2012.2.16 MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

DELVING IN, BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Interalia Art Space, Samseong-dong

To Wednesday: This exhibition features 11 local artists who have a special interest in studying material properties.

Among them are six painters, including the veteran Kim Hong-joo, known for abstract paintings consisting of numerous brush strokes. Also featured are three sculptors who use unusual materials. Shim Seung-wook uses hot glue to make embossed sculptures with an ominous presence.

The other three artists are photographers including Koo Sung-soo, who will show his new “photogenic drawing” series, which lies on the border between photography, painting and sculpture.

Admission is free. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Samseong Station, line No. 2, exit 5, near Coex Intercontinental Seoul Hotel

(02) 3479-0114, www.interalia.co.kr

KIM WHANKI

Gallery Hyundai, Sagan-dong

To Feb. 26: This large-scale retrospective of Kim Whanki, one of the most important and beloved visionaries of Korean modern art, features about 60 of his oil paintings, including four that have never before been unveiled to the public.

On display at the gallery’s older building are Kim’s 1937-56 paintings of his time in Seoul, his 1956-59 paintings of his time in Paris and his 1959-63 works depicting his time back in the Korean capital.

Admission is 5,000 won. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays. A tour in English will be offered at 2 p.m. every Sunday and tours in Korean will be offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

Go to Anguk Station, line No. 3, exit 1, and walk for 10 minutes.

(02) 2287-3500, www.galleryhyundai.com

DAVID LACHAPELLE

Hangaram Design Museum,

Seocho-dong

To Feb. 26: The retrospective of the photographer known for provocative celebrity portraits features about 160 pieces of photography compiled over the last 25 years.

His surreal, highly sexual, sometimes grotesque and over-the-top portraits of the world’s most talked about stars, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Angelina Jolie, made LaChapelle a household name as a fashion and celebrity photographer.

This exhibition will display well-known photos in addition to recent pieces diverging from the celebrity theme.

The museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. except for the last Monday of every month. Tickets are 13,000 won for adults.

Go to Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3, exit 5.

(02) 566-0835, www.dlcseoul.com

ACCESS TO LIFE

Hangaram Art Museum of the Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-dong

To March 4: This exhibition displays 550 pieces of work, including photographs and documentary films that are part of a collaborative effort by Magnum Photos; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and an international financing organization.

American photojournalist Steve McCurry and seven other acclaimed photographers went to nine different countries - Vietnam, India, Peru, Haiti, Mali, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland and Russia - to capture images of patients before and after receiving AIDS treatments.

The photographs provide a glimpse into the lives of people around the world suffering from the disease and surviving thanks to international efforts.

Tickets cost 10,000 won for adults; 8,000 won for high school and middle school students; and 5,000 won for students under 12. Go to Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line No. 3, exit 5.

(02) 2277-2438, www.accesstolife.seoul.kr

WORK IN PROGRESS

Daelim Contemporary Art Museum, Tongeui-dong

To March 18: Even those who don’t know much about high fashion are likely to know of Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of French fashion house Chanel. But few will know that the 73-year-old designer, who is the force behind Chanel, Fendi and his eponymous brand, is in fact a renaissance man. Not only has he taken photographs of his own fashion collections since 1987, he has published books, done illustrations and recorded music.

Admission is 5,000 won for adults and 3,000 won for students. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Monday.

Go to Gyeongbokgung Station, line No. 3, exit 3 and walk for five minutes.

(02) 720-0667, www.daelimmuseum.org

Information is culled from the galleries and other online sources.