Arts & Culture Archives - Page 38 of 57

MOEBIUS

Posted on July 2, 2014May 25, 2026 by

New York Premiere

A playfully twisted black comedy with no dialogue, Moebius is an everyday tale of penectomy, rape, sadomasochistic sex, and incestuous love. It continues maverick writer-director Kim Ki-duk’s journey into the madness of the Korean soul—though in a much more in-your-face way than last year’s Pietà. Marbled with references to earlier films like The Isle (genital mutilation), Bad Guy (tough, twisted love), and Pietà (“mother” love), plus numerous other titles, Moebius is a quintessentially Kim Ki-duk movie in its risk-taking and outsider feel, and could have been made by no other filmmaker currently working in the country. Words have never formed a major component of Kim’s films, which reveal themselves more through physical action than dialogue. But the absence here of any words (along with any names for the characters) brings an even more allegorical, universal aspect to the movie’s themes while still leaving it feeling absolutely Korean in its emotional intensity. Moebius’s sheer cheek and bravado is more than welcome at a time when South Korea’s film industry has become more and more conventional, predictable, and risk-averse.

Tickets include special entry to 8 PM reception with actress Lee Eun Woo, “Moebius,” Shin Yeon-shick, director of “Rough Play,” and Lee Su-jin, director of “Han Gong-ju.”

Light refreshments and appetizers will be served. Limited seats available.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

8:00 PM | Reception

9:30 PM | Film

MOEBIUS
뫼비우스 | KIM KI-DUK , 2013
SOUTH KOREA | NO DIALOGUE | FORMAT: DCP | 90 MINUTES

$10 affiliate rate for The Korea Society members.
You can also purchase at the box office by showing your membership card
or mention “The Korea Society.”

Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th Street, New York, NY

New York Asian Film Festival 2014

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.

Han Gong-ju

Posted on June 30, 2014May 25, 2026 by

New York Premiere

Praised by Martin Scorsese, who presented it with the Golden Star for Best Film at the Marrakech International Film Festival last year, the feature debut from writer-director Lee Su-jin has walked a path strewn with prizes since it premiered at the 2013 Busan International Film Festival, where it won two awards, and went on to win the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. A devastating portrait of South Korea’s blame culture, embedded cronyism and destructive family pressures, the film follows a high-school girl, by the name of Han Gong-ju, as she seeks anonymity and escape from the horror of an unnamed past experience. Han Gong-ju focuses largely on the aftermath, rather than the event itself. Refreshingly free of self-pitying trauma, the film offers the beautiful character of a young girl, almost a woman, who, in the face of social stigmatization, stands radiant, strong, and self-reliant… not given easily to tears and only wanting to rebuild her life after moving away from home. With her mother divorced and her father on the bottle, Gong-ju works out her own problems, fiercely defending her privacy from new school friends. Strong, compelling, and anchored by a superb lead performance by Chun Woo-hee, Han Gong-ju is a standout social and psychological drama.

HAN GONG-JU
한공주 | LEE SU-JIN, 2014
SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 114 MINUTES

Walter Reade Theater

165 West 65th Street, New York, NY

Monday, June 30, 2014 | 6 PM

$10 affiliate rate for The Korea Society members.
You can also purchase at the box office by showing your membership card
or mention “The Korea Society.”

MoMA | Museum of Modern Art

11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

Tuesday, July 1, 2014 | 7 PM, Theater 2, T2
(Followed by discussion with Su-jin Lee)

Wednesday, July 2, 2014 | 4 PM, Theater 2, T2

Thursday, July 3, 2014 | 7 PM, Theater 2, T2

Friday, July 4, 2014 | 4:30 PM, Theater 2, T2

Saturday, July 5, 2014 | 4 PM, Theater 2, T2

Sunday, July 6, 2014 | 2 PM, Theater 2, T2

Monday, July 7, 2014 | 4:30 PM, Theater 2, T2

New York Asian Film Festival 2014

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.

Art Workshop-Sumukhwa: Korean Ink Brush Painting

Posted on June 24, 2014May 25, 2026 by

Artist Sungsook Setton introduces Sumukhwa, Korean ink brush painting, in this four-session course. Learn brush stroke techniques, composition, and essential skills by painting the four gracious or noble plants: plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo.

During the Chosǒn Dynasty, ink brush paintings of the four “noble plants” were popular with the Korean literati. They symbolized traditional Confucian values, while also suggesting the seasons and passage of time. Bamboo, always green, even in winter, bends without breaking and symbolizes loyalty and fidelity. The plum tree flowers before the snows melt and signals the coming of spring. The orchid evokes a world of beauty, and fragile, delicate harmony in the summer. Chrysanthemums bloom in late autumn.

While mastering brush strokes, participants will also gain an understanding and appreciation of Korean art and aesthetics.

This workshop meets for a total of 8 hours over four sessions:

Tuesdays, May 27, June 3,10, and 24, 2014 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.

MADE IN NEW YORK/ MADE IN SEOUL

Posted on June 11, 2014May 25, 2026 by

This exhibition of works by sixty contemporary artists from New York and Seoul reveals the broad range of techniques, styles, and sensibilities active in printmaking today. Representing the state-of-the-art of the genre, these artists manipulate the deep tones and textures accessible to the printmaker to produce artwork with the eye-catching graphic quality that is the hallmark of print.

Printmaking, through its unique ability to produce affordable copies, has been long associated with the democratization of information—and it continues to be a force for wider dissemination of fine art, even in this digital age. Today’s print artists from New York and Seoul, through application of the wide palette of printer techniques, participate in and extend their respective country’s remarkable—and in the case of Korea’s, ancient—history of printmaking.

“Made in New York/Made in Seoul” is a joint effort of the New York Society of Etchers, the Korean Contemporary Printmakers Association, The School of Visual Arts, Carrier Pigeon magazine, and The Korea Society. The collection will also be exhibited at the Seoul Museum of Art’s Gyeonghuigung Annex from October 1-5, 2014.

June 11—August 15, 2014

Reception

New York

Wednesday, June 11, 2014 | 5:30 PM-8 PM

Gyeonghuigung Annex building of the Seoul Museum of Art
45, Saemunan-ro Jongno-gu, Seoul (Simmunno 2-ga)

Wednesday, October 1, 2014 | 4:30 PM-6 PM

For more information, please contact Jahee Yu

Kyung-sook Shin: I’ll Be Right There

Posted on June 5, 2014May 25, 2026 by

Kyung-sook Shin, one of Korea’s most acclaimed writers and author of the international bestseller Please Look After Mom, has written a seventh novel, I’ll Be Right There, a coming-of-age story set in South Korea’s turbulent 1980s. Following the June 3rd release of the English translation of I’ll Be Right There, Ms Shin visits The Korea Society to discuss her life and writing, as well as her latest book.

A reception and book signing will follow.

Thursday, June 5, 2014 | 6:30 PM

The Korea Society
950 Third Avenue, 8th floor
New York, NY 10022

You may pre-order a paperback copy of the book, I’ll Be Right There, for pick-up at registration on June 5. Books will also be on sale at the program for $15.

Members – ticket: Free

Book Only: $12

Nonmembers – ticket: $20

Nonmembers Plus Book: $32

Collaborating Organizations

Contemporary Culture programs are generously sponsored by CJ

East Meets West Workshop

Posted on June 4, 2014May 25, 2026 by

2014 06 04 essay icon3

July 25th is the deadline for this year’s Donghwa Cultural Foundation “East Meets West” International Essay Competition. Learn what it takes to win at from the staff of The Korea Society and past competition awardees at this special workshop. The Competition is open to all high school and college students, and prizes include $1,000 or a round-trip ticket to Korea, as well as special awards from the Consulate General of Korea in New York, the Korean Cultural Service New York, and The Korea Daily. Read more about it at the Donghwa Cultural Foundation.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 | 6:00 PM

The Korea Society | 950 Third Avenue, 8th Floor

(@57th St) | New York, NY 10022

Register now

Korean Beauty Today

Posted on May 29, 2014May 25, 2026 by

In Marie Claire’s article, The New Skincare Superpower, the Korean beauty industry is described as being 12 years ahead of the U.S. in terms of beauty innovation and science. Alicia Yoon, co-founder of Peach and Lily, a website portal to “Asia’s best in beauty products,” will be joining us to talk about how Korea became a global leader in the beauty industry and a country that others look towards for the latest beauty trends and sensational products. She’ll also discuss how Peach and Lily was launched and the role it plays in bringing Korean beauty to the U.S.

It’s not all business, though, as Alicia, who was trained as an aesthetician in Korea’s esteemed beauty schools, concludes the evening with a discussion on the Korean beauty regimen, including beauty tips and product recommendations to help demystify how Korean women keep such flawless and radiant skin!

Thursday, May 29, 2014 | 6:30 PM

Explorers and Above: Free

Members and Students: $10

Nonmembers: $20

Collaborating Organizations

This program is generously sponsored by

The Art of Maedeup, Korean Traditional Knotting

Posted on May 21, 2014May 25, 2026 by

2014 05 21 maedeup icon

In this knotting workshop, artist Karen Ahn teaches the Garakji (ring) knot, a versatile knot frequently used to make jewelry—including necklaces, earrings, and cufflinks. Maedeup, the traditional Korean art form of knotting silken cords, consists of over 35 intricate knots—with colorful names such as “dragonfly” and “plum blossom”—skillfully made into beautiful ornaments and accessories.

2014 05 21 maedeup 01 2014 05 21 maedeup 02 2014 05 21 maedeup 00

Wednesday, May 21, 2014 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM

If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Y. Pak or (212) 759-7525, ext. 321.

Advance ticket purchase required for this event. Space is limited.

Members | $25

Non-members | $40

Materials included.

Bojagi: Korean Patchwork

Posted on May 12, 2014May 25, 2026 by

2014 04 21 bojagi icon2

Create a Hot-bo (single layer Bojagi) which can either be displayed as art or used as a decorative household item, such as a window screen or table runner, during this 4 week, 12-hour workshop with artist Wonju Seo. Using silk material and the ssam-sol (filet stitchs), participants will sew their own unique designs.

Bojagi, or bo for short, refers to square hemmed cloth comprised of fabric remnants of various sizes and colors, sewn together in patchwork designs, which Koreans used to wrap, store, or carry things with during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Bojagi were not only practical and versatile items in the daily lives of Koreans, but also very beautiful, attesting to the artistry that Koreans sought even in the most mundane aspects of their everyday lives. Hot-bo, specifically refers to unlined, single layer Bojagi which were made with silk, ramie, and hemp for wrapping and storing daily items such as blankets and clothes. As time went by, the patchwork itself became a highly creative and artistic craft, and today people make Hot-bo for artistic and decorative purposes.

2014 04 21 bojagi image00 2014 04 21 bojagi image01

This workshop meets for a total of 12 hours over four sessions:

Mondays, April 21, 28, May 5, and 12, 2014 | 12:30 – 3:30 PM

If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Y. Pak or (212) 759-7525, ext. 321.

Members | $295

Non-members | $325

Participants are requested to bring their own fabric scissors and rulers.

nysca 200px white

Art Workshop Bojagi: Korean Patchwork Cloth is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TKS Workshops

Posted on May 12, 2014May 25, 2026 by

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Category: Arts & Culture

MOEBIUS

MOEBIUS
뫼비우스 | KIM KI-DUK , 2013
SOUTH KOREA | NO DIALOGUE | FORMAT: DCP | 90 MINUTES

Han Gong-ju

HAN GONG-JU
한공주 | LEE SU-JIN, 2014
SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 114 MINUTES

Art Workshop-Sumukhwa: Korean Ink Brush Painting

MADE IN NEW YORK/ MADE IN SEOUL

Kyung-sook Shin: I’ll Be Right There

East Meets West Workshop

Korean Beauty Today

The Art of Maedeup, Korean Traditional Knotting

Bojagi: Korean Patchwork

TKS Workshops

MOEBIUS뫼비우스 | KIM KI-DUK , 2013SOUTH KOREA | NO DIALOGUE | FORMAT: DCP | 90 MINUTES

HAN GONG-JU한공주 | LEE SU-JIN, 2014SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 114 MINUTES

MOEBIUS
뫼비우스 | KIM KI-DUK , 2013
SOUTH KOREA | NO DIALOGUE | FORMAT: DCP | 90 MINUTES

HAN GONG-JU
한공주 | LEE SU-JIN, 2014
SOUTH KOREA | KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | FORMAT: DCP | 114 MINUTES