Contemporary Korea

New York's Museum of Modern Art is featuring contemporary designers of South Korea in its gift shop. This is similar to an event focused on new design in Japan last year.

Destination Seoul presents a number of South Korea's imaginative product and crafts designers. You can see and buy the items for the home or to wear at the MOMA website.

It is refreshing not to see the same old quaint Asian handiwork. Americans are forever viewing Asia through its ancient arts. This certainly contributes to our distorted and often condescending view of the region. But sometimes I wonder if this is not the impression that Japan and Korea want to give. There is some political mileage left in maintaining exotic Asia. Its keeps expectations low. 

The Museum also has an ongoing series of new Asian cinema, ContemporAsian. Not your mother's Asia.