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Category: Arts & Culture

32nd Street: Then & Now

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Explore the history and development of 32nd Street, a.k.a Koreatown in Manhattan. Dr. Jinwon Kim presents a comprehensive study of 32nd Street as a transnational space for consumption, leisure and entertainment.

Over the past decade, the one block of 32nd Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan has drawn Koreans and non-Koreans seeking everything Korean, from day spas to nightlife. “Koreatown” is now known as a home for a taste of Korea for both ethnic Koreans and non-Korean New Yorkers, where restaurants, bars, karaokes (or “norae-bang”), internet cafes and all-night spas offer “Seoul-style” consumption. The emergence of a new ethnic enclave raises some interesting questions concerning how and why Koreatown in Manhattan has been shaped by transnational flows of culture and economy.

 

 

32nd Street: Then & Now

with Jinwon Kim

Thursday, February 6, 2020 | 6 PM

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

About the Speaker:

Jinwon Kim, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at New York City College of Technology, City University of New York. Kim’s research explores themes of urban sociology, transnational and global sociology, immigration, Asian and Asian American studies, and consumption. She is currently working on her book on Koreatown in Manhattan. Kim’s works appear in City & Community, International Journal of Cultural Policy, CUNY Forum and A Companion to Korean American Studies. She is also editor with two other sociologists for Koreatowns: Exploring the Economics, Politics, and Identities of Korean Spatial Formations (Lexington Books, expected 2020), an edited volume on global Koreatowns. Kim earned her doctorate in sociology at the Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Ik-Joong Kang: Moon Jar/Longing for Home

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Current Exhibition: January 16 – May 21|

Internationally acclaimed artist Ik-Joong Kang’s new site-specific installation “Floating Dreams to the Moon” premiers at the Korea Society. This solo exhibition will feature several new paintings by the artist as well as an installation of objects and over 6,000 drawings from Korean War refugees.

Kang’s artistic practice provides a platform for humanity’s aspirations for achieving what appears to be impossible. Just as Korean moon-jars are made from two precarious halves united to form a whole, Kang’s paintings emphasizes how moon jars represent the potential of the Korean peninsula to reunite. Orchestrating the collection, replication, and display of Korean refugee drawings, Kang transforms these individual works to form his sculptures that polishes another facet of this cultural longing for home, accomplishing personal as well as political reunions.

Born in Cheongju and raised in Seoul, Kang moved to New York in 1984 where he lives today while working internationally. Kang was awarded a special Merit Prize in the Venice Biennale and his work is held in major public and private collections world-wide.

 

Gallery Slide

 

     

Of Interest: Artist Talk: Ik-Joong Kang with Dr. Katherine Anne Paul
May 15, 2020 | 6:30 PM

Ik-Joong Kang
Moon Jar/Longing for Home

January 16 – May 21, 2020

 

@ The Korea Society 
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

Gallery hours: (M-F) 10 AM – 4:30 PM by appointment

**Pre-registration is now required for all Korea Society events, and an ID is required for security.**

For more information, please contact info@koreasociety.org or call (212) 759-7525.

 

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The Suit: Seoul and New York Connection

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Join us for an evening of contemporary and traditional music presented by most notable performers of Korean traditional music today.

This creative and original concert is assembled by performers who actively foster contemporary repertoire while perfecting and expanding historical techniques. In the program is a new monodrama The Suit by composer Michael Rose and librettist Ricahard Pels, based on Kim Young-Ha’s short story.

The ensemble includes Sae-Yeon Jeong, p’ansori singer; Gamin, piri and saenghwang; Do-Yeon Kim, gayageum; and Jihye Kim, janggu.

Tickets

 
The Korea Society Fellow, Patron and
Corporate members: FREE with registration

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The Suit: Seoul and New York Connection

Thursday, December 5, 2019 | 6:30 PM

Members and Students with valid student ID: $5
$10 for Non Members

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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Contemporary Photography in Korea: Reception & Panel Discussion

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FREE with RSVP

In conjunction with the current exhibition of Seunggu Kim’s photography series Better Days, the Korea Society is pleased to present a panel of selected photographers and curators for a discussion on contemporary photography in Korea.

 

Contemporary Photography in Korea: Reception & Panel Discussion
 

Thursday, November 14, 2019 | 6 PM

@ The Korea Society 
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

Gallery hours: 10 AM – 4:30 PM by appointment

For more information, please contact info@koreasociety.org or call (212) 759-7525.

 

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About the panelists

Taejoong Kim received an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.F.A. in photography from Chung-Ang University. Mr. Kim has done artist residencies in France, Germany, and Poland, and has received various grants and awards from Foam Fotografiemuseum(Amsterdam), Goethe-Institut(Seoul), The Jewish Museum(New York), among others. His last solo exhibition was at Space 776, New York, and he has participated in numerous group exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He lives and works in New York City and Seoul.

Grace Noh received her M.A. in Art History from New York University Institute of Fine Arts. Her curatorial practice revolves around translating the past and forming them into new ideas in the present and the future. She challenges and pushes the boundaries of viewing and understanding exhibition format to encourage greater discussion. She has curated and organized exhibitions, produced digital contents and published journals for a number of institutions, galleries and magazines, including Jimei x Arles International Photography Festival in Xiamen, China and upcoming exhibitions at Fotografiska New York. In addition, she co-founded MiA Collective Art, an art collective platform based in Beijing and New York.

Sora Woo is a visual artist and photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her works concentrate on observing the spatial relationship between humans and place. Woo is interested in discovering the threads of human interaction and what occurs after the absence of a person. Woo’s photographs capture a moment in the slow process of the passage of time. She not only depicts the passing of time, but also points out the physical and spiritual aspects of the “Irreversible”. Sora received her MFA from Pratt Institute, New York in 2018 and BFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York in 2015.

Maangchi with Cathy Erway

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SOLD OUT

Maangchi is back!

Author of Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking, founder of Maangchi.com, and one of YouTube’s most popular chefs with a staggering 3.7 million subscribers, Maangchi is warmly regarded as the go-to authority on Korean cuisine. Her second book, Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking, is the definitive book on not only Korean food but Korea’s food-crazy culture.

Maangchi will discuss her new book and the ever-increasing popularity of her YouTube channel and Korean food. She will be joined on stage by Cathy Erway.

One of the 13 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2019 – the New York Times

Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking will be available for sale during the event. Purchase on site required for book signing after the event.


Maangchi with Cathy Erway

Thursday, November 7, 2019 | 6 PM

The Korea Society
350 Madison Ave.
24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Author:About the Moderator:

Maangchi was born and raised in South Korea, where she learned the fundamentals of home cooking from her family. She is the author of Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking and the founder-owner of maangchi.com, the top online destination for Korean cooking (averaging one million unique views per month). Her YouTube channel has 3.7 million subscribers. She lives in New York City.

Cathy Erway is the author of The Art of Eating In and The Food of Taiwan. She hosts the podcasts Self Evident, exploring Asian American stories, and Eat Your Words on Heritage Radio Network, and blogs at Not Eating Out in New York.

Of Interest:

Real Korean Cooking with Maangchi

Maangchi – YouTube

 

Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind

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The Korea Society is pleased to welcome back the musicians of Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind.

During the Joseon Dynasty, the royal palace provided education and training to musically gifted blind people then employed them as court musicians. Known as “Blind Kwanhyun,” these musicians performed during official engagements and royal festivities.

In 2011, Siloam Welfare Center for the Blind in Seoul launched the Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A successor of the Joseon Dynasty’s tradition in both music and patronage, the Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind provides to the visually impaired musicians a platform to showcase their artistry and promote the excellence of Korean music.

Tickets

 
All Korea Society members and Students with valid student ID:
CLICK here for FREE admittance with registration

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Korean Traditional Music Orchestra of the Blind

Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 8 PM

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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The Wandering Chef

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The Korea Society is proud to co-present the U.S. premier of South Korean Documentary Film, The Wandering Chef, during the Margaret Mead Film Festival at the American Museum of Natural History.

Jiho Im is a world-class chef who wanders the mountainous Korean peninsula on foot for unorthodox ingredients—acorns, weeds, and moss. Along his way, he cooks meals and develops deep relationships with the elders he meets. When one of his closest friends dies, he faces the challenge of his lifetime: cooking a 108-course feast in her honor for her family.

For more information about this film, visit http://bit.ly/2PeHRBh

 

Tickets

Use the code “Mead10” for a $10 ticket.

 

The Wandering Chef

Director: Hye-Ryoung Park
Producer: Min Jung Huh
2018 | 84 min | South Korea
US Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2019 | 5 PM | Program F30

American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West & 79th Street
New York, NY 10024

 

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Korean Sool 101

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Join us for a fun evening to learn about – and taste! – the signature alcoholic beverages of Korea: Soju and Makgeolli: what makes them so unique and tasty, and how they are becoming ever so popular outside of Korea. Meet the young Korean Americans continuing and putting their own marks on the tradition.

Free tasting included. Must be 21 years or older to attend.


Korean Sool 101

with Alice Jun of Hana Makgeolli and Daniel Lee of West 32 Soju

Thursday, October 10, 2019 | 6 PM

The Korea Society
350 Madison Ave.
24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speakers:

Alice Jun is a champion for authentic Korean food and drink, and has been brewing makgeolli since she was a child. She started Hana Makgeolli as a passion project, but due to overwhelmingly positive feedback she received on her makgeolli, she is building Hana Makgeolli as the foremost purveyor of artisanal Korean rice alcohol in the U.S.

Daniel Lee introduced soju, the popular Korean spirit, to his friend at George Washington University, Maxwell Fine, some time ago in New York. The two decided to make their own without artificial sweeteners and other additives, as a sideline to their day jobs in finance and law. Named for the Manhattan block known as Koreatown, they introduced West 32 Soju in 2017.

Seunggu Kim Better Days

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CURRENT EXHIBITION | October 3-December 18, 2019 |

Reception and Panel Discussion on Contemporary Photography in Korea: Thursday, November 14, 2019 | 6 PM

The Korea Society is pleased to present Better Days, a solo exhibition featuring the photography of Korean artist Seunggu Kim.

Better Days is a series of photographs depicting what the artist describes as “Korean spectacles.” South Korea’s rapid development in the last 50 years has caused a lot of social ironies and incongruities, one of them being long working hours with very short period of break. Due to lack of time to travel, many Koreans end up spending holidays mostly around their hometown. The leisure places around Seoul and its suburbs try to entertain their customers by creating events and environments with increasing novelty, and the result is often an interesting blend of nature and artifice.

Using his camera to show the balance between unnatural elements and our own acclimation to the social ironies, Seunggu Kim describes and poses a question about our lifestyle and how we live.

Seunggu Kim graduated from Department of Photography, Sangmyung University in 2007 and received an M.F.A from the School of Visual Arts, Korea National University of Arts in 2012. He had five solo exhibitions in Seoul and had participated in numerous group exhibitions all over the world, including: Aperture Gallery, New York; Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing; Somerset House, London; 72 Gallery, Tokyo; and Filter Space, Chicago. He was the Grand Prix Winner, 2019 Tokyo International Photography Competition, and was named Ones to Watch by British Journal of Photography.

Gallery Hours: M-F 10 AM-4 PM Appointment Necessary

 

Seunggu Kim
Better Days

October 3-December 18, 2019

Reception and Panel Discussion on Contemporary Photography in Korea: Thursday, November 14, 2019 | 6 PM

 

@ The Korea Society 
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, NYC

Gallery hours: 10 AM – 4:30 PM by appointment

**Pre-registration is now required for all Korea Society events, and an ID is required for security.**

For more information, please contact info@koreasociety.org or call (212) 759-7525.

 

Join our membership program here!

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Happy Hour at Martos Gallery: Jennie Jieun Lee

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Meet us downtown! Join us at Martos Gallery with Assistant Director Sarah Han, and meet the artist Jennie Jieun Lee, whose solo exhibition Sizzling Gouba and Long Beach will be on view.

Complimentary drinks available

Tickets

 
The Korea Society Fellow, Patron and
Corporate members: FREE with registration

Tickets
 
Full Name
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(where applicable)
 
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Happy Hour at Martos Gallery: Jennie Jieun Lee

Thursday, September 26, 2019 | 6 PM

Martos Gallery
41 Elizabeth St
New York, NY 10013
212 560 0670

 

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About the Artist:

Jennie Jieun Lee engages in a dialogue with clay as a medium through an array of techniques including wheel-throwing, hand-building, and slip casting. Similar to how clay retains the mark of the artist’s hands, Lee embeds her work with memory and nostalgia. Though the work sometimes alludes to (or openly expresses) as forms of figuration, Lee’s use of color and gesture transcend the medium beyond sculpture, function or vessel, and begin to blur the line between painting and sculpture.

Jennie Jieun Lee (b. 1973, Seoul, South Korea) currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. She received a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1999, and an MFA from California State University, Long Beach in 2019.

Select exhibitions include: Mrs. Thompson’s Mirror, Martos Gallery New York; Marlborough Chelsea: Viewing Room, New York; Seizure Crevasse, The Pit, Los Angeles; Am I Ugly, Cooper Cole, Toronto; Smile Purgatory, Galerie Lefebvre et fils, Paris; Immigrant’s Ear, Levy Delval, Brussels; Object Painting – Painting Object, Jonathan Viner, London; Life Eraser, Brand New Gallery, Milan; and Halsey McKay, New York.

Select awards and fellowships include: CSULB Graduate Research Fellowship, 2018; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, 2017; Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant 2016; Artadia New York Award, 2015.