This Weekend: Fully Booked

This weekend is shaping up to be a memorable one for art and music lovers in Daegu.

This Saturday, February 15^th, come out to Gallery [t.] where we will be holding a reception to spotlight Irish photographer and November 2013 [b]racket artist Aoife Casey. Selections from Aoife’s collection The Natural Beauty Project Seoul 2013, as well as other recent works from the artist (see above) will be on display and available for purchase from February 15^th to May 8^th.

This will be Aoife’s first time in Daegu, and we couldn’t be happier to have her! Come give her a warm welcome and start your Saturday night right at Gallery [t.] with some coffee, art, and conversation.

Sunday will bring you downtown again, this time to Social Market where Japanese ambient artists Hakobune and Haruhisa Tanaka will be stopping by for the Daegu leg of their Korean tour. Check out the facebook event to read more about their individual musical styles. Tickets are 20,000 at the door and well worth the price.

Don’t remember how to get to Gallery [t.] or Social Market? Check out the maps below.

See you all out and about this weekend!

Gallery [t.] presents Aoife Casey
February 15^th @ 7PM

Hakobune/Haruhisa Tanaka
February 16^th @ 7PM
Social Market

-Lisa Highfill

An Emotional King Sejong: One of 52 Moments

Matt Ferguson’s art caught our attention back in 2012; so much so that we decided to make it our cover art for the very first issue of [b]racket. Since then, Matt has moved from Korea, but his collaboration with Moment Watches suggests that his time in the ROK made a lasting impression. His unique and simplistic watch design depicts King Sejong, the beloved Korean historical figure responsible for the creation of Hangul, with a tear running down his face.

Matt created this work to illustrate that while Korea’s hasty rise in industry and economic power have proven fruitful for the nation, it has come at a cost to the country’s traditional culture and values. He believes that King Sejong might be happy to see Korea as successful as it has become. However, he might also be saddened by what it took out of the Korean people and environment to get here. Matt’s work is a reminder of the line that Korea walks between their love of tradition, and their drive to be a leader in the modern global economy.

While it might be a somewhat serious message, it’s a seriously awesome-looking watch. Click here to check out the timepiece that serves as Week 12 for Moment Watches’ “Year of 52 Moments” campaign.

Sidenote: If you were planning on coming to Gallery [t.] this Saturday, Aoife Casey’s reception has been postponed until February 15th. So we’ll see you all NEXT weekend!

– Lisa Highfill

Cartoonist Kevin Kilgore Lightens The Expat Mood

Do all expats in Korea eventually turn in to grumpy kimchi-hating perpetual eye-rollers? It can sometimes feel that way. [b]racket artist Kevin Kilgore (featured in the September issue) recently had something to say about the cure for his own bad attitude in the Korea Herald this week.

“It’s so easy to start complaining about life in Korea, especially when you’ve been here for a while,” he told the Herald. “So, I figured I’m here for a reason, and I must like it here, so why not draw about that?”

And so he did. Things I Love About Korea is one of Kilgore’s ongoing projects. The name says it all; he is compiling a  list of things he loves about living in the ROK and draws comics to illustrate his points. I found myself agreeing with a lot of “loves” on his list, such as Korea’s delicious and inexpensive food or all the “freebies” that come heavily taped to products you buy at the grocery store. While scrolling though some of Kilgore’s comics I even began to feel a bit sappy and sentimental about those interactions and occurrences that we can only experience here in Korea. Then I remembered how much people spit in the street and got a hold of myself.

But remember to focus on the positives, folks, and keep up with all the Korean things Kevin loves (you probably love ’em too) at his blog.

Check out the article at the Korea Herald which features Kilgore and a number of other artists who have experienced and create comics based on expat life in the country we love, and admittedly, sometimes love to hate.

– Lisa Highfill