Tuesday, December 22, 2009

This blog will no longer be updated

Hello everyone,
This Art-n-about blog will not be updated any further because I am leaving Korea soon.
I will leave the blog up as an archive, as many of the links are a valuable resource.
The galleries and organisations already listed will continue to have new exhibitions and events.
Hope you enjoy discovering the art scene in Korea.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

BECA: Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art - global exhibition opportunities

We're attaching an update on next year's Curate This global exhibition - artists and designers are welcome as well as curators, both new and established venues, galleries, museums, organizations, publications, etc. Additional info. will be posted by 12/30 at http://www.curatethis.org
We hope you can join us!

- BECA: Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art
----------------------

www.thebecafoundation.org www.curatethis.org mail@thebecafoundation.org

CURATE THIS! 2010 is going global!
…on the ground AND in cyberland.

December 22, 2009 – CURATE THIS! 2010, the second installment of the CURATE THIS! exhibition series created by BECA: Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art, is evolving from a one city-wide event location into a global arts cultural exchange event involving multiple venues located in multiple cities around the world. The global art design exhibition will take place from July 1 – December 31, 2010.

Through the exhibition of works of art design by emerging artists, designers, duos, groups and collectives around the world, The BECA Foundation aims to facilitate an experimental, cross-pollination of creative innovation and new ideas in diverse locations around the world. The title, ‘CURATE THIS!’ reflects a departure from the familiar large scale exhibition model, typically curated by a singular vision with one head curator, to an exhibition with components and related events ‘curated’ by the public and professional and independent participants residing in multiple cities around the world. The first ‘CURATE THIS!’ experiment took place in early 2008 and led artists and directors, Melissa Roberts and Kurt Schlough to begin brainstorming the expansion of the experiment to bring about greater benefits to a larger number of participants.

BECA is an acronym for Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art and the core belief system at The BECA Foundation is that “New art new design fuels the best of what’s yet to come on this planet.” To help mix that fuel and kick start new possibilities, the expansion of the CURATE THIS! exhibition project will facilitate a broader exposure of new art, new design and new ideas through both a physical and online network of participating venues in multiple cities around the world. The aim of building the network is to create international arts cultural exchange opportunities, broaden arts education opportunities and appreciation for emerging contemporary art design, facilitate introductions and lay the foundation for future collaborations toward the realization of a progressive, meaningful and fulfilling future for everyone. Global online content delivery of exhibition events and related special projects will enable global participation by millions around the world. The BECA Foundation is pleased to welcome the participation of Helen Pheby, PhD, Curator of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK whose research and curatorial work spans the globe including the US and Iraq and Ellen Lupton, legendary design educator and Curator of Contemporary Design at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Each has a unique insight which will add further depth and diversity to new CURATE THIS! 2010 exhibition components.

Upcoming participating venues in Boston, New Orleans, Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, Santa Fe and London have been the first locations to sign on. Venue participation proposals have also been submitted by exclusively online communities. Artists, designers, independent and established curators, gallery and art space directors as well as lease-holders and owners of other event and non-traditional exhibition spaces may email Melissa Roberts at mail@thebecafoundation.org for venue participation information. The BECA Foundation is building a global network to achieve a positive impact on the future of the residents of cities around the world. The formerly unimaginable, previously impossible and the creative ideas and proposals that may run counter to the current status quo are most welcome.


“Free your mind and the rest will follow.” – Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster

###

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Free workshop - website building with open source - Incheon, Sat Dec 19


Affordable Internet Housing.
how to build your website with open-source tools!


Tired of living in the geo-cities and blogger slums? This workshop will show you how to build a professional quality personal website or blog from scratch using free tools and online services. Integrate your current social sites (flickr, twitter, facebook), host different domains for your many projects, host your own images, make it pimp and keep yo money for yoself. we'll be talking about: Wordpress, Indexhibit, Tumblr, Firebug, Filezila, etc as well as customizing your current blogs and joining the wonderful world of open source communities.

This workshop is FREE - bring cookies to share!
It will also be the first of a series, so it will probably be a mess. :)

Saturday, 12 - 19 - 09, 4pm
Incheon Art Platform
Incheon, South Korea.
Closest subway Line 1 Incheon station. Go out main station door, cross the road and turn right. 5 min walk.


오픈소스 툴을 가지고 어떻게 나만의 웹사이트를 구축할수 있을까!

지오 시티와 블로거 슬럼에서 살아가는데 지쳤나요?

이번 워크샵은 아무것도 모르는 상태에서 공짜툴을 사용하고 온라인서비스를 통해 어떻게 프로페셔날한 퍼스날 웹사이트나 블로그를 만들것인지를 보여줍니다

참가비 무료입니다-함께 나눌 먹거리를 가져오세요.

12월 19일 오후 4시, 인천 아트 플랫폼, 게스트 라운지


http://amalgama.cc/pwn-the-net/
http://inartplatform.kr/

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Winter Solstice Circle Song Night- Dec 21, Soul Underground, Hongdae

Winter Solstice Circle Song Night!

When: December 21st
8:30 pm - 10 pm
Where: Soul Underground, Hongdae
(No cover charge!)

Sing Circle Songs on the Solstice!

Come help me continue a Winter Solstice tradition from my hometown!

What's a Circle Song?
-It's a chant or round sung in a circle. We sing them at important events, celebrations, and at the turning of the seasons.

Why a Circle Song Night?
-Singing Circle Songs on the Winter Solstice is a tradition in my hometown. Soul Underground, a great cafe and live music venue, has been kind enough to open their doors (free of charge!) so that I can continue the tradition far from home.

No prior Circle Song knowledge or musical know-how is required. I will teach all the songs during the course of the evening. The songs are very short with simple, repetitive melodies. The only instrument is the human voice. Just bring yourself.

Who Am I?
-I am from a small fishing town (well, village, technically) in Maine in the US. The Circle Song tradition has been part of the region where I grew up for generations. I minored in Ethnomusicology in college and my mental library of Circle Songs from all over grew. Creating music this way is truly magical, and singing with other people, be they strangers or friends, on the longest night of the year, is always a blast.

Want More Info? Email Paula: pepsqually@gmail.com

Where Is Soul Underground?
-Soul Underground is located within one minute's walking distance from Exit 4 of Hongdae Subway Station.
You can see the Seven Springs Restaurant building when you go out of Exit 4 directly in front of you. Soul Underground is in a building right next to Seven Springs. The buildng consists of 3 stories. The 1st floor is a pasta restaurant called Pavarotti. 2nd floor is a custom guitar shop called MD. 3rd floor is SOUL UNDERGROUND.
(Phone : 010 2363 3720 / 070 7672 3720)

Hope to see you there!!!

BLACK SHEEP LECTURE #19-*Antonio Muntadas*, Hansung University, Monday, 14 Dec, 4 p.m


WELCOME TO THE BLACK SHEEP LECTURE #19
*Antonio Muntadas* Monday, 14 Dec, 4 p.m.*(English with Korean interpretation)
Hansung University | Jisun Kwan room 303


Antonio Muntadas (*1942 in Barcelona, Spain) has lived and worked in New York since 1971.
His work addresses social, political and communications issues, the relationship between public and private space within social frameworks, and investigations of channels of information and the ways they may be used to censor central information or promulgate ideas. He works in different media such as photography, video, publications, internet and multi-media installations.


His works have been exhibited throughout the world, including the Venice Biennale, Documenta Vl and X in Kassel, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Berkeley Art Museum in California.

Muntadas is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
http://web.mit.edu/vap/people/faculty/faculty_muntadas.html

The artist talk is realized in collaboration with Total Museum as part of the Digital Playground 2009: Open the Source!! project (see attachment.)

blacksheep@hansung.ac.kr | http://www.hansung.ac.kr
한성대학교 | 136-792 서울시 성북구 389 삼선2가 한성대학교
Hansung University | 389 Samseon-dong 2-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-792

Monday, December 7, 2009

Art Exhibitions in and around Seoul December 2009


(original source Korea Times)
Masks
Sungkok Art Museum
Through Dec. 31 Closed Mondays. Entry 5,000 won.
Sungkok Art Museum is hosting a special exhibition "Masks," sponsored by the French Cultural Center. It features 100 works by 48 international artists, including Valerie Belin, Sophie Calle, Man Ray, Andy Warhol, Koo Bohn-chang and Oh Hein-kuhn. Visit www.sungkokmuseum.com or call (02) 737-8999.

Blur
Youngeun Museum
Through Dec. 13
Park Yong-sik is holding a solo exhibition, as part of the Youngeun Artist Project 2009-2010 relay exhibitions. Youngeun Museum is located in Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province. Visit www. youngeunmuseum.org.

Closed Door Room
Project Space
Through Dec. 11
Roh Choong-hyun is holding a solo exhibition at Project Space, Gwanhoon-dong. Visit www.sarubia.org or call (02) 733-0440.

Peppermint Candy: Contemporary Art from Korea in Seoul
National Museum of Contemporary Art Korea
Through Feb. 15
The National Museum of Contemporary Art originally organized this exhibition in 2007 to introduce contemporary Korean art to Chile and Argentina. It is now being held in Korea for the first time. Visit www.moca.go.kr.

Arario's Finest: Celebrating 20 years of Arario Gallery
Arario Gallery Cheonan
Through Dec. 10
To celebrate Arario Gallery's 20th anniversary, a special exhibition features works by renowned artist Andy Warhol, Sigmar Polke, Neo Rauch, Tracey Emin, Marc Quinn, Damien Hirst and Keith Haring. Tickets are 3,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for students. Arario Gallery is located near the Cheonan Bus Terminal, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Call (041)551-5100. Visit www.arariogallery.co.kr


Korea Now
Gallery Sangsangmadang
Through Dec. 9
Gallery Sangsangmadang, located in Hongdae, is holding a solo exhibition of works by artist Sun Mu, who fled North Korea. Visit www.sangsangmadang.com or call (02) 330-6223.

Kim Jung-ah 6th Solo Exhibition
KT Gallery
Through Dec. 13
Kim Jung-ah capture the love and happiness of a young bride in paintings on display at KT Gallery, located at KT Art Hall in Gwanghwamun.

Ahn Jung-geun Exhibition
Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center
Through Jan. 24
"Peace Beyond Independence" is the theme of this special calligraphy exhibition focusing on patriot Ahn Jung-geun. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Ahn's assassination of the first Japanese resident-general of Korea, Hirobumi Ito, on Oct. 26, 1909, in China. The exhibition is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays. Visit www.sac.or.kr.


Martin Creed
Art Sonje Center
Through Feb. 12
Turner Prize-winning British conceptual artist Martin Creed is holding a three-month long exhibition at Art Sonje Center. The exhibition is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.artsonge.org/asc or call 02-733-8945.

Architectural Ceramic Now & New
Clayarch Gimhae Museum
Through Feb. 7
The Clayarch Gimhae Museum, located in South Gyeongsang Province, is holding its 8th Architectural Ceramic Exhibition. Participating artists include Song Jun-gyu, Hilde Angel Danielsen, Lee Jong-geun and Johannes Pfeiffer. Visit www.clayarch.org or call (055) 340-7000.

Kim Ho-deuk
Cyan Museum of Art
Through March 28
The solo show of Daegu-based artist Kim Ho-deuk is being held at Cyan Museum of Art, Hwasan-myeon, Yeongcheon-si, North Gyeongsang Province. Visit www.cyanmuseum.org.

Poetic Art of Colors - Light of Heart
Yongeun Museum of Contemporary Art
Through Dec. 13
Artist Bang Hai-ja is holding a solo exhibition at the Yongeun Museum of Art. Visit www.youngeunmuseum.org or call (031) 761-0137.

BLACK SHEEP LECTURE #17, Hansung Uni, Seoul, Wed 9 Dec, 6 p.m

WELCOME TO THE BLACK SHEEP LECTURE #17
*Piotr Zamojski* Wednesday, 9 Dec, 6 p.m.*(English with Korean interpretation)
Hansung University | Tam Goo Kwan B102

Time, space and language are the main subjects of Piotr Zamojski. His materials are preexisting situations: interiors, public space, landscapes and, more recently also objects of daily use. He analyses different aspects of a given space: its former and present functions, proportions and relations to a geographic and socio-cultural context. A second step is an interpretation of reality through the means of wall-painting, sculpture and typography. Some works have a processual character: they have been transformed during a presentation time.
Zamojski works can be understood as a reflection upon the nature of reality, history, space and time as fictional fields. He is trying to follow paths of personal, ethnic and cultural identities, common fates: yearnings, fears, coincidences and errors.

Piotr Zamojski, *1963 in Poland, lives in Germany. Since 2008 visiting professor at the Sungshin Women's University in Seoul. Selected exhibitions:
Westfaelischer Kunstverein Muenster; Akiyama Gallery, Tokyo; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Santiago, Chile; Concept Space, Shibukawa, Japan; Kunsthalle Duesseldorf; Galerie Thomas Flor, Duesseldorf; Josef Albers Museum, Bottrop, Germany; Busan Biennale 2006; Suwon Art Center; TEAF 2009, Ulsan.

blacksheep@hansung.ac.kr | http://www.hansung.ac.kr
한성대학교 | 136-792 서울시 성북구 389 삼선2가 한성대학교
Hansung University | 389 Samseon-dong 2-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-792

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Exhibition - Beginning of New Era- Old KIMUSA site, Seoul - til Dec 6, 2009


The first Exhibition of National Museum of Contemporary Art at Its Future Museum Site in KIMUSA

『Beginning of New Era』 Exhibition at the future site of the Seoul Museum of National Museum of Contemporary Art (the former Defense and Security Complex)
Showcases 58 artists and 300 artworks, ranging from famous senior artists such as Seo-Bo PARK, Tschangyeul KIM to young artists such as U-Ram CHOE and Kira KIM.

For more information, please visit the National Museum of Contemporary Art homepage http://seoul.moca.go.kr/
or call (02)2188-6000.

A. Exhibition Title : Beginning of New Era
B. Exhibition Duration: 2009. 10. 22 - 2009. 12. 06
C. Hours : 10:00 - 18:00 (10:00-21:00 on Fri, Sat, and Sun, open everyday during the exhibition)
D. Location: Old KIMUSA building - the future site of the Seoul Museum of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (see map)
E. Exhibition Type: All areas of contemporary art
F. The number of artists and artworks: 58 artists and approx. 300 works
G. Fee: free

Description:

This project brings various techniques and approaches to contemporary art into one exhibition. Organized according to their characteristics, the body of work is divided into three parts. The first part is “Museum & Art,” and shows the strength of contemporary Korean art. The second is “Museum & Society,” which focuses on the social relevance of art; and the third is “Museum & Vision,” which shows the future of art as envisioned by the artsits. This section of the exhibition includes Seo-Bo PARK (painting), Moon Seop SHIM (sculpture), Soocheon JHEON (installation), Hong-Goo KANG (photography), Geun-Taek YOO (Asian painting/ animation), Soo Jeong KIM (design), and Hoon MOON (architecture).

The Space Transformation Project will be held inside and outside of the former Defense and Security Complex (main building, basement, cafeteria, library, and surrounding space). It anticipates the transformation of the former Kimusa site born into an art museum. The participating artists include: Kyuchul AHN, Jeong Hwa CHOI, Ok-Sang LIM, and U-Ram CHOE.

The Documentary Project participants include Kyungwon MOON, the video artist, and Dong-Hyun PARK, the experimental film director. They examined the images of Kimusa that people have in their minds, and unfolded them in documentary format.

Getting there:
Closest subway - Anguk station, exit 1, 10 min walk.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

'Sori Art' Sound Art performance -LOOP gallery, Hongdae, Sat Dec 5, 2009


“Sori Art”
Hyelim Kim & Leah Barclay

Saturday December 5th 6.30pm
Loop Media Center 3F
Alternative Space Loop

‘Sori Art’ is a new collaboration between Master Taegum artist Hyelim Kim and innovative Australian composer Leah Barclay. The concert will feature six new electroacoustic works fusing Korean traditional music with the infinite possibilities of technology.

Short Bio _Hyelim Kim

www.hyelimkim.com
A native of Korea, Hyelim Kim is a pioneer musician/composer in fusion music developing a new aspect of Korean traditional music in taegum (Korean traditional flute) performance, improvisation and composition. She earned a BA and an MA in Korean traditional music at Seoul National University, which is her original resource of musical inspiration. Upon graduating, she was recommended as an excellent performer to enter the “Nationwide Korean Traditional Music Concert for New Performers”. She has been appointed as Young Artist from the Korean council in 2009 and Kumho Cultural Foundation in 2006. Along with the practical activities, Hyelim Kim has a further commitment to explore the way Korean music has interacted with various kinds of music to make a new heterogeneous musical culture by doing a PhD at the University of Sydney. www.hyelimkim.com

Leah Barclay

Leah Barclay is an award winning Australian interdisciplinary artist. She was the recipient of the 2009 Asialink Performing Artist Residency for Korea and is based at art center nabi for three months developing a series of works integrating traditional music and modern technology. Her current work explores hybrid media and experimental sonic languages fusing the spontaneity of live performance with the infinite possibilities of technology. Since graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, she has performed, published and produced commissioned works across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, India and Korea. 
www.leahbarclay.com


This concert is supported by Alternative Space Loop, Art Center Nabi, The Korean Art Council, Arts Queensland, The Australia Council for the Arts and Asialink.

Opening 'Cultures Connect' - group exhibition - Insadong,Seoul, Dec 2 - 15, 2009


"Cultures Connect"
Jay Gallery & Na Gallery, Insadong (SK HUB PLAZA B-107/8) (near Jongno police station - see map below)
Opening 2009. 12. 2 Wed 7pm, exhibition running til Dec 15

Korea is rapidly developing into a multicultural society as well as becoming more integrated into the world community through trade agreements, security pacts and tourism. The years 2010-2012 have been designated Visit Korea Years. This exhibition is therefore both timely and relevant to the current climate in Korea.

The 18 artists taking part all live in Korea. They come from 7 different countries; speak different languages and have grown up in cultures very different from the one in which they now find themselves living. The group includes both young emerging artists as well as experienced internationally recognized artists. The ages of the artists span almost three generations, they originate from 7 countries spanning 4 Continents. The style of art ranges from modern to traditional and includes painting, print, video, photography and installation works.

Despite so many differences these artists have come together because they share a mutual interest in communicating with the world through their art in a spirit of multicultural co-operation.

Richard J. Beaumont (Curator) Email; beamrich@hotmail.com