Frieze and Kiaf to color artlovers' world in September

Art lovers are getting excited as two of the country’s biggest art events - Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul - will kick off simultaneously for a week-long celebration of culture and art in September 2023. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will ...

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul will kick off simultaneously on Sept. 7 at COEX in southern Seoul. [FRIEZE SEOUL]

Art lovers are getting excited as two of the country’s biggest art events - Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul - will kick off simultaneously for a week-long celebration of culture and art in September 2023. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will also launch “Seoul Art Week” from Sept. 1 to 10 as well as hold and support different events and parties across the city to ensure visitors coming to Korea for the fair get the most out of the city and the two fairs during their stay.

After the success of the two art fairs’ collaboration last year when they ran alongside each other, they will join forces once again to “compete in good faith,” according to Hwang Dal-seung, founder of Keumsan Gallery and the head of the Galleries Association of Korea that operates Kiaf, while “enhancing cultural exchanges between aesthetes, art collectors, and curators from across the globe,” according to Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul.

Lee Bae, Issu du feu 19f, 2003, Charcoal on canvas [JOHYUN GALLERY]

Cindy Ji Hye Kim's ″Kokdu #1″ (2023) [LANCE BREWER]

The organizers of both art fairs held a press briefing on Thursday at the Westin Josun Hotel in central Seoul where they announced an array of programs for this year’s event, which is the second edition of the London-based Frieze, one of the world’s top art fairs, and the 22nd for Kiaf, Korea’s biggest art fair.

Frieze and Kiaf will kick off with a preview event for VIPs only on Sept. 7 at COEX in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The event will run through Sept. 9 for Frieze and Sept. 10 for Kiaf. Galleries for Kiaf will be set up in Halls A and B and the Grand Ballroom located on the ground floor. Frieze galleries will be set up at Halls C and D located on the third floor.

“The two fairs together have anchored an important event on Seoul's art and culture calendar and I’m really excited to watch the second edition of the Frieze Seoul being held here and become a part of this great cultural week,” Lee said. “Many galleries were happy last year to be here. The fair remains similar in size [as last year]. I very much like that size for an art fair because it allows for a good amount of engagement between visitors and the galleries.”

Yun Hyong-keun, Burnt Umber, 1981, Oil on hanji [YUN SEONG-RYEOL]

Just over 120 galleries will set up booths at Frieze, while 210 galleries will present works for Kiaf.

Hwang said he made sure that Kiaf showcases more galleries based in Korea to “have a balance with Frieze which has relatively more foreign galleries.”

“Kiaf will showcase more than 130 Korean galleries, providing an overview of Korea’s thriving art scene and latest trends as we attempt to reinforce our mission to introduce contemporary Korean art and emerging artists to a global audience,” Hwang said.

Some of the Korean galleries participating in this year’s Kiaf include Arario Gallery, BHAK, Gana Art, Gallery Hyundai, Hakgojae Gallery, Johyun Gallery, Keumsan Gallery, Kukje Gallery, Leeahn Gallery, PKM Gallery, PYO Gallery, Wooson Gallery and many others. Kiaf will also set up booths from international galleries including Carl Kostyal from London, Carvalho Park from New York, Ora-Ora from Hong Kong and Peres Projects from Berlin. Many of the big-name galleries will participate in both Frieze and Kiaf.

Nam June Paik's ″TV Buddha″ (2005) [NAM JUNE PAIK ESTATE]

As for this year’s Frieze, Lee said there will be a strong presence from Asian galleries. Seventy galleries have a space in Asia, of which 26 will be from Korea. The booths for these galleries will mostly be set up in the Focus Asia section. Galleries in this section include Yeo Workshop from Singapore, which will have a solo booth for Priyageetha Dia and Nova Contemporary from Bangkok, which will bring Prae Pupityastaporn’s works.

Works by big names will also be on view in both fairs. Hauser & Wirth will present works by George Condo and Paul McCarthy; David Zwirner will bring works by Katherine Bernhardt and Rose Wylie; Gagosian will present works by Jonas Wood and Nam June Paik’s “TV Buddha, 2005” at Frieze. Works by Park Seo-bo (Park Ryu Sook Gallery), Yun Hyong-keun (BHAK) and Nam June Paik (PYO Gallery) will be showcased at Kiaf.

Hwang Dal-seung, founder of Keumsan Gallery and the head of the Galleries Association of Korea that operates Kiaf, speaks during the press briefing held for Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul on Thursday at the Westin Josun Hotel in central Seoul. [KIAF SEOUL]

Rhee Seundja's ″A Mother I Remember″ (1962) [COURTESY OF THE SEUNDJA RHEE FOUNDATION]

The two fairs will also jointly host a talk program, featuring star curators including Virginia Moon, associate curator of Korean art at Lacma, Alvin Li, adjunct curator at Tate Modern, Eva Jager, curator of Arts Technologies at Serpentine Gallery and Chong Do-ryun, deputy director and chief curator at M+ Hong Kong, among many others. The talks will explore different topics such as ”Asia Art Fairs” and “Inside Insight K-Art” on Sept. 7; “What makes an art collector?” on Sept. 8; and “Korean Experimental Art” and “AI Effects” on Sept. 9.

Preview tickets that allow access to both fairs from 1 p.m. on Sept. 7 to 10 cost 250,000 won ($168.30). General admission tickets that allow access to both fairs from 1 p.m on Sept. 7 cost 80,000 won. For more information about Frieze Seoul, visit frieze.com/fairs/frieze-seoul. For Kiaf, visit kiaf.org.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]