Held at COEX, Gangnam, Seoul from 12th to 16th
156 galleries, about 900 artists, 10,000 works for sale
Boasting a 44-year history, Korea's oldest art fair, the 'Hwarang Art Festival,' opens on the 12th at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
The Korea Art Gallery Association announced on the 11th that the '2023 Hwarang Art Festival' will be held from the 13th to the 16th at COEX B and D Halls in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, starting with a VIP preview on the 12th. The Hwarang Art Festival, which began in 1979 as Korea's first art fair, has led the domestic art culture by promoting art popularization initiatives such as 'One House, One Painting.'
This year, the Hwarang Art Festival features a record participation of 156 galleries. Having returned to COEX from last year's SETEC venue, the scale has increased by about 1.5 times.
More than 900 artists will exhibit around 10,000 works at this festival. Visitors can purchase artworks across various genres including painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and media art on-site.
Due to concerns over market contraction amid the recent ongoing economic crisis, the association minimized gallery participation fees and enabled the promotion of young artists as well as the presentation of diverse works beyond painting.
International Gallery will exhibit works by Byron Kim and Kim Hong-seok; Hakgojae by Park Kwang-soo; Arario Gallery by Noh Sang-ho; One and J Gallery by Seo Dong-wook; Gallery Baton by Heo Woo-jung; Cho Hyun Gallery by Yoon Jong-sook; and LEEAN Gallery by Lee Geon-yong.
Gana Art will showcase works by veteran artist Choi Jong-tae along with those of recently spotlighted young artists such as Kim Sun-woo, Eddy Kang, and Jang Maria. Gallery Hyundai will reveal works by Lee Ufan, Jung Sang-hwa, Lee Kang-so, Do Yoon-hee, Kim Min-jung, and Park Min-jun.
Gallery Chosun will present works by Ahn Sang-hoon; Giche by Yoo Ji-young; Ewhaik Gallery by Ha Ji-hoon; Gallery Gaia by Kim Myung-jin; Sun Gallery by Lee Young-ji; and Gallery Geurimson by Chae Sung-pil, offering artworks tailored to the tastes of MZ generation collectors. During the festival, Gallery Shinra, newly reorganized in Samcheong-dong, will exhibit works by Kim Chun-soo.
Noh Gallery will feature Lee Sa-ra; PKM Gallery will present Jung Young-do; and Yewon Gallery will hold solo shows by artist Moon Ho, highlighting 'young artist solo shows.'
New member galleries such as Doing Art, Atelier Aki, Everyday Monday, Kidari Gallery, and Hidden M Gallery will participate for the first time, injecting vitality into the event.
The 'ZOOM-IN' special exhibition, a program for discovering emerging artists, marks its fourth edition this year. Approximately 470 artists working in various genres including painting, media, and installation applied, and 10 final artists were selected.
The selected artists this year are Kang Min-ki, Kang Won-je, Kim Bo-min, Kim Jae-woon, Baek Yoon-ah, Son Mo-a, Shim Bong-min, Lee Hae-ban, Jen Park, and Jo Yoon-guk. During the exhibition, three artists will be chosen through on-site visitor voting and jury evaluation to receive certificates and prize money.
Additionally, Porsche Korea is conducting the official partnership 'ZOOM-IN empowered by Porsche.' This special exhibition, planned in alignment with 'Porsche Dreamers. On.,' which supports and encourages the dreams of emerging domestic artists, aims to create opportunities for young artists to enter the art market. Under the theme 'Dream in Full Colour,' it showcases the artists' dreams and stories behind their work.
Lectures for art enthusiasts and collectors will also be held. Lee Ji-hyun, COO of 'Culture and Arts for You,' will discuss the art market landscape and trends for beginner collectors; Baek Se-hee, a cultural arts specialized lawyer, will cover legal knowledge to be aware of when purchasing and owning artworks; and Kim Ju-sam, a conservation and restoration expert, will lecture on art restoration and proper preservation methods.
Hwang Dal-seong, president of the Korea Art Gallery Association, said, "This year's Hwarang Art Festival, which can gauge the Korean art market, will be an opportunity to discover works by emerging artists rarely found at other fairs and to collect artworks across diverse genres."
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