Art & Photography

1. Do you think children should be trained in art at school?

    아이들이 학교에서 미술교육을 받아야 한다고 생각하나요?

2. What is the difference between modern art and traditional art?

   현대 미술과 전통 미술의 차이점은 무엇인가요?

3. What are the most popular kinds of art these days?

   요즈음 가장 인기 있는 미술은 무엇인가요?

4. Why do people go to art galleries?

   왜 사람들은 갤러리에 방문하나요?

5. Why do we need to establish museums in our society?

    왜 우리사회에 미술관/박물관을 설립해야 하나요?

6. How can we encourage children to go to museums?

   어떻게 하면 아이들이 미술관/박물관에 가도록 할 수 있을까요?

7. How will museums be different in the future?

   미술관/박물관이 미래에 어떻게 달라질까요?

8. Do you think museums should sell things to visitors?

   미술관/박물관이 방문객들에게 기념품을 팔아야 하나요?

< Sample answer >

1. Do you think children should be trained in art at school?

Yeah, I do, although I don’t think it should count towards their final grade, because some people just aren’t good at drawing! Erm…practising art can give children a keener eye for detail and can also enable them to think more creatively, which is useful for other subjects and professions. Also, lots of students find art classes relaxing, so it’s a good way to unwind and relieve the stress of academic pressure. So yeah, I think children should take art classes.

2. What is the difference between modern art and traditional art?

Oh… that’s a tough one... I’m not well-versed in art history! But if I had to guess, I’d say… Traditional art tends to focus more on capturing scenes from everyday life and depicting beauty, whereas modern art is generally a little bit more philosophical. I mean, modern art poses more questions about life and truth. Also… modern artists use a wider variety of materials and art forms, like performance art, installations, sound art, stuff like that. So those are a few differences.

3. What are the most popular kinds of art these days?

Erm… It pains me to say it but… I think the most popular kind isn’t art that makes you think, but art that looks good. I mean… art galleries and museums have been losing funding recently because of the economic recession, so they need to attract even more museum-goers than before, so… They put on exhibitions of art that will look impressive on social networks, and they set up photo-ops or places where museum-goers can take good selfies with the artwork. So I guess art that looks eye-catching or impressive when uploaded onto the Internet is popular these days…

4. Why do people go to art galleries?

Erm… I suppose there are various reasons… Lots of people find the quiet atmosphere of art galleries and looking at art to be therapeutic… I mean it helps them to unwind from the stresses of daily life. Also… some art helps you to take a step back from life and reflect on its meaning. Of course, there are also many pretentious people who go to art galleries to look more cultured and intelligent, because culture is capital these days. So basically, the reasons are numerous.

5. Why do we need to establish museums in our society?

It depends on what’s in the museum, I guess…. I mean, museums that house art are good places to relax, look at some art and maybe ponder the meaning of life… And museums that house historical relics and heritage objects can connect us to the past, to our heritage and to the people who share that heritage… So it’s crucial to establish museums in society.

6. How can we encourage children to go to museums?

Well, I guess when it comes to children, parents and schools are heavy influences, so… Parents and schools could take their kids to museums regularly and they could also make sure to show them engaging exhibitions, like interactive art or performance art. That way, kids might get into the habit of going to museums and they also might learn that art can be stimulating and fun. So… that’s maybe how we could encourage children.

7. How will museums be different in the future?

Erm… Well, the recent trend has been to make exhibitions more engaging, mainly to attract more visitors I guess, because museums are losing funding, and museums do this in various ways… For example, they use technology like iPads and touch screens, they put on exhibitions of artwork that engage the viewer somehow, like performance art or interactive art, that sort of thing. Museum funding is only decreasing, so it looks like this trend might continue in the future…

8. Do you think museums should sell things to visitors?

Yeah, I do, but I think they need to be careful about what they sell. I mean, museums have to be wary of commercialising and trivialising art by selling too many gimmicky products like bags and hats. But at the same time… Museums need money to put on exhibitions, secure engaging artwork, and for general upkeep. So I think it makes sense for them to sell certain things, like books, postcards, stuff like that.

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