Art shows this week

Since their start in 2009, NAMELESS Architecture (a duo made up of Na Un-chung and Yoo So-rae) has been making quite a name for itself; collecting awards such as the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects, the AIA New York Honor Award and the Boston Society of Architects Award. The have also had several exhibits at places like the MoMA and the Center for Architecture New York. We at Time Out Seoul met them at the Seoul Museum of Art while they were busily preparing for their upcoming exhibition, “Re-play: 4 Platforms & 17 Events.” Their installation at the exhibition attempts to find solutions for revitalizing Guro-gu’s Lifelong Learning Center. Consisting of semi-transparent square boards attached to vertical white poles, these boards when turned in one direction can be  thought of as “doors” and as being representative of infinite space and when turned in the other direction can be thought of as “walls” and as being representative of finite spaces.    What’s it like to work in both New York and seoul? From an architect’s perspective, how are the two cities different? Yoo Sorae When it comes to complexity and intensity, Seoul is very much like New York. But personally, I think New York’s social and cultural infrastructure are stronger than that of any other city in the world. In New York, people from all over the world compete with each other and it’s very difficult to get a chance to build something there. Seoul, on the other hand, has many more opportunities...

“This open, comprehensive cultural space was established by the actor Yoo Ah-in, photographer Kim Jae-hoon, the young artists Kwon Cheol-hwa and Kwon Ba-da and others. I go here quite often as I live nearby, and it's the perfect place to have some tea. On the rooftop, you can relax and enjoy the view of Namsan.”

You might be thinking, “Why is there a museum for figures and figurines?” Well, many of us ‘normal’ people might be tempted to dismiss it as a place for the obsessed, but you might want to think again. Figure Museum W, located in Cheongdam-dong, is a place to either renew your love of or learn about a new potential hobby of collecting, building, and trading figure models. With a serious collection of models that range in price from the thousands to couple 100 million wons, it’s undoubtedly Seoul’s special mecca for dukhoos (people focused on a specific hobby or subject) of this sort. For those of us who consider ourselves ‘normal’, it will be an eye-opening experience in learning both the delicacies and grandiose of this art form. The 1000 or so models that are on display are all part of a private collection. The two co-owners of the museum are elementary school friends and have been avid collectors of figures and art toys for a while. They, along with two more friends, came together to create this special space within Seoul to display their belongings. Most well known animation characters from Korea, Japan and the US can be spotted here, all of which range in size. If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to stand next to Ironman and take a selfie, you’ll be able to do just that. Life-size figures include the Terminator (with the actual leather jacket Arnold Schwarzenegger wore), Ironman, Batman, Spiderman, the Hulk, and even the Joker. The most prized item, on the...

World-famous boy band Big Bang member T.O.P. spends ninety-five percent of his earnings on collecting art, while member Taeyang recently purchased the most expensive piece from artist Nam June Paik’s collection. For most of us, however, purchasing expensive artwork is a luxury we cannot afford. We can, however, observe renowned sculptures for free at the Trinity Garden, located on the sixth floor of Shinsegae Myeongdong.  The works exhibited in the Trinity Garden include both pop art and classical sculptures by famed artists Jeff Koons (‘Balloon Dog’), Alexander Calder (‘Le Cepe’), Henry Moore (‘Reclining Figure’) and Louise Bourgeois (‘Eye Bench’). Set in the heart of Seoul, you can also enjoy the great view of the original Korean Bank and Namsan Tower from the garden.