Tuesday 30 November 2010

Future’s Future’s Future: the 3rd UK Korean Artist

Date: 3 December 2010 – 19 February 2011
Venue: The Korean Cultural Centre, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW


The Korean Cultural Centre UK presents the 3rd annual exhibition of contemporary art by UK based Korean Artists. brings together the exciting and inspiring work of eight Korean artists, each living and working in the UK.

Jinkyun AHN, Jung Pyo HONG, Jung-Ouk HONG, Minae KIM, Jin Han LEE, Luna Jungeun LEE, Jung Wook MOK, Hyung Jin PARKFrom 3 December 2010 to 19 February 2011 the exhibition FUTURE’S FUTURE’S FUTURE sees new contemporary art works from eight Korean artists, working in the UK.

“What Koreans are thinking about is the future. And the faster they can get there, the better” (Mark Schatzker, Art & Seoul, W magazine, Nov Issue, p.88). The word “future” holds a strong sense of optimism for these artists and each has responded to the theme in their own individual way.

The exhibition has been curated by Jeremy AKERMAN and Stephanie Seungmin KIM (KCC UK). Other participating nominators are Patricia BICKERS, James P. GRAHAM and JAMES PUTNAM.

Monday 29 November 2010

Midori with London Symphony Orchestra 

Date: 15 December 2010, 7:30pm
Venue: Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Barbican box office: 020 7638 8891
Tickets: £8 £14 £19 £25 £32
Web:
http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=10248
Organiser: London Symphony Orchestra

Antonio Pappano (conductor)
Midori (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra

LIGETI: Concert Romanesc
BRUCH: Violin Concerto No 1
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade

Japanese violinist Midori performs Bruch’s Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) at the Baribcan on 15 December.

Midori was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971 and began studying the violin with her mother, Setsu Goto, at a very early age. In 1982, when Zubin Mehta first heard her play, he was so impressed that he invited her to be a surprise guest soloist for the New York Philharmonic's traditional New Year's Eve concert, on which occasion she received a standing ovation and the impetus to begin a major career.

Midori lives in Los Angeles. In 2000, she received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Gender Studies at the Gallatin School of New York University, graduating magna cum laude, and in 2005 received her Master's degree in Psychology. Away from school and the concert hall, Midori enjoys reading, writing and attending the theater.
Her violin is the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu "ex-Huberman", which is on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. She uses three bows, two by Dominique Peccatte and the third by François Peccatte.


Saturday 27 November 2010

Discover Korean Food #42: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Yong-An-Yuk-Seol-Gi"

Yong-An-Yuk-Seol-Gi tteok is a steamed rice cake dish mixed with steamed rice cake powder and a Longan. The taste of the Longan is sweet; it does not contain any poison. It relaxes the body and helps the function of the internal organs. It is a useful supplement for Aeremia of the Heart and Spleen. Therefore, it is especially good for Stroke, Arterial, Insomnia, and Anaemia.

Ingredients
* 30g Longan
* 260g steamed rice cake powder
* 3 tbsp sugar
* 3/4 tsp salt
*3 tbsp water

Recipe
1. Wash and dry the Longan. Chop it.
2. Season the steamed rice cake powder with salt. Strain them.
3. Pour water into the steamed rice cake powder. Strain after rubbing them. Add the Longan and the sugar into them.
4. Lay a piece of cotton inside the bottom of a steamer. Place a rice-cake-frame on it. Spread the powder evenly.
5. Steam it for 15 minutes after boiling.

Longan
Literally, Longan means an eye of a dragon as its fruit looks like an eye of an animal; Aril is thick like animal skin.
The taste of the Longan is sweet and it keeps the body warm. It is good for the stomach. It is Anti-biotic, Anti-cancer, Anti-ageing, and Anti-oxidant. It, also, boosts robustness. Therefore, it is especially good for shortness of memory, heart trouble, and digestion problem.



Friday 26 November 2010

Asiana Starts Coat Keeping Service

Asiana Airlines (President & CEO Young-doo, Yoon), will start the ‘Coat Keeping Service’ for all international flight passengers departing from Incheon International Airport during the period of 1st of December to 1st of March next year.

Asiana’s ‘Coat Keeping Service’ was invented solve the inconveniences that passengers receive while taking their coats to warm climate countries during the winter season. Asiana Club members and Asiana’s First/Business class passengers can apply for this service at the 3rd floor of Asiana’s K Island designated counters in the passenger terminal at Incheon International Airport.

This service will be daily provided to passengers from 5am to 9pm. 1 passenger can initially check their coast for free for 5 days and 100 mileages will be deducted per additional day. Passengers newly registering on that day and Star Alliance members may also be privileged to use this service.

Asiana was the first in the industry to introduce the ‘Coat Keeping Service’ from the winter of 1999. With 12 years gone by around 150 thousand passengers have used this service and the popularity is ever increasing. In order to facilitate all the coats, Asiana have acquired a keeping room in Incheon International Airport which can keep around 4 thousand coats simultaneously.

Thursday 25 November 2010

Kotaro Fukuma Piano Recital at the Wigmore Hall

Date: 11 January 2011, 7:30pm
Venue: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP Tel: 02079352141
Admission: £20, £17, £14, £10
Web:
http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/
Organiser: Lisa Peacock Management Ltd.

Japanese Pianist Kotaro Fukuma won 1st Prize and the Chopin Prize at the 2003 Cleveland International Piano competition at the age of 20, and was a major prizewinner in Santander, Helsinki and Salt Lake City.

He has performed extensively in the USA and toured 9 countries in Europe, Asia and South Africa. All his commercial recordings (Schumann, Takemitsu, Albéniz, Recital Live, Liszt) have received critical praise.

Kotaro Fukuma is making a return visit to Wigmore Hall following his highly successful debut in June 2008.

Programme :
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) / Novelletten Op.21 No.1,2 and 8
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) / Nocturne No.13 in C Minor Op.48-1,
Ballade No.4 in F Minor Op.52
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) / Two Concert Etudes (1.Waldesrauschen, 2.Gnomenreigen), Etude de Perfectionnement (Ab Irato), Grandes Etudes de Paganini (including La Campanella)

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Lotte Anker / Ikue Mori / Steve Noble at Cafe Oto

Date: SUNDAY 28 November 2010, 8.00pm
Venue: Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin street, Dalston, London E8 3DL
Contact: info@cafeoto.co.uk
Tickets: £8 adv./£10 on the door


Saxophone, electronics and percussion duos and trios featuring three radical musicians from Copenhagen, New York and London. Channeling their experiences of no wave noise, free improvisation, ecstatic jazz, avant-garde composition and experimental electronics, Lotte Anker, Ikue Mori and Steve Noble come together for a unique evening of improvised explorations into unknown musical territory.

LOTTE ANKERLotte Anker is one of the most individual voices on the saxophone today, combining the power of Coltrane and Brötzmann with her own unique sense of space and balance. Drawing on the texts of Paul Auster, Jorge Luis Borges and others, she has also emerged as a crucial contemporary composer.

IKUE MORIIkue Mori has been a pioneering musical presence since she started playing drums with DNA in 1977. Switching from drums to drum machines to laptop, she is an essential figure in New York's experimental scene, collaborating with John Zorn, Sonic Youth, Evan Parker, and Christian Marclay.

STEVE NOBLESteve Noble is London's leading drummer, a fearless and constantly inventive improviser whose super-precise, ultra-propulsive and hyper-detailed playing has galvanized encounters with Derek Bailey, Matthew Shipp, Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, Stephen O'Malley, Joe McPhee, Alex Ward, Rhodri Davies and many, many more.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Discover Korean Food #41: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Hot Sauce Sea Bream Jorim"

Hot Sauce Sea bream Jorim is a fried sea bream dish boiled down in a hot Chinese matrimony sauce. The sea bream is also called a “dom”. The taste of the sea bream is sweet and it keeps the body cool. It is good for digestion and thirsty. It contains rich Vitamins and calcium. It helps keep strong muscles and bones. Therefore, it is especially good children and elderly people.

Ingredients
* 1 sea bream, 1/4 tsp salt, 0.1 g black pepper powder, 1/2 cup starch powder
* 150g Dioscorea batatas, 5 Chestnut, 10 Ginkgo, 5 Dates, 5 Shiitake,
* Chinese matrimony vine liquid: 5 cups water, 30g Chinese matrimony vine, 1/2 tbsp whole black pepper, 10g spring onion, 25g garlic, 1g ginger
*Chilli oil- 5 tbsp vegetable oil, 1½ tbsp chilli powder, 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
* Chinese matrimony vine sauce - 1½ cups Chinese matrimony vine water, 3 tbsp chilli oil, 3 tbsp refined rice wine, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder

Recipe
1. Wash the sea bream after removing scales. Take out the meat. Season the head and bones with salt and black pepper. Put on starch powder and fry at 150℃.
2. Cut the meat in 4cm widths and 5cm length. Season them with salt and black pepper. Put on starch powder and fry at 170℃.
3. Remove the skin of the Dioscorea batatas and cut it into the 1cm of the semicircular shape. Peel the chestnut and divide it into the 4 sections. Peel the dates and divide it into 3 sections. Take out the pillar of the Shiitake after soaking in water for an hour. Divide the Shiitake into 2~4 sections. Stir-fry the Ginkgo.
4. Boil the Chinese matrimony vine with the spring onion, ginger, garlic, whole black pepper for 6 minutes at high temperature. Leave them in at a medium temperature for 20 minutes. Strain them.
5. Make the chilli oil: Pour the vegetable into a hot frying pan. Put the garlic into the pan then turn off heating. Put in the chilli pepper powder and leave for 2 minutes. Strain them.
6. Chinese matrimony vine sauce: Pour the ingredients with the chestnut into the Chinese matrimony vine water. Boil for 3 minutes at a high temperature. Reduce the heating to the medium temperature. Add the meat, Dioscorea batatas, dates, and ginkgo into them.
7. Lay the bone of sea bream on the pate. Place the meat on it with the rest of the contents of the frying pan.

Monday 22 November 2010

Canon Foundation Invited Lecture: CREATIVE TENSIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Date: Wednesday 24 November, 2010 at 4pm
Venue: Pippard Lecture Theatre, Cavendish Laboratory, Dept. of Physics, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE
Tel: +31 20545 8934
Email: invitedlecture@canon-europe.com
Web:
http://www.canonfoundation.org/
Admission: Free
Organiser: Canon Foundation in Europe


To mark the anniversary of 20 years existence of the Canon Foundation in Europe, it established a series of lectures to be held throughout Europe over 5 years. The 4th lecture in this series will take place in co-operation with the Cavendish Physical Society on "Creative tensions between science and technology" by Professor Sir Richard Henry Friend.

Professor Sir Richard Friend is a Cavendish Professor at the University of Cambridge where he leads the Optoelectronics Group in the Cavendish Laboratory. He has been involved in the scientific discoveries underlying the emergence of plastic electronics and in its commercial development. Professor Friend has over 600 publications and more than 60 patents. He was knighted for "Services to Physics" in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, 2003.

Many of the big discoveries in science have come about after a breakthrough in technology (Galileo needed lens-making technology before he could construct his telescope). However, current popular perceptions of the scientific method are different – too often science is presented as a series of ‘grand challenges’ where we all know where the important next problem lies. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN is thus presented as the machine to find the Higgs boson. Long-range research is now the preserve of the universities in much of the industrialized world. The relationship between university researchers and the generators of new technology in industrial and commercial organizations is not always valued appropriately, but can provide real value in both directions.

Sir Richard will draw on local examples of university- industrial cooperation, drawing attention both to interactions with smaller companies and also larger organizations, such as the Japanese companies that have played a strong role in this.

The Canon Foundation in Europe is a philanthropic, grant-making institution, active in the promotion of international cultural and scientific relations, exchange of now-how and mutual understanding between Europe and Japan. The Foundation grants up to 15 Research Fellowships annually for Europeans to undertake research in Japan and vice versa.

Sunday 21 November 2010

Hanna Yu with Thames Philharmonia

Date: Saturday 27 November 2010, 7.30pm (Doors open: 6.45pm)
Venue: Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Road, Teddington TW11 9NN
Tickets: £12 / £8 LAC Members, seniors & under 18s / £24 family (2 adults & 2 children under 16)
Booking: Book
online
Hanna Yu is the soloist in Grieg's Piano Concerto for Thames Philharmonia’s Autumn Concert. The programme includes music for 8 horns by Rossini and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7. Byung-Yun Yu conducts and there will be a special guest appearance by Tiffin Girls' School Chamber Choir directed by David Pim.

Thames Philharmonia was founded by Byung-Yun Yu in 1998 as Surrey Classic Players, with Alexander Postlethwaite as leader and Marsha Young as chairman. In the year 2000 the name was changed to Thames Philharmonia. The orchestra has weekly rehearsals in Kingston-upon-Thames, and performs three or four concerts a year, in St. John's Smith Square and local venues. Some concerts given in support of charities. The players are keen amateurs of all ages and professions, including teachers and students. Most concerts feature international young soloists from different nations of the world.

Byung-Yun Yu was born in South Korea. He studied the piano and violin, together with composition and conducting with Du-Wyan Kim and Han-Jun Kim in Korea, and has recently studied with Sir Colin Davis. After graduating in music, he began conducting at least a dozen concerts annually all over Korea. Byung-Yun Yu is very keen on musical education and spends much attention to helping instrumentalists improve their technique. He organizes his concerts with charitable causes in mind.


Saturday 20 November 2010

Symposium: Discovering Korean Cinema

Date & Time: 6pm, 23rd Nov
Venue: Korean Cultural Centre UK, Korean Cultural Centre UK, Ground Floor, Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BW

Web: http://www.koreanfilm.co.uk/
RSVP: Booking is required, please email
info@kccuk.org.uk or call 020 7004 2600 to reserve your place.
Fee: Admission is free


To celebrate the success of the fifth London Korean Film Festival the Korean Cultural Centre UK is hosting a symposium and companion booklet on Korean Cinema

This year's London Korean Film Fesival comes to an end on Tuesday 23rd. The Korean Cultural Centre UK is to host a symposium to discuss Korean Cinema and its importance on this day. The event will also mark the launch of the Discovering Korean Cinema booklet featuring articles by some of the top Korean cinema educators working in the UK today.
These lecturers will also be on hand to discuss and expand on the topics covered in the booklet such as the effect and portrayal of the Korean War in film and the role of Korean blockbusters in the world marketplace.

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in Korean film to learn more about this incredibly rich cinema and talk with the foremost experts today.

The symposium will be followed by a reception.


Friday 19 November 2010

Discover Korean Food #40: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Sikhye (Rice Punch)"

Sikhye is a punch made by fermenting steamed rice in malt water. Chilled sikhye has a unique sweet taste and is beloved by Koreans. Sikhye is usually served on national holidays because it is believed to help digestion and stimulate blood circulation.

[Ingredients & Quantity]
115 g (1 cup) malt powder, 2.4 kg (12 cups) water
360 g (2 cups) non-glutinous rice, 480 g (2⅓ cups) water
160 g (1 cup) sugar
10 g (1 tbsp) pine nuts

[Preparation]
1. Put the malt powder in warm water which is around 40 ℃, and let it sit for 30 min.
2. Fumble the soaked malt powder with hands, sieve through a strainer. Discard the solids after squeezing, sink the malt water. When the sediments settle down, pour the top clean water out gently for malt liquid. (1.8 kg)
3. Wash the non-glutinous rice, soak in water for 30 min. Then drain water through a strainer for 10 min.
4. Remove tops of the pine nuts and wipe the nuts with dry cotton cloths.

[Recipe]
1. Put the rice and water in the pot, heat it up for 4 min. on high heat. When it boils, continue to boil for 4 min. Lower the heat to medium, boil for 3 min. When the rice become sodden, lower the heat to low, steam it for 10 min. (880 g).
2. Put the steamed rice, malt water and sugar into the thermo-pot (60~65 ℃), keep in there for 3~4 hours.
3. When 7~8 of rice grains floated up, take out the all rice grains from the pot.
4. Rinse the rice grains in cold water until sweet taste is soaked out. Pour the fermented water into the pot, heat it up for 5 min. on high heat. When it boils, skim the foam out cleanly.
5. Cool down the rice punch, fill in a bowl, top with rice grains and pine nuts.

[Tips]
*If the rice grains taken out from the pot after lots of grains are floated, rice punch may be soured.
*When the rice punch volume is so much, boil it for 20 min. more.





Thursday 18 November 2010

UKIYO- a choregraphic installation fusing dance, sound, fashion design & digital art

Date: 26 November (8.00pm)
Venue: Lilian Baylis studio, Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Ave, EC1R 4TN
Web: http://www.danssansjoux.org/
Tel: 0844 412 4300
Ticket: £12 / £10 (concession)


Ukiyo explores the layers of perceptions in an ephemeral aural world that constantly shifts and fragments. The audience is invited to move freely around the space while dancers and musicians interact with projected images and virtual worlds, featuring audiophonic design by Michèle Danjoux; music and live processing by Paul V Smith and Doros Polydorou. Second Life interface by Kabayan, Rumiko Bessho, Gekitora; engineering by Eng Tat Khoo and research coordination in Japan by Yukihiko Yoshida.

Choreography by Katsura Isobe, Helenna Ren, Anne-Laure Misme, Yiorgos Bakalos, Olu Taiw, Biyo Kikuchi, Yumi Sagara, Jun Makime and Mamen Rivera,

DAP-Lab is an international ensemble of artists working at the cutting edges of dance, design in motion and interactional music. This coproduction with artists from Tokyo is directed by Johannes Birringer.

DAP is supported by The Japan Foundation and The Centre for Contemporary and Digital Performance at Brunel University.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

THE HOLLOW NADIR OF VANITY by Jihye Park

Date: 3 - 23 December 2010 (PV 3 December 6-8 pm)
Venue: Tenderpixel, 10 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4HE
Web:
www.tenderpixel.com
Tel: 020 7379 9464


Tenderpixel is to present Hollow Nadir of Vanity, Jihye Park’s first solo-exhibition in the UK. Park’s work portrays mental landscapes teetering between the conscious and unconscious as played through in memories, dreams and fairy tales. This exhibition will debut her new film work: Lost In The Fathomless Waters. Promoted by the dreamlike surreal plane the film occupies, the exhibition is meant to be played out in the viewer’s imagination. Exploring the space between idealised love, banal love and tragic love, Park is fascinated with memories and notions of darkness. Harnessing visual elements of pastiche, Park attempts to circumvent that which cannot be said with dialogue or plot, rather relying on an ambience of sadness, grief and nothingness. The scenery plays a greater part than the protagonist: It is not crucial for the viewer to fully understand words of the choir, but rather the mood that it creates.

Lost In The Fathomless Waters is more a moving image, without movement or outward plot. One-long shot slowly focusing in on the protagonist (Park) who is sombre and full of grief lying in a boat. A boat that is no longer at sea. Also sans dialogue, Lost In The Fathomless Waters’ sound track is a Korean children’s choir singing the lyrics to a well-known fairy-tale ‘Sim Cheong’. Perhaps unbeknownst to the viewer, Park’s film is referencing this same story. The grief experienced by Park’s character is motivated by the devastating death of her beloved father. Though the original Korean tale finishes with a happy ending, this work focuses on a climax of drama with out resolution. Also installed will be framed works of Victorian memorabilia. With titles such as Twinkle Twinkle and Let The Right One In, Park oppositionally explores the intangibility of love.

Park is interested in the fantastical, the horrific and the paradoxical elements of the Fairy Tale. She is a Korean artist and filmmaker, and a recent graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London (MFA 2009). She has recently shown at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome, and was selected twice for Tenderpix, the Experimental Category of the RUSHES Soho Shorts Festival. Park currently lives and works in London.

Tenderpixel is a unique space for promoting critical and conceptual work by emerging artists. Located in the heart of Central London, Tenderpixel cultivates distinct talent and provides artists with a rare opportunity to both exhibit new work and use the space as an experimental project platform.


Monday 15 November 2010

Accrochage: A mixed show of Gallery Artists

Date: 16-27 November
Venue: 6 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4BY
Tel: 020 7629 5161
Web:
http://www.marlboroughfineart.com/

A mixed show of Gallery Artists: Avigdor Arikha, Frank Auerbach, Stephen Conroy, John Davies, Lucian Freud, Maggi Hambling, Clive Head, Allen Jones, R.B. Kitaj, Celia Paul, Paula Rego, Euan Uglow, John Virtue, Chen Yifei, Dorothy Yoon

Among those artists, Dorothy Yoon is a London-based Korean artist who takes advantage of being between Western and Asian cultures. She was born in 1976 in Busan, the second largest city in Korea. Since relocation in the UK after her second MA degree, at Goldsmiths, she has developed her photographic works, which had been exhibited in London, China and Korea…

Marlborough Fine Art was founded in 1946 by Frank Lloyd and Harry Fischer who emigrated to England from Vienna, where Lloyd's family had been antique dealers for three generations and Fischer had dealt in antiquarian books. They first met in 1940, as soldiers in the British army. In 1948 they were joined by a third partner, David Somerset, now the Duke of Beaufort, and chairman of Marlborough Fine Art (London) Ltd.
In 1995 Chen Yifei, the most prominent and respected of Contemporary Chinese artists, signed an exclusive world-wide contract with Marlborough Fine Art. He subsequently had major retrospective exhibitions at the China National Museum of Fine Arts, Beijing, and the new Shanghai Museum as well as a One-Man Show at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence, France. In 1997 he represented the People's Republic of China in the first ever, albeit temporary, Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Since then Marlborough has organised Chen Yifei exhibitions in London (1997, 2001), New York (1999/2000), Munich (2001) and Paris (January 2002). A Memorial Exhibition to the artist, who sadly died in 2005, was held at Marlborough Fine Art London in the autumn of 2005. A further Memorial Exhibition took place at Marlborough Gallery New York from January - February 2007.


Discover Korean Food #39: Dr. Sook-Ja Yoon's "Dubu-jeongol (Tofu Hot Pot )"

Dubu-jeongol is a hot pot of tofu stuffed with beef, and vegetables in broth. This dish is served and eaten while it is simmering. Dubu-jeongol is rich in protein and soft in texture. It is enjoyed by men and women of all ages. Jeongol (hot pot) is a communal dish that is suitable for Korean dining culture that several people around the table enjoy food together.

[Ingredients & Quantity]
*250 g (½ cake) tofu, 1 g (¼ tsp) salt, 12 g (2 tbsp) starch, 26 g (2 tbsp) edible oil
*150 g beef (top round·sirloin) for broth : 300 g beef (brisket), 1.2 kg (6 cups) water
*Fragrant seasoning : 20 g green onion, 10 g garlic
*Seasoning sauce : 13 g (⅔ tbsp) soy sauce, 4 g (1 tsp) sugar, 4.5 g (1 tsp) minced green onion
2.8 g (½ tsp) minced garlic, 1 g (½ tsp) sesame salt, 0.3 g (⅛ tsp) ground black pepper, 4 g (1 tsp) sesame oil
*3 g (½ tsp) clear soy sauce, 4 g (1 tsp) salt
*10 g (3 sheets) brown oak mushrooms, 60 g (5 ea) agaric mushrooms, 400 g (2 cups) water, 4 g (1 tsp) salt
*30 g watercress, 200 g (1 cup) water, 2 g (½ tsp) salt
*60 g bamboo shoot, 100 g mung bean sprouts, 30 g carrot, 120 g (2 ea) egg

[Preparation]
1. Cut the tofu into 2 cm-wide, 4 cm-long and 0.5 cm-thick, sprinkle salt on it (240 g).
2. Clean blood of broth beef with cotton cloths. Put water and beef in the pot, heat it up for 6 min. on high heat, when it boils, lower the heat to medium, simmer it for 30 min. Add fragrant seasoning, simmer it for 25 min to make broth (800 g).
3. Clean blood of beef with cotton cloths, shred 2/3 of the beef into 6 cm-long, 0.3 cm-wide/thick, season with ⅔ of seasoning sauce. Chop the rest of the beef (⅓) and season with the remained ⅓ of seasoning sauce.
4. Soak brown oak mushrooms in water for 1 hour, remove the stems, wipe water off. Cut them into 1.5 cm-wide, 5 cm-long and 0.5 cm-thick. Remove the heads and tails of mung bean sprouts (85 g).
5. Trim and wash carrot, cut into 1.5 cm-wide, 5 cm-long and 0.3 cm-thick. Cut the bamboo shoot into same size of carrot, maintaining comb shape. Trim and wash watercress (20 g).
6. Panfry eggs for yellow/white garnish and cut into 1.5 cm-wide, 5 cm-long.

[Recipe]
1. Coat tofu with starch. Preheat the frying pan and oil, panfry coated tofu for 5 min. on medium heat (211 g).
2. Pour water in the pot, heat it up for 2 min. on high heat. When it boils, scald agaric mushrooms with salt for 1 min. then rip up into 1 cm of width (46 g)
3. Pour water in the pot, heat it up for 1 min. on high heat. When it boils, scald watercress with salt for 1 min. rinse in cold water, wipe water with cotton cloths, and rip up thinly.
4. Place chopped beef on the fried tofu evenly, fold one side of tofu over, then bind it in the middle with watercress.
5. Put the seasoned beef on the bottom of pot, and place tofu and other vegetables over the beef, matching color. Pour broth over it, heat it up for 3 min. on high heat. When it boils, lower the heat to medium, boil for another 15 min. Season with clear soy sauce and salt, bring it to a boil.

[Tips]
*Tofu may be coated with wheat flour instead of starch.
*Do not boil this stew too long. Serve as soon as the meat slightly cooked.

Sunday 14 November 2010

Japan Foundation Fellows Lecture Series I – The Japanese House : Material Culture in the Modern Home Book Launch

Date: 1 December 2010, 6:30pm
Venue: The Japan Foundation, Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London WC1B 5EH
Fee: This event is free to attend but booking is essential. To reserve a place, please email your name and the title of the event you would like to attend to event@jpf.org.uk.
Tel: 020 7436 6695
Web:
http://www.jpf.org.uk
Organiser: The Japan Foundation


In the West the Japanese house has reached iconic status in its architecture, decoration and style. Is this neat, carefully constructed version of Japanese life in fact a myth? Inge Daniels goes behind the doors of real Japanese homes to find out how highly private domestic lives are lived in Japan. The book examines every aspect of the home and daily life-from decoration, display, furniture and the tatami mat, to eating, sleeping, gift-giving, recycling and worship. The Japanese House re-evaluates contemporary Japanese life through an ethnographic lens, examining key topics of consumption, domesticity and the family.

Dr Inge Daniels is Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, and received a Japan Foundation Fellowship in 2009-10. She will discuss sections from the book, while a series of photographs by Susan Andrews (Senior Lecturer in Photography at London Metropolitan University) will be exhibited.
Prof Joy Hendry, Professor of Social Anthropology and Director of the Europe Japan Research Centre at Oxford Brookes University will be the discussant.

Saturday 13 November 2010

Four legends of the Japanese Avant-Garde: Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M, Reiko & Tori Kudo

Date: 6, 7 & 8 December, 2010
Venue: Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin Street, Dalston London E8 3DL
Tel: 020 7923 1231
Email:
info@cafeoto.co.uk

Web: http://www.cafeoto.co.uk
Organiser: Cafe OTO

Maher Shalal Hash Baz kick off a three day stint at OTO featuring its enigmatic leader and cult figure in the Japanese underground Tori Kudo, his partner Reiko Kudo and musical mavericks Otomo Yoshihide and Sachiko M. The second evening will see all four play either solo or collaborate in different configurations. The final day will be led by Otomo Yoshihide & Sachiko M with special guests from the UK and beyond. A towering figure in the

Japanese underground music scene, Otomo's projects - frequently incorporating Sachiko M's banks of sine waves - embrace noise, minimal improvisation, free jazz and experimental rock.

MAHER SHALAL HASH BAZ
Maher Shalal Hash Baz is the artistic alter ego of Tori Kudo, a Japanese naivist composer and musician. The name is taken from Maher-shalal-hash-baz in the Book of Isaiah verses 8:1 and 8:3, and translates roughly as "Hurrying to the spoil, he has made haste to the plunder" or "Be quick if you steal something".

Tori Kudo has been cagey about details of his life before MSHB. He was once a member of a shadowy, revolutionary political party in Japan. However he gave up on politics since becoming a Jehovah's Witness. He also works as a ceramicist in his hometown in the remote Japanese island of Shikoku.

In his childhood he played classical and jazz piano - learning from the local jazz-kissa owner - as well as playing organ in a Protestant church. His other musical influences included T.Rex and saxophonist Steve Lacy. He and his wife Reiko Kudo joined a band called Worst Noise when they moved to Tokyo; other members dropped out, leaving Tori and Reiko as a duo, known simply as Noise. Under this name they released an album called 'Tenno' (trans. 'Emperor').

The impetus for Maher Shalal Hash Baz came when Tori met euphonium player Hiroo Nakazaki on a building site, and found that they shared an interest in the music of Mayo Thompson and Syd Barrett. Apart from the core trio (Tori on guitar and vocals, Reiko as vocalist, Hiroo with his euphonium), the lineup has always been fluid frequently featuring untrained musicians who sometimes seem only to have the barest grasp of their instrument.

After a couple of self-released cassette albums, the Japanese Org label released Maher Goes To Gothic Country (1991) and the 83-track box set Return Visit to Rock Mass (1996).

The group's profile outside Japan became much higher when Stephen McRobbie of The Pastels signed them to his Geographic label. They have released two albums on Geographic: the compilation From a Summer to Another Summer (An Egypt to Another Egypt) (2000) and the 41-track Blues Du Jour (2003); plus a number of EPs on various labels, including 'Souvenir De Mauve' (Majikick, 1999), 'Maher On Water' (Geographic, 2002), 'Faux Depart' (Yik Yak, 2003) and Live Aoiheya January 2003 (Chapter Music, 2005). Their most recent releases are 'L'autre Cap' (K Records, 2008) and the 171 track collection of musical miniatures 'C'est La Derniere Chanson' (K Records, 2009).

Tori Kudo has resisted defining the sound of his band, although in an interview with Tim Footman in Careless Talk Costs Lives magazine (August 2002) he declared "I am punk." There are also elements of folk, psychedelia and free jazz; the band's tendency to ask members of the audience to join in adds a sense of danger in live performance. Perhaps the best description comes from his own sleevenotes to From a Summer to Another Summer: "Error in performance dominates MSHB cassette which is like our imperfect life."




Friday 12 November 2010

Exhibition: Way of The Warrior - Exploring The Origins of Martial Arts Through Japanese Woodblock Prints

Date: 20 November 2010 – 20 February 2011 (open 7 days a week, 10am – 6pm)
Venue: Japanese Gallery, Islington Branch, 23 Camden Passage, Islington London N1 8EA
Tel: 020 7226 3347
E-mail: info@japanesegallery.co.uk
Web: http://www.japanesegallery.co.uk/
Organiser: Japanese Gallery

The forthcoming exhibition at the Japanese Gallery will present the world of Japanese warriors and explore the origins of martial arts in Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. A selection of prints from our collection will aim to provide a view on the rich military tradition of Japan and track the transformation of martial arts from purely combative systems to the philosophical.

The display features a number of prints by famous Japanese woodblock print artists from Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) to Chikanobu (1838-1912) as well as Hokusai Manga martial art prints by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) famous for his world renowned Great Wave. The prints in focus illustrate the lives of the famous historical and legendary samurai and highlight multiple aspects of the warriors' lives.

The exhibition hopes to represent a cross-section of the samurai class in its historical and cultural background whilst providing the viewer with an insight into the origins of matial arts.
The exhibition will be of interest for anyone practicing martial arts as well as people with an interest in Japanese art and history.

Also on display will be katana swords and an original Japanese samurai armour. The gallery also stocks one of the largest selection of Japanese prints in the world ranging from £10 to top museum pieces, antique through to contemporary pieces.

Exhibition related events: opening talk

Thursday 11 November 2010

November Kimono Jack in London

Date: 13 november 2010
Venue: KEIKO Teabar, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd - Camden, London NW1 8AH
Email: Kimono_de_jack_uk@hotmail.com
Web: http://kimonodejackuk.blogspot.com/
Organiser: Kimono de Jack UK


The original Kimono de Jack was held in Kyoto by 11 kimono enthusiasts who thought that there were not enough reasons to wear kimono. They decided to create a reason for people to come together and enjoy wearing kimono and called this event Kimono de Jack. For the first meeting, 40 people came together, but for the second over 100 people showed up. Kimono de Jack quickly became very popular around Japan, with many prefectures creating their own events. The event is free, and there are no rules. Attendees can come and go as they please, and the only things that are required of them are to wear kimono and have fun.

But Japan is not the only one country that could have de Jack, after all the essence of Kimono de Jack is to create more reasons to wear kimono for kimono lovers.

The very first Kimono de Jack in United Kingdom was held on October 23rd in London. Five kimono enthusiasts came to support the event, sporting gorgeous kimono and practical raincoats.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Laboratory Dance Project + Post-show Q&A

Date: 23 November 2010 (8.00 pm)
Venue: The Place, 17 Duke's Road, London WC1H 9PY
Tickets: £6-£17
Box Office: 020 7121 1100
Web: http://www.theplace.org.uk/
Nearest tube: Euston


The award-winning Seoul company Laboratory Dance Project, founded by artistic director Shin Chang-Ho, makes its London debut at The Place with a triple bill of incredible, physically charged, acrobatic dance work, which combines contemporary choreography, hip hop and martial arts.

Three distinct works define the extraordinary talent of these artists and performers.
Lee In Soo's Modern Feeling is an accomplished piece detailing the meetings, conflicts and compromises of two men. The work won the Grand Prix award at the Seoul International Choreographer Festival in 2008.

Jeon Mi Sook's Promise is a thoughtful examination of suspicion, prejudice, forgiveness and the freedom to be different, set to Steve Reich's classic Music for 18 Musicians.
In No Comment, the company's signature piece, a testosterone fuelled group of seven suited male dancers stalk and prowl the stage in an astonishing piece of high energy work. If you like Hofesh Shecher we think you will love this.



Tuesday 9 November 2010

Asian Art in London 2010

Date: current - Saturday 13th November
Venue: Asian Art in London, 32 Dover Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4NE

Asian Art in London – the annual event that uniquely brings together the capital’s leading Asian art dealers, auction houses and institutions – returns this November.

More than 40 specialist Asian art dealers, the major auction houses and the leading art institutions will join together to present an unrivalled selection of works dating from antiquity to the present day.

During the 10 days, London dealers and auction houses hold their most important Asian art sales, along with evening receptions, lectures and museum exhibitions at locations all over London. Asian Art in London attracts collectors, curators and scholars from around the world and, with the current interest in Asian Art strong, the event will attract keen international buyers.

Among the rich variety of Asian art on offer from over 20 countries will be Indian paintings, enamels and jewellery; Islamic tiles; bronzes and sculptures from the Himalayas and South East Asia; Chinese porcelain, jade and textiles, Korean art and Japanese lacquer, screens and netsuke.
Works of art to be presented at this year’s event will include: A boy Maharaja of Indore in Durbar, Central India (Indore), circa 1850, provenance Ismail Merchant, (Simon Ray Indian & Islamic Works of Art); An archaic Bronze Wine Vessel and Cover (hu), Middle to Late Western Zhou, 10th-9th century BC (Eskenazi Ltd); a work by Yao Jui-chung (b. 1969) Dreamy: puzi puzi, 2008 (Goedhuis Contemporary); and a Chinese porcelain blue and white deer and pine vase, Kangxi, 1662-1722 (S Marchant & Son).

The Antiques Trade Gazette will continue with its generous sponsorship of the Asian Art in London Awards for ‘an outstanding work of art’. Associated Foreign Exchange (AFEX) will also continue their support of Asian Art in London for the fourth year running.

This year the Victoria and Albert Museum will be hosting a symposium on Buddhist Sculpture on 8 and 9 November bringing together 15 leading scholars in the field of Buddhism and its arts.


Monday 8 November 2010

The 8th Asiana International Short Film Festival Opens

The eighth ‘Asiana International Short Film Festival (AISFF) kicked off its six-day run on November 4th, 7pm at CineCube located in Gwangwhamoon downtown Seoul, Korea.

The opening event was hosted by announcer Bum-Soo, Kim and attracted an array of Korean celebrities such as Sung-Khee, Ahn (Executive Committeeman/Actor), Son-Sook (Chairman of the Board of Directors/Actress), Chang-Ho,Bae (Jury/Director), Ji-Won,Ha & Tae-Hoon, Kim (Jury/Actress), and Korean celebrities such as director Kwon-Taek, Lim, Myung-Sae, Lee, Ji-Hoon, Kim, Yoon-Chul, Jeong and director Kae-Soo,Chun. Director Mike Viebrock’s ‘Penicillin’, and director Lilli Birdsell‘Once upon a Crime’ were the opening movies for this day.

The 8th Asiana International Short Film Festival will run from the 4th of November until the 9th. A total of 2,262 short films from 83 countries have been submitted making this year’s event the largest short film festival. Every year, the Asiana International Short Film Festival receives more recognition and the competition becomes intense.

The Asiana International Short Film Festival is the first ever cabin film festival which is becoming substantiality successful and reliable international film festival. The film festival provides support towards preproduction for talented young film makers, and shows the selected short films inside the cabins popularizing short films to the public. The film festival supports talented young film makers’ preproduction costs, and popularizes the short films by showing them in the cabin. Overall, the AISFF is aiding the development of the movie industry.

During this year’s Asiana International Short Film Festival, short films such as (A Trip to the Heart – Warming Country of Korea), director of (A Good Husband), (Camellia) Yukisada Isao’s 5 short omnibus films (A Woman plays twice) along with the entries will also be introduced. In the special program corner, short films of Korea and Japan’s that reflect the culture, region, beautiful scenery, and people whom live in these places (Traveling Shorts Korea), and (Traveling Shorts Japan) will be introduced as special corners during the event

World wide acclaimed director Zhang, Lu true vision of movies, heroin of the movie (Thirst) Ok-Bin, Kim, (Love Letter) main star Kashi-Wabara Takashi, Bettso Tetsuya (Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia Founder/President) Cine 2000 President Chun-Hyun, Lee along with movie man of Korea and Japan will be present at the (Korea/Japan International visual & Tourism Symposium’) in talking about visual contents in the tourism industry which will also be jointly held during the 8th AISFF Film Festival.


Sunday 7 November 2010

Texture of Life by Yukako Sakakura

Date: current - 12 November 2010
Venue: Reading Room Gallery, 65-66 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 3JR
Email: gallery@readingroom.com
Web: http://www.readingroom.com/gallery
Organiser: Reading Room Gallery


The Reading Room Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Japanese artist Yukako Sakakura.
This exhibition will be Yukako Sakakura's first solo exhibition in London.
Yukako Sakakura graduated from the Glasgow School of Art painting and printmaking department in 2008.
Since then, she has exhibited internationally in Japan, Scotland, England, France and Germany, and has collaborated in cross-cultural projects.
Her current practice involves the use of figurative and abstract form in empty white backgrounds, emphasizing our own centralized identity, and an exploration of the nature of reality.
Her obsessive drawing of the same figure describes the desire to capture the presence of inner thought, and the simultaneous confusion in comprehending our individuality.

Yukako Sakakura was recently featured as one of the emerging fine artists in the UK from Japan in The Glasgow Herald Newspaper.

Gallery Opening Hours
Monday to Friday – 9.00am – 6.00pm

Saturday 6 November 2010

The Opening Gala Success: The London Korean Film Festival 2010

The Opening Gala of the fifth London Korean Film Festival has been declared a resounding success with many celebrities, filmmakers and diplomats attending. The Man From Nowhere directed by Lee Jeong-beom closed with a standing ovation from the likes of Jonathan Ross, Simon Field (producer of Uncle Boonmee), Tony Rayns (film critic), the ambassador of South Korea and film fans alike.
The proceedings kicked off in classic film premier style with The Man From Nowhere receiving the first ever East Asian film red carpet treatment in UK. The eager Jonathan Ross was the first to arrive, being snapped by many photographers and paparazzi, even taking time to talk to Korean film news channel, YTN. He had his picture taken with the Festival Director, Hye-jung Jeon and the Executive Chief of the festival, Yonggi Won. He was soon followed by the waves of audience members flocking to the festival.
Once the event got under way and everyone had been seated, the audience received greetings from the other side of the world, from many of the top filmmakers and actors in Korean cinema including Jang Dong-gun (Brotherhood), Jeon Do-yeon (Housemaid), Lee Beung-hyun (Bittersweet Life, I Saw the Devil) and many others.
This was followed by a quick introduction by Tony Rayns, who introduced the Producer and Director behind the film and thanked the audience for their support for Korean cinema. Afterwards, with rice cakes in their hands, the audience sat wide-eyed in front of the silver screen waiting for the entertainment to begin.

With a thundering of applause, the film stage was graced by Tony Rayns and Lee Jeong-beom for an in-depth yet comedic Q&A after the screening. They discussed the filmmaker’s background, the Korean film industry, the casting of Won Bin, and the astronomical success of The Man From Nowhere, which became the highest grossing Korean film of the year despite being the director’s second feature,
With the red carpet all rolled up, members of the press and VIP enjoyed a scenic and lively reception in the Penthouse of the Edwardian Radisson Hotel that overlooked all of London as the 5th of November fireworks sparkled the sky. A perfect end to a perfect night.



Friday 5 November 2010

There & Now: Gugak FM The21st Century Korean Music Series

Venue: Concert Room, St George’s Hall, Liverpool
Time: Thursday 11 November, 8:00pm
Ticket prices: Tickets £10 (Concession £7)
Booking Info: www.ticketline.co.uk, 0844 888 9991
Web: http://www.therenowconcert.co.uk/


Gugak FM is the Korean national radio channel for traditional Korean music. Since 2009, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Gugak FM has presented the 21st century Korean music series to nurture the future creators of traditional Korean music by offering them the opportunity to perform with Korean music masters across the globe. This year, the tour concerts are held in St George’s Hall (Liverpool), RASA(Utrecht), Zuiderpershuis (Antwerp) and Maison des cultures du monde (Paris). (www.gugakfm.com)

There & Now is an exquisite evening of concerts providing a journey through the past and present of Korean music with four extraordinary Korean musicians: CHOI Jin and KIM Woong-sik with a traditional repertoire for string and percussion; and a young female duo, Su:m’s PARK Ji-ha and SEO Jung-min with new compositions for string and wind. CHOI, a master soloist on the ancient string instrument the gayageum, provides a timeless quality of Korean sound, tender and soulful, accompanied by KIM’s dynamic percussion on the Janggu. PARK and SEO of Su:m won Gugak FM’s 21st Korean Music Award in 2009 for their experimental new compositions that bring traditional and contemporary expression and aesthetics together.

Choi Jin completed her training with the master artists of Korean traditional music, who are also known as ‘Human Treasures’, specializing in sanjo (a solo instrumental genre) and gayageum byeongchang (voice with zither accompaniment). She received a PhD degree in Korean Musicology from Ewha Womans University in Seoul. As a soloist she won numerous awards in various Korean music competitions and has performed widely both nationally and internationally. She teaches in several universities in Korea and is also the founder and leader of the gayageum ensemble Panollim.

"Choi Jin's peformances draw excited crowds, fusing tradition with modernity, capturing the essence of an ancient music while at the same time capturing contemporary life. Her technique is exemplary, matching rapid flurries to slow Confucianesque serenity, simultaneously evoking the sounds and sights of Seoul and a rapidly disappearing rural countryside. At performances in London and Cambridge in 2007, her audiences sat entranced, taking in every ornament, focussing on every note as each faded into eternity. They were reluctant to leave at the end of each concert, enjoying the moment, and hoping for an encore." - Keith Howard, professor SOAS, University of London

Kim Woong-sik graduated from the Korean Traditional Music High School and the Department of Korean Music at Dongguk University in Seoul. He is considered to be the most versatile drummer and accompanist in Korea. He was a percussionist in the KBS Tradition Music Orchestra and is also a founding member and leader of the Korean contemporary percussion ensemble Puri formed in 1993.

He has performed widely in the USA, Japan, Europe and Israel and collaborated with numerous international artists. He also teaches in several universities in Korea.

Su:m (Piri, Bamboo Oboe; Saenghwang, Mouth Organ; Yanggeum, Dulcimer; 25-Stringed Gayageum Zither; Metal-Stringed Gayageum Zither) - This young female duo, Park Ji-ha and Seo Jung-min, was formed in 2007. Their name Su:m literally means ‘breath’ in Korean to indicate that their music-making comes as natural as breathing the air. They won the ‘Experimental Award’ at the 21st Century Korean Music Project Competition in 2009. In addition to their own compositional collaboration, this duo has been writing music for various dance projects and theatre troupes.

"The name of the group, Su:m (breathe in Korean), stands for a spontaneous music much like breathing. The members formed this group in 2007. All are 'performer-music writers' playing gayageum, piri or sanghwang. Su:m shows a humble attitude and wants to convey their sincerity through music. Their musical stories are warmhearted, various, and comprehensive in a wide spectrum. The group, Su:m, has been working not only in the authentic Korean classical music field but also actively in other musical genres." - Hwang Woo-chang, Korean music critic

The female duo, Su:m returns to the UKSu:m, the much loved Korean duo brings back their exotic new compostions that presented at British Museum and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall last year. This November, they presents an exclusive concert and a series of workshops in Liverpool along with a senior musicians, Choi Jin and Kim Woong-sik.

The East News