For years, however, he has been the talk of the K-Pop phenomenon.
K-pop is not just music, it is one of the faces of a nation – South Korea – which has become a symbol of modernity and dynamism on the global scene. AND a story made of renunciations and sacrifices, of dizzying rises and even more tragic falls. And apparently perfect protagonists, unattainable heroes and heroines capable of influencing the GDP of an entire country, of changing the lives of people thousands of kilometers away through the power of social media, of generating fashions and moving crowds. The idols.
A 500-page tome that gives an idea of the phenomenon.
A Brief History of K-Pop (Ivan Canu)
Ivan Canu, illustrator, art director and one of the leading k-pop experts in Italy, tells us the story and reveals the background of the phenomenon that revolutionized our way of thinking about music.
K-pop is made up of moments frozen in time. Some are infinitesimal moments – the perfectly synchronized movement of the performers’ fingers during a choreography, for example – others instead are forever imprinted in the history of pop culture of the last decades: Blackpink breaking every possible sales record, Stray Kids guests at the 2024 Met Gala, BTS in London with the entire Wembley audience singing for them in Korean.
«I had filed away the idea that the lifestyle of each of us is nothing more than a personal choice, even a banal one, among those simple thoughts which however surprise us every time they come to mind. A thousand times this idea had come to me like a gust of fresh wind, but out of prudence I had always sheltered myself from it. But not this time: I opened my arms and let myself be carried away. Away from me, away from the shore, towards happiness.”
Ivan Canu works in Milan as an illustrator, art director, critic and writer. Always passionate about pop culture, Japan and South Korea, in recent years he has dedicated himself to the study and discovery of the K-pop phenomenon, becoming one of the leading experts of the genre in Italy. He is director of Mimaster Illustration and author of books published in Italy, Korea, Japan, China and France. His illustrations have been awarded and exhibited by the New York Society of illustrators, American Illustration, Communication Arts, 3×3.
Info. Ivan Canu. Brief history of K-Pop. Salani. 22.50 euros
Shun – The Japanese art of experiencing everything (Natalie Leon)
«The chapters of this book were whispered to me as I walked through ancient forests, or visited Shinto shrines with flower petals falling all around me, or strolled through Japanese gardens with koi following me languidly, swimming alongside me. One can find great comfort in the cyclical nature of time, or an ode to life in all that is ephemeral, and recognize such beauty in every place, for those with eyes willing to see it. This book is my love letter to Japan” says the author.
Japan is an extremely fascinating country that has always based its research and reflection on the concept of harmony and happiness. And he embodied it in everyday life: the ancient ritual of purification in the icy water of the forests, the textile art of boro boro, the contemplation of the ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms during hanami and the sweets carefully decorated before preparation of tea.
There is no other place in the world like Japan. It is the place where cultivating daily joys is an art that is learned with patience, where every day gives the opportunity to discover how to lead one’s existence with grace and meaning. Delicately crossing the twelve key concepts of Japanese culture – such as kasane, the stratification of colors, or mottainai, the ability to live without waste – the author of this book tells us about pastel-coloured landscapes and traditions as old as time, tales popular recipes, modern and traditional experiences, highlighting every aspect of Japanese life day by day, those unique and fascinating peculiarities that make Japan so extraordinary.
Natalie Leon is considered a leading expert on Japan, with specializations in Japanese Art History and Traditional Japanese Culture. Over the past eight years, Natalie has slept in a Buddhist monastery on Kōyasan, attended a fox spirit wedding, witnessed countless hanami, and searched for autumn leaves in Osaka.
Info. Natalie Leon. Shun – The Japanese art of experiencing everything. Salani. 19 euros
When cats fall from the sky (Yu Yoyo)
Have you ever seen a rain of cats? Imagine kittens playing hide and seek among the dark clouds, falling like raindrops and leaving paw prints on the ground. This is Yoyo’s dream, a real fairy tale. And this is the dream that changes his way of looking at the world forever.
She thought that cities were populated only by humans. Instead, the streets are owned by cats. The world, if there were no cats, would be a difficult place to live in.
And so Yoyo understands that her life is meaningless without a cat of her own. Together with her husband, she welcomes Gatto, a beautiful kitten, into their home.
And a new life begins, a life in symbiosis. But if they expected to become the “owners” of a cat, they were very wrong: the cat’s habits dictate the rhythms of the house and Yoyo soon discovers that when you adopt a kitten, you become his property, certainly not the other way around. Cats do what they want: they mysteriously disappear to reappear when we least expect it, they wake us up at night when they want, they decide to recognize only the sounds of the things they love, ignoring everything else.
Info. Yu Yoyo. When cats fall from the sky. Garzanti. 16 euros.
How South Korea is conquering the West (Natan Mondin)
«From the ashes of the wars that tore its population apart, Korea rose again and resurrected thanks to the work and self-image it wanted to build.» The author’s task is to build a bridge for Italian investors, spread excellence, export the Korean dream. There are others like him in every country. It is just one of the many pawns in Seoul’s plan. Historically squeezed between China and Japan, and with the oppressive regime of the North on their doorstep, Korean citizens have harbored a feeling of revenge and frustration, which has pushed them in an ambitious pursuit of progress.
Obsessed with her reputation, For years now, South Korea has been embarking on a plan to change its planetary image.
After the expansion of its companies, which now include numerous large multinationals such as Hyundai or Samsung, Seoul has today transformed itself into an exciting exporter of cultural products: Oscar-winning films such as Parasite or TV series with millions of viewers such as Squid Game, band musicals praised everywhere like BTS, comics read by millions of teenagers on their cell phones… Not to mention food or fashion. A phenomenon so pervasive that it requires a specific term, hallyu, or the Korean new wave.
However, Korea’s global fortune is not only due to a thriving union of exceptional intelligences, but rather to a political plan of soft power developed by the ruling classes. From history to social contradictions, from the cultural boom to personal relationships, Natan Mondin guides us through the “land of the calm morning”, along the glittering Korean street, to discover the most vital society on the planet.
NATAN MONDIN, born in Milan in 1978, after graduating in Economics he worked in various fields for large multinational groups. For fourteen years he was involved in promoting trade relations between Italy and the Republic of Korea. He has written about Korean economic and cultural reality for “Linkiesta” and “il Giornale” and some of his stories have appeared in literary magazines, including “Nuovi Argomenti” and “‘tina”.
Info. Natan Mondin. How South Korea is conquering the West. 18 euros
