BTS RM Also Visited Hwarang Art Festival, Closes Successfully with Record-Breaking Attendance

Visitors gathered at the '2021 Hwarang Art Fair' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, from the 3rd to the 7th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The country's first art fair, the 'Hwarang Art Festival,' which was launched in 1979, has successfully concluded. Despite the adverse conditions caused by COVID-19, over 48,000 visitors attended, more than three times the number from last year. The exhibition saw unprecedented interest from the art world, with visits from BTS leader RM and Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, among others.

The Korea Art Dealers Association announced that the '2021 Hwarang Art Festival,' held since the 3rd, officially closed at 5 p.m. on the 7th. The number of visitors over the five days, including the VIP opening day, was approximately 48,000, more than triple compared to last year. Furthermore, this is the highest number of visitors ever recorded, exceeding the pre-COVID-19 '2019 Hwarang Art Festival' attendance by over 30%. The sales of artworks also reached about 7.2 billion KRW, more than double the usual amount.

The '2020 Hwarang Art Festival,' held uncertainly in February last year due to the outbreak of COVID-19, saw a sharp decline in visitors and sales. Subsequently, 'KIAF Art Seoul,' Korea's largest international art fair scheduled for September, was canceled, causing the domestic art market to freeze rapidly. Additionally, domestic collectors were unable to attend overseas art fairs due to travel restrictions over the past year. This pent-up demand was released all at once at this year's Hwarang Art Festival, drawing numerous collectors and art enthusiasts to the offline exhibition venue.

'2021 Hwarang Art Fair' interior view.

BTS's RM, who has shown a strong interest in art since the past, visited the event venue on the 4th. RM has demonstrated his keen interest in art by visiting the solo exhibition of 'Waterdrop Painter' Kim Chang-yeol last October-November, the 'Jang Uk-jin 30th Anniversary Exhibition' this year, and the planned exhibition 'When Art Meets Literature' held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung. RM also donated 100 million KRW to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on his birthday in September last year.

Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, also attracted attention by viewing works of young artists alongside former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo. Candidate Park and former Minister Park listened to explanations of works by emerging artists and held discussions with them. Koo Ja-yeol, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, also visited the venue and purchased works by emerging artist Oh Seul-gi.

At the Korea Art Dealers Association appraisal committee booth, promotions on art appraisal were conducted along with a signature campaign urging the introduction of an inheritance tax art and cultural property payment system. Many visitors, including members of the National Assembly, artists, and art enthusiasts, signed the petition. This signature campaign is being carried out simultaneously by about ten cultural and artistic organizations, including the Korea Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations, the Korea Federation of National Arts Organizations, the Korea Fine Arts Association, the Korea Association of Antiquities, the Korea Museum Association, the Korea Private Museum Association, and the Korea Art Dealers Association, following the public appeal for the prompt institutionalization of the payment system announced on the 3rd.

Hwang Dal-seong, president of the Korea Art Dealers Association, stated, "The recovering trend of the art market this year will continue until KIAF Art Seoul (Korea International Art Fair) scheduled for October."