Gwangju Biennale 2026 will explore the transformative potential of art

The Gwangju Biennale 2026 will explore transformation through art under the theme “You Must Change Your Life,” led by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen as artistic director. The title is inspired by the closing line of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Archaic Torso of Apollo.” In the 1908 poem, the fragment of an ancient sculpture confronts the viewer with an intense emotional force, ultimately calling for a transformation of one’s life. Drawing from this idea, the upcoming edition will ref

March 13, 2026

New media art finds home in southwestern Seoul

The once culturally peripheral southwestern Seoul now houses the capital's first public museum dedicated to new media art in Geumcheon-gu. Seo-Seoul Museum of Art, the region’s sole public art museum, comes after more than a decade of preparation. It completes the city’s museum network as the eighth branch of Seoul Museum of Art, following the opening of the Seoul Museum of Photography in Dobong-gu last year. “In preparing for the museum’s opening, we have been exploring the boundaries of new me

March 12, 2026

Dominique Perrault to headline 2026 Korea Herald Architecture Talk

The 2026 Korea Herald Architecture Talk will bring together Korean and French perspectives on public architecture, with renowned French architect and urbanist Dominique Perrault as the keynote speaker. The forum will be held at 3 p.m. on April 7 at the Ewha Campus Complex at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. Marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France, the fourth edition of the annual architecture forum will take place under the theme “Architecture Beyond Borde

March 9, 2026

Media artist Cha Jae-min wins 21st Hermes Foundation Missulsang

Korean media artist Cha Jae-min has won the 21st Hermes Foundation Missulsang for her distinctive approach to media art — listening to marginalized voices and building relationships through “essay films.” While her earlier work raised critical voices about structural conditions and power dynamics in society, her recent practice seeks to bring forth the voices of those who remain unheard. “After extensive and passionate discussions regarding the many outstanding candidates the jury of the 21st He

March 8, 2026

French Embassy launches cultural season marking 140 years of diplomatic ties

Marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France, the French Embassy in Seoul unveiled a wide range of cultural exchanges between the two countries, starting with the upcoming anniversary concert led by French conductor Adrien Perruchon. "Beyond politics, we will continue working together across all areas — including security, the economy, culture and education — to further strengthen France's relationship with Korea and ensure that the ties between our two co

March 5, 2026

For Tino Sehgal, art lives in encounters between people

As you approach the entrance to the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, a group of people standing to the side suddenly steps forward, chanting, “This is so contemporary.” Startled and baffled, you may wonder, questioning, “Is this part of the show or something else?” Once inside the museum, the performers, whom artist Tino Sehgal refers to as “interpreters,” blend naturally into the crowd, then slowly approach a visitor to share something intimate. If you stretch a hand toward them, they may touch or

March 4, 2026

Young architects-to-be challenge architecture in data-driven age

As contemporary life is restructured by data-driven systems and algorithmic logic, the place of human perception and imagination within architecture grows increasingly uncertain. The exhibition “This Is Not Architecture: Somewhere, Nowhere” posed a question: "What should architecture dream of?" Architen, a nationwide network of architecture students, examined how human senses and imagination are being pushed aside in the technology-driven society. The exhibition unfolded at Boan1942, an art spac

March 3, 2026

Moon jar, reimagined

Soft and milky in tone, its rounded and generous form quietly draws the eye. The moon jar, a representative Korean porcelain that first emerged during the Joseon era (1392–1910), continues to captivate artists and designers today as an enduring source of inspiration. Made by joining two hemispherical halves rather than shaping a single body at once, the traditional moon jar allows for subtle variations in form — a quality often associated with Korea’s aesthetic appreciation for natural imperfect

Feb. 28, 2026

[Book Review] Beyond real estate: 'Seoul Urban Architecture' decodes city's DNA

“Seoul Urban Architecture: Rising from the Crushing Bowl” By Kim Sung-hong Park Books Seoul and its architecture may feel familiar to those who have lived in the Korean capital, but conversations about the city often revolve around real estate — a dominant topic that has come to define Seoul in recent decades. Nonetheless the time has come to look back on how the city has taken shape, and how its architectural trajectory might be understood beyond the logic of property values. In “Seoul Urban Ar

Feb. 28, 2026

Renewed calligraphy space opens at National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea has reopened its calligraphy space, with the renovated galleries showcasing masterpieces of Korean calligraphy. The space will run both permanent and thematic exhibitions. The gallery, which opened on Thursday on the second floor, presents the thematic exhibition “Jeong Seon: Ah! Our Mountains and Rivers!” coinciding with the reopening of the space, showing 70 works including 10 designated treasures, created by Korean landscape painter Jeong Seon (1676-1759). The exh

Feb. 27, 2026