Virtual Connect

Infotainment

This strand will focus on presenting e-magazines, e-catalogues, e-books, webinairs, podcasts as well as links to films, videos and information on singular aspects of Korean and Indian culture.

InKo Centre is delighted to present dramatized readings from 15 tables at TranQuebar, a newly launched-book of linked stories, penned by five Chennai-based women authors. The dramatised readings are performed by two seasoned actors from Chennai Art Theatre, Yohan Chacko and Sunandha Raghunathan.

The book opens with the launch of a chic restaurant in Chennai - the titular TranQuebar – where the lives of the book’s various protagonists intersect lightly. From here, their individual stories branch out.

We are especially drawn to the strong women characters, and resonate with their flaws and strengths. We become part of their journeys, as they navigate relationships and careers, as well as life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Date: Monday, 19 September 2022
Time: 6.00 p.m. IST.

The city of Chennai has, over decades, experienced either drought or floods. The relationship with water has been a complex one for residents of Chennai.

Confronted with often less and sometimes more water, the people of Chennai have always been affected by this constant oscillation. Climate change and poor planning are often debated as the core reasons for this situation.

Waterless, Watermore is an exhibition of paintings, dedicated to the spirited people of Chennai who bravely face drought and floods with equanimity.

The exhibition commemorates the Madras Week celebrations in the city in August 2022.

The exhibition is presented by Art-is, a collective of 6 artists based in Chennai. The artists who approach water in their distinct styles, individually and collectively delve into the core of their being to present their response to the paucity and excess of water.

Date: Thursday, 15 September 2022
Time: 6.00 p.m. IST.

The Founder of Maxperience Asia, Max Jang is a significant power player in the Asian Entertainment Industry and has played a key role in bringing K-pop artists and fans together. He shuttles between Honglong and Korea and is a passionate promoter of the K-wave phenomenon!

His celebrity portfolio includes working closely with popular Korean stars such as Lee Min Ho, Song Joong Ki and Han So Hee on brand endorsements. He has organised events and fan meets with K-Idols such as Blackpink, Jackson Wang, Kang Daniel, Twice.

Puja Talwar is the Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times with over 25 years' experience in Broadcast Journalism. Puja is a Content Creator, Show Host, Moderator and a published Writer. She hosts the popular series 'Candid Conversations With Puja Talwar' on You Tube and a podcast titled ‘Entertainment Unlimited on Spotify. She lives for coffee, travel and K dramas!

Thursday, 15 September 2022 on InstaLive at 12.30 p.m. IST.

Regina Kim, based in New York, is an entertainment writer who focuses on Korean pop culture. Her articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, ELLE, Vulture, MTV News, The Washington Post and other publications. Most recently she worked for Netflix, where she wrote about K-dramas and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) content for Netflix's companion site Tudum. You can find her writings on her website (www.reginakim.com) and follow her on Twitter (@ReginaEKim) and/or Instagram (@curious_idealist).

Puja Talwar is the Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times with over 25 years' experience in Broadcast Journalism. Puja is a Content Creator, Show Host, Moderator and a published Writer. She hosts the popular series 'Candid Conversations With Puja Talwar' on You Tube and a podcast titled ‘Entertainment Unlimited on Spotify. She lives for coffee, travel and K dramas!

Date: Friday, 26 August 2022
Time: 8.00 p.m. IST.

This exhibition focuses on the works of 7 artists who live and work in Jeju Island, one of the most scenic and beautiful islands located at the southernmost tip of South Korea. The island is famed for its volcanic origins, it's amazing pearl-diving, resilient women, its wild cliffs and surging ocean, it's magnificent, 'olle' trails which are walking paths adjacent to stormy seas and it's 'oreums' which are walkways on the rim of defunct volcanoes that dot the landscape. This exhibition pays tribute to the raw beauty and resilience of Jeju Island - of life there and the unbroken, intimate connection between Man & Nature. The Hallasan Mountain, the Jeju Oreum and Olle Trails, the Gotjawal Forest, a naturally formed forest located on the middle slopes of Hallasan Mountain, the magnificent sea view, Haenyeo, the female divers whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean as well as myriad Jeju myths, burst into life in this exhibition with astonishing tactility and deft technique.

Date: Friday, 5 August 2022| Time: 6.00 p.m. IST.

InKo Centre, in association with K-Art International, is delighted to invite 17 students from India to attend the final round of the 2022 International Middle & High School Student Art Competition, in Busan, Korea.

A total of 20 entries were selected with 1 gold, 7 silver and 12 bronze winners. All 17 students are invited to participate in the final titled - 2022 International Teenage Design & Art Award Art Competition to be held in August 2022 in Busan.

In consultation with the parents and schools, a total of 17 were invited to Busan for the final round of the competition.

The 2022 International Teenage Design & Art Award Competition will be held from 5 to 10 August 2022 in Busan, Korea

What is it about K-Beauty and Korean skincare, which has taken the world by storm? We invite you to an informal but informed conversation on our Annyeong Station platform. Learn about the 10 best Korean MUAs (Make Up Artists) and beauty vloggers on YouTube that are trending big time; the 10, 18 and 25 step Korean beauty routines; burnt wooden Q tip as curling iron for lashes a tip that Korean MUAs swear by; the uniqueness of Korean skincare approaches; 5 Korean beauty trends that will dominate this year and a tutorial on how to ace the dewy Korean makeup look! Join this fun conversation moderated by Deepshika Kailash and Soumya Narayan.

Date: Wednesday, 30 March | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST.

InKo Centre, in association with K-Art International Exchange Association, Busan, invited entries from middle/high and higher secondary school students from Chennai for the 2021 International Teenage Design & Art Award. Students from 3 countries South Korea, India and Japan, participated in the competition this year.

This year, we received 93 paintings from students in Chennai for the preliminary level of this contest, Following further vetting and selection, 20 entries from India were selected and sent to Korea for the final stage of the competition.

Date: Thursday, 24 March 2022 | Time: 5.00 p.m. IST.

The Human Spirit: Propositions on Resilience in these Irregular Times

Virtual group exhibition of ceramic and glass art by Korean and Indian artists.

This exhibition looks at the artistic interpretations of the concept of resilience of the human spirit especially post Covid pandemic, through the medium of ceramic and glass. Both are transformed through fire into new states of being. We examine the metaphor of rejuvenation, transformation, fluidity and permeability as attributes of both ceramics and glass through figurative, abstract and natural forms.

Date: Thursday, 17 March 2022 | Time: 11 a.m. IST / 2:30 p.m. KST

Episode 3 of the K-lounge series on our Annyeong Station platform, promises a sparkling, fun conversation! Puja Talwar, Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times chats with Korean Dosts, Hoon and Min, who provide a refreshingly candid Korean take on all that popular Indian culture has to offer.

The Korean duo, YouTubers, Hoon and Min run a channel called Korean Dosts on which they regularly upload their reaction to Indian content – movie trailers, music videos, food and even cover versions of Bollywood songs. They have a subscriber base of over 1.2 million that has garnered over 224 million views in 2 years and is growing by leaps and bounds with every upload! The duo's authentic, genuine, boyish charms are winning hearts globally and particularly across the Indian sub-continent.

Date: Thursday, 24 February 2022 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST

In the next episode of K-factor, we focus on K-pop’s enduring appeal. Moderators Nithya & Anusha take you on an informative journey of revealing various facets of K-pop that have quite literally, taken the world by storm! With interesting anecdotes, lively personal stories and a breezy Q&A session, this episode will focus on how K-pop has impacted lives, often as harbingers of hope, with powerful, positive messages of love, compassion, fortitude and rejuvenation.

Date: Saturday, 22 January 2022 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST

An evocative performance by Kyung-Hwa Ryu who is credited with reviving traditional instruments such as the cheolhyeongeum with compositions that combine traditional rigour with contemporary resonances. Recreated Sanjo, composed by Kyung-Hwa Ryu, aims to fuse 21st century aesthetics, sanjo philosophy and the grammar of traditional music.

Kyung-Hwa Ryu, a specialist of traditional Korean rhythms, deploys her multiple talents as composer, ensemble director and instrumentalist covering the range from pure Korean tradition to world music, from improvisation to creation. Kyung-Hwa Ryu, born in 1968, entered the world of Korean traditional music at the age of four when she began to take dancing lessons.

Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2022 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST

Episode 2 brings together a stellar panel ! In the second episode of K-lounge titled Jjang, we present Puja Talwar, Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times, in conversation with Priyamani, acclaimed, pan-Indian National Award-winning actor, Harneet Singh, television writer and former journalist, Dipal Mehta, an entrepreneur, counsellor, martial arts expert and Culture Tourism Ambassador who has worked in the K-drama industry and Tracy Shilsi, former journalist and writer who is an avowed K-drama fan. Join us for a sparkling conversation!

Date: Saturday, 27 November 2021 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST


Emerging Canvas is an annual exhibition series, presented in India and in Korea respectively, in association with the Indian Art Museum in Seoul, to showcase the work of talented, emerging young artists from both countries. In the seventh edition of this series, we present dynamic and multi-dimensional work by 22 young artists - 11 from Korea and 11 from India - their burgeoning talent obvious and their potential unmistakable. This year, with physical galleries closed due to the pandemic, the exhibition will be presented online at Prism, InKo Centre's virtual gallery.

The exhibition showcases the dynamic, multi-dimensional work of 22 young painters, from Korea and India. The Korean section is curated by Ms Cupid Lee, from Seoul, Korea and the Indian section is curated by Ms Vaishnavi Ramanathan, from Chennai, India.

Date: Thursday, 25 November 2021 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST


Ottchil (lacquerware) craft artist, Eunhee Lee seeks to reinterpret traditional oriental beauty into crafts that resonate with contemporaneity. Through an immersive design work process with both a keen sense of modernity and deep understanding of traditional craftsmanship, Eunhee Lee’s work includes research, experiment and boundless attempts to harmonise the art of combining the old and the new.

The Aesthetics of Waiting provides a window to Eunhee Lee's process as with dedication, passion and patience, she creates products that exude both utilitarian value and the essence of beauty and harmony of Ottchil - Korea's gift to the world!

Comprising a virtual walkthrough, a film about the artist's work process; a critical review of her work and a comprehensive list of relevant artworks, the exhibition invites you on a journey of discovery of the beauty and harmony of Ottchil.

Date: Thursday, 28 October 2021 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST


“Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” - Bong Joon Ho, Director of the Oscar-winning film, Parasite.

From their intriguing plot lines to creating emotional connections with their viewers, Korean dramas and movies have taken the world by storm. Korean dramas are so binge-worthy that one loses count of how many Korean shows one has watched, especially during the countless lockdowns due to the pandemic. Korean dramas are focused on friendship, lifestyles, family, career, love and have provided a sweet escape for us all.

In this episode titled Hallyu Binger, on Annyeong Station, curated and hosted by our Korean language student, Dilnaz, we look at K-dramas as exemplars of cultural immersion, how binge-worthy K-dramas keeps one hooked and how K-dramas in particular and movies more generally, have acted as a catalyst for students to learn Korean.

Date: Thursday, 23 September 2021 | Time : 6.00 p.m. IST


A compelling and inspirational film of how disability can be transformed from a challenge to an opportunity. A film full of hope and resilience...

Two Different Eyes is a powerful documentary that describes Juseung Lee growing up as a child with vision impairment as well as his inspirational journey to become a professional film composer. As the Director of the film, Mr. Lee wants people to think about disability within an inclusive framework. The greatest challenge facing people with disabilities, the world over, is how they are viewed by society. Despite growing up within a culture where disabled people are generally viewed in a negative light, the filmmaker shows how has been able to overcome his challenges and follow his dreams. The filmmaker hopes that this documentary will help change people’s perspective on living with a disability as well as increase awareness of prevalent issues of discrimination and exclusion.

Date: Thursday, 16 September 2021 | Time : 6.00 p.m. IST.

The screening of Two Different Eyes will be followed by a panel discussion, presented in association with The Ability Foundation

Towards an inclusive society: attitude and acceptance - a panel discussion.

Date: Friday, 17 September 2021 | Time : 5.00 p.m. IST.


For the first episode of K-lounge titled Daebak, we present Puja Talwar, Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times, in conversation with lawyer and Founder, Pink Box Events, Nikita Engheepi, Assistant Editor and video Producer, Rolling Stone India, Riddhi Chakraborty and Senior Entertainment Journalist, Bollywood Hungama, Monica Yadav. Join us for a sparkling conversation with key insights on K-pop and its global appeal and how K-pop goes beyond song and dance, to present a message which strikes a deeper chord. The idols are ambassadors for peace and culture and have played a huge role in the rise of South Korea as a soft power with music that has healed, brought joy and comfort. The idols and their rising fandom only reiterate how K-pop powers Hallyu or the incredible Korean Wave that sweeps across the world with its sheer intensity, vigour and energy.

Moderated by Puja Talwar, Executive Editor, Lifestyle and Entertainment, Good Times, our guests include Nikita Engheepi, lawyer and founder of Pink Box Events, one of India's first event management companies to host exclusive K-pop concerts and Riddhi Chakraborty, Assistant Editor and Video Producer, Rolling Stone India, Senior Entertainment Journalist, Bollywood Hungama, Monica Yadav, who has vast experience in writing about the K-pop phenomenon with interviews with Korean artists as well creation of well-researched video content backed by as photoshoots in Korea and India.

Date: Friday, 27 August 2021 | Time : 6.00 p.m. IST


The K-factor platform offers freewheeling discussions, fun facts, demos and personalised conversations, with invited guests and K-enthusiasts, on K-pop, K-food, K-drama and K-fashion.

During this unprecedented pandemic and resultant lockdowns, food has moved centre stage - from providing immunity to being a stress-reliever; from finding new talented chefs and recipes online, to experiments at home with diverse cuisines. Korean cuisine or K-food, has been growing in popularity in India. Want to know more about this? Watch a demo and try out a few dishes on your own. Episode 1 on Annyeong Station’s K-factor platform focuses on K-food - top picks, recommendations as well as demo-cooking to highlight the uniqueness of popular Korean cuisine.

Episode 1 on Annyeong Station’s K-factor platform is an opportunity to interact, learn, share, in an informal setting. Moderated by our Korean language student, Shwetaa, this episode will include interactions with invited guests and a demonstration to make the popular Korean dish, Japchae.

Date: Thursday, 22 July 2021 | Time : 6.00 p.m. IST

Junk Clown

- by Hyunjang Theater Company

A play that rings out a universal message about the cyclical nature of existence, of balancing the ups and downs and of the power of positive thinking, empathy and laughter as a panacea, especially in difficult times.

Junk Clown centre stages clowns who love to frolic, always laughing and having fun together with endless games and pranks. Through creative games, the clowns play with discarded drums, bicycle handles, broken bowls and dented pots to take their audience on a fun-filled journey, inviting them to explore mazes as in an amusement park.

With recycled material, unbridled enthusiasm and joyful, uplifting energy, this thought-provoking play, not just for children but for adults as well, rings out a universal message about the cyclical nature of existence and of the power of positive thinking, empathy and laughter as a panacea, especially in difficult times. The production particularly resonates in the context of the pandemic, where mental and physical well-being has been challenged like never before.

We thank our local partners in India- The Little Festival, Chennai, Ranga Shankara, Bengaluru, The Korean Arts and Cultural Centre, Guntur and The Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hyderabad, for their support in promoting the virtual presentation of Junk Clown via their respective social media handles.

Non-verbal. Duration: 49 minutes.
Suitable for children above 4 as well as for family and adult audiences.

Date: Friday, 16 July 2021 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST


The performance can be viewed until Sunday, 25 July 2021.

2020-2021

Of time and space, presence and absence, memory and identity - an exhibition at Prism by Lim Soosik.

Lim Soo Sik's photographic series constitutes a contemporary version of Chaekgado, which translates in English as bookshelf or bookcase, a genre of still-life painting dating to the Choseon period that was prevalent from the 18 th to the 20 th century in Korea. In his take on Chaekgado, Lim Soosik's begins by photographically documenting various bookcases located at different people’s homes. Even though most of the bookcases look similar to one another, each collection of books vary greatly, depending on the owner’s profession and taste. Alongside the books, the bookcases are adorned with stationery and decorative objects, according to the specific taste of the owner. This results in every bookcase conveying a unique story, while at the same time contributing fascinating visual elements to the project as a whole.

Lim Soosik's Chaekgado project is characterized by the deconstruction and construction of perspective. He photographs the bookcases in several parts and from different points of view. The fragmented images are then printed on Korean traditional paper, Hanji, which the artist assembles by hand-stitching with needles. Through this process of photo-collage the completed artwork not only obtains a particular visual distortion but also turns into a unique piece that a normal reproductive photographic work cannot attain. Just as a bookcase that is being filled, book by book over a long period of time, Lim Soosik's work is assembled piece by piece, carrying a unique value, in terms of time, space, presence and absence, memory and identity.

Date: Friday, 19 March 2021 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST

The exhibition will be on view until Friday, 30 April 2021.

InKo Centre, in association with K-Art International Exchange Association, Busan, invited entries from middle/high and higher secondary school students from Chennai for the 2020 International Teenage Design & Art Award. Students from 11 countries including South Korea, India, Japan, U.S.A., U.K., China, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Ukraine and Canada, participated in the competition this year.

We received 127 paintings from students in Chennai for the preliminary level of this contest, Following further vetting and selection, 20 entries from India were selected and sent to Korea for the final stage of the competition. To view the winning entries in an online exhibition, please click the view button below.

Date: Friday, 27 November 2020 | Time : 6.00 p.m. IST

EarthMatters - Indo-Korean Ceramic residencies.
- an e-compendium.

InKo Centre, partnered with Arts Council Korea, Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Korea, Lalit Kala Akademi, Kalakshetra Foundation and DakshinaChitra, to present three editions of EarthMatters, a series of Indo-Korean Ceramic residency projects that brought together 32 ceramic artists - 16 each from India and Korea - in five-week annual residencies in Chennai between 2012 and 2020.

Date: Thursday, 12 November 2020 | Time: 6.00 p.m. IST.

Rank your favourite K-DRAMA!

We invited K-drama enthusiasts to pick their top 3 Korean dramas currently on air in India and to tell us in 75 words or less about their selection, what appealed and why.

The competition received close to a 100 entries and it is evident from the range, tone and timbre of the passionate responses, just how personally viewers are touched by the K-drama phenomenon!

The top 3 winning entries, as well as the top 10 Korean dramas as reflected by this competition, will be published at 6.00 p.m IST on Thursday, 1 October 2020.

InKo Centre, in association with K-Art International Exchange Association, Busan, invited entries from middle/high and higher secondary school students from Chennai for the 2020 International Teenage Design & Art Award. Students from 11 countries including South Korea, India, Japan, U.S.A., U.K., China, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Ukraine and Canada, participated in the competition this year.

We received 127 paintings from students in Chennai for the preliminary level of this contest, Following further vetting and selection, 20 entries from India were selected and sent to Korea for the final stage of the competition. To view the winning entries, please click the view button below.

Date: Friday, 11 September 2020 | Time : 4.00 p.m.

The Chennai Biennale, is a series of curated exhibitions that aims to showcase the range and variety of contemporary paintings from Korea.Curated by K-Art International Exchange Association and co-presented with InKo Centre, with support from several Korean organisations, these largescale expositions of contemporary paintings are presented bi-annually in Chennai. This e-compendium, comprising two volumes, showcases the work of close to 500 exceptional senior and emerging contemporary Korean artists, presented across four editions from 2013 to 2019.

Date: Friday, 14 August 2020 | Time : 5.00 p.m.

The Emerging Canvas series that commenced in 2012, was initiated by InKo Centre, in association with The Indian Art Museum in Korea, to identify and celebrate emerging young talent from both countries. This e-compendium pays tribute to 132 talented artists, presented across 6 edition of this series.

Date: Thursday, 16 July 2020 | Time : 6.00 pm