Valentine’s Day enhanced by the romance of arts and culture

Valentine’s Day is back, but for many people the romantic holiday ends in stress over gifts and expensive dinners. Instead of indulging in too much chocolate, how about enjoying the sensual delights of the arts, for a new twist on an old holiday?

2011 Korea Galleries Art Fair (Address: 3F Coex Hall C, 159 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)

The 2011 Korea Galleries Art Fair, which runs from February 11 to 14, showcases artworks ranging from paintings, sculptures, prints, photography to media art and installations. Approximately 3000 artworks by 300 Korean and international artists are represented, with the support of 66 Korean galleries.

Originally known as the Seoul Art Fair, the Korea Galleries Art Fair is the oldest art fair of its kind in Korea, initiated by the Galleries Association of Korea. Although the fair has been held in Busan for the last three years in an attempt to reinforce the regional art market infrastructure, this year the fair returns to Seoul.

Artworks on view at 2011 Korea Galleries Art Fair (from left to right): Kim Dong-yoo, “Audrey Hepburn vs Clark Gable,” 2009, oil on canvas, 162×130; Kho Nak-Beom, “Morning Glory – Water,” 2008, oil on canvas, 149.5×149.5cm; Robert Indiana, “LOVE,” 1998, polychrome aluminum, 92x92x36cm (photos courtesy of Galleries Association of Korea)

The Korea Galleries Art Fair aims at not only expanding the market and adding vigor to the Korean art scene, but also at educating the audience in contemporary art practice. Participating artists include established Korean artists like Kim Tchang-Yeul, Kang Ik-joong, and Kim Dong-yoo, along with younger, emerging artists like Yeondoo Jung (Jung Yeondoo), and Choi So Young. The fair also includes artworks by world-renowned international artists like Louise Bourgeois, Robert Indiana, Julian Opie and Donald Judd.

For those who want to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary art, docent tours are also available at the venue. Additionally, opera critic Park Jong-ho will give a lecture entitled “Opera and Fine Art” on February 11, 12 and 14 in the VIP Lounge. Anyone interested in attending the symposium should register on-site. Seating is limited to 100 participants for each session, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Art lovers at the opening event of the 29th Korea Galleries Art Fair (photographed by Hwang Dana)

The 2011 Korea Galleries Art Fair is hosted by the Galleries Association of Korea under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Korea. Admission is 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for students. For more information, please call 02-733-3706 or visit the official website at: www.artkorea.info (Korean and English)

Dialogue in the Dark: Switch off the Sight, Switch on the Insight (Address: 9F Vertigo Tower, 18-29 Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul)

Dialogue in the Dark is a very special exhibition to help audiences learn to “see” the unseen. Over the last two decades, more than 600 million visitors in 25 countries have “witnessed” the exhibition since the first show in Germany in 1988. Dialogue in the Dark was first introduced in Korea in 2007 at the Seoul Arts Center, and found a permanent site in January 2010 in the university district of Sinchon, where some three million visitors have became part of the journey.

The unusual show places people in an interactive exhibit that gives “viewers” no visual information as they make their way through the exhibit. Participants can travel for 90-minutes with a professional “road master” in complete darkness, exploring Seoul in a way that turns it into a totally new environment.

Dialogue in the Dark (photo courtesy of N-Visions)

A romantic destination for couples, Dialogue in the Dark offers many remarkably intimate moments. According to Song Younghee, CEO of N-Visions, which organized the exhibition in Korea, two couples got married after the man proposed in the darkness of the exhibit, where his sincere voice resonated. “We recommend that visitors come to the venue with as little prior information as possible, since it truly helps to maximize imagination and creativity, while awakening senses other than sight,” added Song in an interview with Korea.net.

Advance reservations are necessary to take a stroll in the hidden part of Seoul with guidance from an English-speaking “road master.” Call 02-313-9977 to find out which sessions are provided in English. The maximum number of people in each session is eight, and special rates are available to those who book the entire session.

Admission is 30,000 won for adults, and participants should arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of their reserved session. For operation hours and other information, please visit the official website at: www.dialogueinthedark.co.kr.

For more information on the initiative and to find other locations worldwide, please visit the official website at: www.dialogue-in-the-dark.com (English, Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Arabic)

By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer