Korean Contemporary Arts Series (Images courtesy of the Arts Council Korea)

A publication series on Korean contemporary art is now available on the shelves of major bookstores both at home and abroad.

The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) released the publication series that embodies and captures the essence and recent trends of contemporary Korean art and culture, as part of the council’s promotional activities to further expand international cultural exchanges.

The first batch of the series includes four publications, which explore topics ranging from a brief history of 20th-century Korean music, the theater district of Daehangno, and the modern architecture of Seoul. The publication entitled “Diaspora: Korean Nomadism” uncovers unique and distinct artistic expressions of contemporary Korean artists of international recognition, including Kim Whan-ki, Lee U-fan and Suh Do Ho.

Unlike traditional arts, which have already been widely introduced overseas through various channels, only a limited amount of material on Korean contemporary art has been published in foreign languages. The newly published Korean Contemporary Arts Series will play a vital role in promoting the visual and performing arts of Korea in the international art circuit.

ARKO will launch a total of 15 publications over five years, offering a general introduction on multiple genres of Korean contemporary art and making them more accessible to the public. Next year, the organization will release three more titles revolving around themes of Korean contemporary dance, Korean pop music, and Korean female visual artists.

“Contemporary Korean culture has witnessed an increasing popularity abroad, with the growing presence of a global audience full of enthusiasm,” said Oh Gwang-su, Chairperson of ARKO. “The Arts Council Korea will release more publications to enhance the public’s understanding of Korean contemporary culture.”

By Hwang Dana
Korea.net Staff Writer

[Source: korea.net]