of the inside
environment, expand the disturbing landscape of her vision.

Djurberg's works are characterized by an obsessive rhythm, and while they are permeated with
a taste for irony and humor, they convey a sense of disquietude, nostalgia, and unease, sometimes
genuine anguish. These feelings are reinforced by the music that accompanies all artist's works,
written by the young Swedish composer Hans Berg.

Nathalie Djurberg lives and works in Berlin, Germany.


Admission is free, but advance reservation is required.
For non- Koreans call: 02 737 4773
or email: booking.transformer@prada.com

For Korean citizens: you can book online through the website using your ID number.

See website for all details: (English) http://www.prada-transformer.com/
Location: Downtown Seoul, Jongno, Gyeonghui Palace garden, Prada Transformer (near Seoul Museum of History)
Closest subway: Line 5, purple line, Seodaemun or Gwanghwamun stations, 10 min walk.
Easiest way is: Get off at Seodaemun Subway Station (Subway Line No. 5 Stop 532), Exit No. 4, and go straight 150 meters up to the Naeil Newspaper Office on the corner. Turn right there. It's about a 10-minute walk.

“Wood Meets Paper” Exhibit at SOMA, Seoul Thru Aug 30

Venue:Soma Art Museum
Date:Jul.09, 2009~Aug.30, 2009

Description:
With strips of wooden swirls and paper-covered hoops, New York-based artists Mary Sullivan and Boris Curatolo offer up an exhibit called “Wood Meets Paper” at the SOMA Museum of Art near Olympic Park in southern Seoul, running through August 30.
This is the third collaborative installation by these two artists, after a previous joint effort in Spain last year. According to the artists, their installations are designed specifically for the constraints and atmosphere of the exhibit space.

Ticket prices are W3,000 for adults; W2,000 for students.
Museum hours are 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Sunday; closed Mondays.
Website in English at: http://www.somamuseum.org/english/index.asp. Phone: 02-425-1077.
To get there, arrive at Olympic Park subway station, line 5, or Mongchon Tosong station, line 8, exit 1. There is a map in English at the museum’s website.

Chungmuro International Film Festival (CHIFFS), Seoul - Aug 24 - Sept 20, 2009

What: Chungmuro International Film Festival
Period: August 24, 2009 - September 01, 2009
Place: Cinemas in Chungmuro (Daehan, CGV Myeongdong, Megabox, Dongdaemun), Seoul

Descritption:
The “3rd Chungmuro International Film Festival in Seoul 2009” (CHIFFS 2009) will run from the 24th August until the 1st September, in Chungmuro, one of the centers of Korea's film industry. This year the theme is “Yesterday, Now & Forever”, and more than 210 films from 40 countries will be screened in the 16 different categories of the festival, which include the CINE-CLASSIC, CINE RETRO Ⅲ, and Viva! Latin Cinema categories.

The CINE-CLASSIC category will feature award-winning films from international film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. In the CINE RETRO Ⅲ category, classics starring Marilyn Monroe will be screened, and the Viva! Latin Cinema will present Latin American films.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. During the festival, movies will be screened in various movie theaters throughout Seoul such as Daehan Cinema, Joongang Cinema, CGV Myeongdong, and Megabox Dongdaemun. Also, some movies will be screened free of charge at open-air cinemas, and during the festival an open-air cinema will be set up in Seoul Plaza. Tickets for screenings cost 5,000won.

Visitors can attend the opening ceremony for free by participating in a special online event. Tickets to the closing ceremony cost 10,000won. Tickets can be purchased at the box office of each cinema. Online reservations can also be made through the CHIFFS official website: www.chiffs.kr (Korean, English, Japanese)

Programs
* Movie Theaters:
Daehan Cinema, CGV Myeongdong, Megabox Dongdaemun, Myungbo Theater
* Locations of other festival events:
Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Plaza, Chungmuro, Mt.Namsan, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Cheonggyecheon Stream
* Special Events:
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts & Gwanghwamun Plaza (Opening Ceremony), National Theater of Korea (Closing Ceremony)

Admissions
General screenings - 5,000 won
Opening ceremony - Free (ticket will be provided by online event starting July 23)
Closing ceremony - 10,000 won

Ticket Reservations
Online reservations will be available through the website close to the time of the festival. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office of each cinema.

Further Information
Korea Travel Phone: 1330 (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese)
Tel: 02-2236-6231/4
See website (Korean only): http://www.chiffs.kr/,
English website: http://eng.chiffs.kr/

12th Seoul Fringe Festival - Aug 13 - 29, 2009

What: Seoul Fringe Festival - Aug 13 - 29, 2009
- Period : 2009.08.13 - 2009.08.29
- Venue : Art galleries and studios in Hongdae and Seoul
- Host : Seoul Fringe Network
- Program : Indoor Art Fair, Street Art Fair, Special Program, and Delivery Program etc.
- Inquiry : Fringe Information (right next to the Tourist Information, inside 'Hongdae; station of subway line #2
- Web Site : http://www.seoulfringefestival.net/ (Korean Ok, English version still under construction...)
-Tel. +82 02 325 8150 Fax. +82 02 325 8992 (English speaking assistance available!!!)
-E-mail. seoulfringe@hanmail.net

Getting to Hongdae:
Subway Line 2 Hongik Subway, or Line 6 Sangsu station.

Description:
In front of Hong-Ik University, the place, usually called 'HONG-DAE', is the place of origin of Korean Independent Arts. It's also where underground culture or non-mainstream groups started their performance. Until today, it is known to be a distinguished place where people are allowed to express themselves as much as they want more than other places.

As befits its fame as the center for independent art, throughout August, everywhere in Hongdae will be the venue for the 12th Seoul Fringe Festival; a home to non-mainstream arts.

Fringe Festival is opened to every artist from an amateur to a professional unlike a usual art fair that sort art pieces out based on a specific criterion for an entry. It is also distinguishing character of Fringe Festival that participants work on their own art program individually but operate overall festival together.
This festival is for giving positive environment to breathe freshness into the art industry. In reality and in name, Seoul Fringe Festival can be translated into "an alternative culture festival" where we can see the creative imagination and experimental sprit of many various artists.

The history of the Seoul Fringe Festival can trace back to 1998. At the time, 'Independent Art Fair' was held for the first time under the name of 'Seeking out Korean Style Fringe', and on its 5th anniversary in 2002, it extended its scope to an international art event from a domestic one. Today, the Seoul Fringe Festival is the oldest event of these kinds in Asia, followed by Bangkok Fringe Festival in Thailand since 1999.

This year almost 300 participants including individuals and groups are taking part in this festival . Thanks to large number of artists, a lot of unique events will be displayed or played over 17 days. (Up to 165 programs will be played 359 times overall)

The festival largely consists of Indoor Art Fair, Street (Outdoor) Art Fair, Special Program, and Delivery Program. You can meet all sorts of art such as play, dance, music, performance, and mixed-art etc. All programs are ready to get joined with citizens. (The style or theme of each program is too various that we decide not to introduce any of them.)

Maybe, people are not familiar with the Independent Art. But this time, it's not necessary for you to feel uncomfortable because of its various styles. We recommend you to go to Hongdae without any hesitation in the evening of summer day when the sunset is glowing. Without limitation of the time and space, you can come across some surprisingly wonderful art pieces that stimulate your intrinsic creativity.

The innovative artwork of Scandinavian nations - Kukje Gallery, Seoul til Aug 23, 2009

To the masses, Nordic countries are known for their long winters, white nights and, of course, those pillaging Vikings of old.

To the art world, they’re known for their innovative ideas.

Some of the best contemporary Nordic art is now on display at the Kukje Gallery in downtown Seoul, providing a glimpse into a style that is somewhat foreign to most Koreans.

The exhibit features works from six contemporary Scandinavian artists: Kaspar Bonnen and Michael Elmgreen of Denmark, Ingar Dragset and Ann Lislegaard of Norway, Per Wizen of Sweden, and Marko Vuokola of Finland.

Bonnen, a prominent young painter is known for “combining aspects of modernist formalism with narrative and almost theatrical modes,” said curator Pontus Kyander, the public arts manager in Auckland, New Zealand, who organized the event. A Bonnen work on display titled “You’re the Speaker” gives viewers the sense that they are being interviewed by the people in the painting. The artist’s style creates a kind of chaos that leaves some viewers a bit disturbed, yet it also challenges their perceptions.

Elmgreen and Dragset are actually a married couple. They humorously deconstruct artistic spaces and present absurd and poetical themes.

The two have collaborated on projects for the Tate Modern museum in London and numerous international art events. Elmgreen and Dragset are currently curators and participating artists in the Nordic and Danish pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale.

The Kukje exhibit includes a video recording of their art performance “Drama Queens,” which features imitations of sculptures by Alberto Giacometti and Henry Moore. The sculptures , powered by electric motors, move around the stage as if they are in an actual play, debating which one is the best work.

Wizen has received increasing attention recently from institutions and collectors. The Swede’s works are essentially recreations of old paintings, which he makes by assembling book reproductions of the pieces into collages. These projects are so complicated that they sometimes take years to finish. His works have little relation to the historical context of the paintings. Instead, he presents troubling imagery based on the styles of artists like Uccello, Masaccio and Caravaggio.

Marko Vuokola has experimented with variations in time and space in his “Seventh Wave” series. The most recent addition involves the landscape around Marfa, Texas, where he took pictures of objects at different time intervals. Lastly, Lislegaard has caught international attention through her sophisticated sound and video installations.

The exhibition continues until Aug. 23. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday, and to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Go to Gyeongbok Palace Station on line No. 3, exit 5, or Anguk Station Exit 1 (see map).
For more information, call (02) 735 8449 or visit www.kukje.org.

Photo Exhibition - Marilyn Monroe:The last Sitting by Bert Stern til Oct 4, Seoul

Where: THE CHOSUN ILBO GALLERY

Dates: July 27 to Oct. 4:

What: “Bert Stern’s Marilyn Monroe ‘The Last Sitting.’”

Marilyn Monroe is undoubtedly one of America’s most iconic figures. This exhibit displays a series of photographs taken by American fashion photographer Bert Stern for Vogue magazine.

Stern snapped the photos at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles six weeks prior to Monroe’s death.Of the 2,571 images Stern captured, 59 will be displayed here.

This will be the first time the exhibit is shown in Asia.
It was originally presented in 2006 at the Musee Maillol in Paris. The exhibition in Seoul, which is open until October 4, will also feature a montage of clips from Monroe's movies.


The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Admission is 10,000 won.

The exhibit is only open to those 19 and older.

TeL: (02) 517-2134

Website: http://gallery.chosun.com/

Subway Directions: Get off at City Hall Stn. (Line 1, Exit 3 ) or Gwanghwamun Station, (line No. 5, exit 6). The Chosun Ilbo gallery is in a quiet back street, opposite the "C square" building. On the main road is the Korea Hotel - the gallery is in the back street behind that. (see map)

Incheon International Digital Arts Festival (INDAF 09) & conference- Aug 7 - Oct 25, 2009

What: Incheon International Digital Arts Festival 2009.
Presenting new aesthetics of digital media art from cutting-edge international and Korean digital artists. Digital arts competition, conference, invitational exhibition, interactive displays, digital entertainment exhibition etc.
When: Festival opening Aug 7 - Oct 25, 2009

Free Public Conference: 1st INDAF International Conference (open to all interested in digital art).
Theme: The future of Digital Art, Enjoyment of Digital technology
Dates: Aug 7, 8
Time: 13:30 - 16:10pm
Cost: Need to pay general entry fee to festival - 15,000 won (pre-booked) 18,000 at ticket office.
Venue: Premier Ballroom C, Songdo Convensia

Festival Open days/ Times:
Aug 7 - Aug 20 - 9:30 am - 10 pm daily.
From Aug 21 - Oct 25 - 9:30am - 8pm weekdays, 9:30 am - 10 pm weekends.
Cost: By reservation - 15,000 won. At ticket office - 18,000 won
Ticket reservation via Internet (Korean only): http://wwwaff.ticketlink.co.kr/ticketlink/aff/index.jsp
Where: Digital Art Hall in the main venue for Global Fair & Festival, Songdo, Incheon

Getting there by public transport: From Seoul - Take the Line 1 (dark blue line) to Incheon, get off at Bupyeong Station. Transfer to the sky blue Incheon line, get off at Central Park station. The festival venues are centered around Central Park.
Allow at least 1.5 hours travelling time from central Seoul.

Website: (English): http://www.indaf.org/emain.asp

Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon, Korea - Aug 7 - Oct 25

The 80 day story of future cities
- "Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon, Korea " Opens

In August, small cities full of excitement and fun will be created in Incheon. Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon, Korea will run from August 7th to October 25th in Incheon’s Songdo International City. Its slogan is “Lightening Tomorrow”. It is the first international festival held with “cities” as its theme.

All of the major venues are themed as small cites where visitors can have tons of fun. In the event areas, visitors can watch exhibitions, enjoy some food and relax. The major exhibitions include the Robot Science Future Pavilion, the Advanced Technology Plaza, the Green Growth Hall, the Teddy Bear exhibition, the World Culture Street, the Global City Pavilion and the Domestic and Overseas Business Mall. During the festival, visitors can experience what future cities will be like. Information on exhibitions, performances and events will be provided to suit the various needs of visitors. Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese language services will be available.

Must-See 10 events!
1. Theme Theater
Visitors can see the 3D animation called City Paradiso. This large-scale animation is created by advanced media technology. Also, a special show will feature holograms and a variety of performances including magic and pantomime.

2. Robot Science Future Pavilion
Visitors can see many robot animals in the “Robot Zoo”. Also, there will be exciting exhibitions such as a world robot soccer match and robot battle.

3. World Culture Street
The exhibition will offer fascinating glimpses of different cultures from all over the world such as a knife fight on a Trojan horse and a marionette performance under water. Every day, thrilling events will be held for the enjoyment of visitors. Visitors can also try international foods that they cannot eat elsewhere.

4. Multimedia Water Show
This show will display the perfect harmony of digital technology and art. The fantastic laser beam show at the fountain will stimulate visitors’ imagination and make you wonder at the ingenuity of the human imagination.

5. Incheon International Digital Art Festival (INDAF09)
Its theme is “Future cities where people communicate with one another in happiness”. More than 50 digital artists from 12 countries will feature artworks created by new media art and advanced technologies.

6. Urban Planning Exhibition Center
The exhibition will feature how Incheon has developed as far as it has as a major city and its future vision. The 360-degree revolving center will be equipped with high technology facilities.

7. Tomorrow City
Visitors can experience firsthand future “lives” created by ubiquitous technology.

8. Green Growth Hall
The hall will feature a 3D ocean environment. Also, the exhibition highlights the importance of energy. The plant Jatropha, whose oil is getting a lot of attention as an alternative energy source, will be grown in a separate corner of the hall. Also, a hybrid street light and a solar block will be on display.

9. Incheon Bridge
From Incheon Bridge, which is a landmark of Incheon, people can enjoy fantastic shows including splendid fireworks, brilliant laser light shows and water screens.

10. Cirque Eloize’s New Show ID to Premiere in Korea
Canadian circus troupe Cirque Eloize's brand new show, ID, will premiere at the Global Fair & Festival 2009 Incheon, Korea. The art circus’s theme is “Speed, Spectacle, Special”. The troupe’s founder, Jeannot Painchaud directed the show.
Information
☞ Period: August 7, 2009 - October 25, 2009
☞ Place: Songdo International City (Main Event hall, Central Park, Tomorrow City, Songdo Convensia) and various venues located throughout Incheon Meropolitan City
☞ Transportation: Seoul Subway Line 1-> At Bupyeong Station, Transfer onto Incheon Subway Line -> Get off at Central Park Station (Incheon Subway Line 1) -> Walk 300m
☞ Admission Fees: Adults 18,000 won, 13-18 years old 13,000 won, Under the age of 12 10,000 won
☞ Call Center: 1666-2009 (Information on the festival, nearby tourist attractions, accommodations and transportation is provided)
☞ Official Homepage: www.incheonfair.org (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian)

Free open air Jazz Festival - National Museum of Korea, Seoul - Aug 7,8

*********JAZZ FESTIVAL 2009*********
TIME: August 7 @ 7PM and August 8 @ 6PM
PLACE: Open air venue, Yeolrim Madang (park) at the National Museum of Korea (near Ichon Station, Yongsan in Seoul),
ADMISSIONS: FREE!!!!!!

For info: http://www.theateryong.or.kr/perfor/perfor_view.asp?play=122&wh=E
Tel: 02-1544-5955
Performers: Korean and International players:
Fri Aug 7 at 7pm - Hong Soon Dal Quartet (be-bop)
and Peter Solo and Kakarako (from West Africa) - jazz fusion, reggae, Afro-Cuban, West African.
Sat Aug 8 at 6pm -
wHOOL
Dominic Miller and Band
YunHeeJUng and CEOJ Band

Directons: 150 meters from Ichon subway station (Lines 1 and 4, Exit 2). Walk towards Yongsan Family Park.

Dissonant Visions - art exhibition- Seoul Museum of Art til Aug 30

What: Monster era_Dissonant Visions
Dates: 2009-06-24 ~ 2009-08-30
Where: Seoul Museum of Art, Exhibition Room 1 (1st floor at main building). Near City Hall subway station (see map below)
Opening hours: 10:00~21:00 on weekdays (Tuesday~Friday), Sat-Sun 10:00 - 19:00
Entry fee: normal exhibitions - 700 won.
See website: http://seoulmoa.seoul.go.kr/global/eindex.jsp











Genre of exhibition and the number of artworks: Range of contemporary Art styles/ 60 pieces
This exhibition features various interpretation of 'monsters', imaginative and mysterious creatures created by distinguished artists through the eyes of comtemporary art.

Monsters have been perennially living in the imagination of numerous artists. They are a metaphor to embody a dualism crossed all society like cognitive dissonance in individual values collided with the real world, refusal and violation against existing system and rationality and internal discord in human being or community. One of the hidden code to understand complicated and multiplicate comtemporary art radically changing is 'dissonance' which appears as 'monsters' in the comtemporary world. Twenty one artists in the exhibition provide common denominator, imaginary creatures through 'Dissonant Visions'.
The word 'Monster' can be traced back to the latin 'monstrare (teach)' and 'monere (warn)'. As you can see, monsters originally meant something to show to the public as a warning like psychological and moral deviation including immorality, madness, irrationality and violation rather than something to inspire fears or disgust until before 19th century. They are not natural creatures, but cultural and artistic creatures representing a stranger of the age in the historical context. As it becomes hard to draw a line between goodness and badness, the emblematic creatures earned additional images of chaotic human who lost their control over the world.

Catastrophic reality and unpredictable future make human beings unstable more and more. In this 'hybrid' world, existing rational orders and values are confusing people. Various illustration of monsters in contemporary art offers meaningful opportunities to have a deeper understanding into inhuman wildness inside us living today.

Introduction and Artists

The exhibition presents various interpretation against existing stereotype of monsters, helps the audience broaden their horizon of imagination, and looks into the contemporary world through multiple aspects. 21 participating artists show diverse works like paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos and installations diversified both in form and substance at three sections.

Section 1. Apocalypse of Dystopia

This section consists of series of works expressing monsters as a rhetoric symbolizing an dystopian response to the dismal age. They contain complaints and desperate horrors about the world's irregularities and evil practices, concerns and pessimism about the civilized society, inhuman wildness beneath it, and uncertainty of the future caused by radical changes of cutting edge scientific technology.

Section 2. Forbidden Land

This section is about monsters as an existence that refuses traditional values and violates taboos. As Michel Foucault defined monsters as a combination of impossibilities and taboos, beings that violate taboos are monstrous. Those who crossed a boundary or on the line are monsters. Present time is a 'hybrid' world that caused number of problems like violating the nature, creation of mixed species and collapsed characteristics and boundaries then monsters unveil their appearance agitating existing reasonable orders and values.

Section 3. Inner Monster

This section deals with internal darkness and madness of human being. Art is an aesthetic expression of the age and recognition of the reality by the artist and moreover, it is a report about immanent nature of human. Monster is embodiment of fear existing beneath the deepest consciousness, another ego of the artist and psychological portrait of us all. We may be able to reaffirm the monstrous characteristics inside of us.