Art Fairs Frieze and KIAF Open on the 4th of Next Month
Schedules Overlap with Gwangju Biennale and Busan Biennale
Major Exhibitions at Museums and Galleries Also Concentrated During This Period
In September, Seoul transforms into the hottest city for art in the world. This is because the domestic art scene also presents large-scale projects and exhibitions in line with the opening of the global art fairs Frieze Seoul (September 4?7) and Korea International Art Fair (KIAF) Seoul (September 4?8) next week. Especially this year, with the Busan Biennale (August 17?October 20) and Gwangju Biennale (September 7?December 1) being held before and after the art fairs, the fever of art festivals is expected to spread nationwide beyond Seoul.
Visitors at Frieze Seoul 2023, held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, are viewing the exhibition works. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Museum Exhibitions Showcase Nicolas Party Solo Show and Pino Collection
The Leeum Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, operated by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, will present an exhibition by Korean-American artist Annika Yi starting September 5, the day after Frieze Seoul opens. This is the artist’s first museum exhibition in Asia, connecting technology, biology, and senses, introducing the artist’s overall work through about 30 pieces created over the past decade. Earlier, Hoam Art Museum in Yongin will hold a solo exhibition of 'The Wizard of Pastel' Nicolas Party starting August 31. Party’s first solo exhibition in Korea features pastel murals painted by the artist himself displayed alongside ancient art collections in the exhibition hall and lobby.
Art Sonje Center opened the festival’s curtain with the solo exhibition 'Speculations' by world-renowned installation artist Do Ho Suh starting on the 17th. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in Korea in 12 years and the first at Art Sonje Center in 21 years, realizing the artist’s imagination about 'what a perfect home is and where it is' through various works. The Amorepacific Museum of Art in Yongsan, Seoul, is preparing a solo exhibition by the Nordic artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset. From September 3, about 50 works centered on spatial installations including a life-sized house, swimming pool, restaurant, kitchen, and the artists’ atelier will be exhibited.
Gagosian’s First Exhibition in Korea… Duo Show of Mark Rothko and Lee Ufan Curated by Lee Ufan Himself
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul will hold a special exhibition titled 'Speaking Bodies: Asian Women Artists' starting September 3. Featuring over 60 Asian female artists, this exhibition examines Asian women’s art from the 1960s to the present through the lens of corporeality. At SongEun ArtSpace in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an exhibition showcasing the collection of world-renowned art collector Fran?ois Pinault opens on September 4, the opening day of Frieze Seoul, while Seongok Museum of Art in Jongno opens an exhibition on September 29 exploring the 30-year career of German female artist Rosemarie Trockel since the 1970s.
Face Gallery in Hannam-dong will unveil a duo exhibition of the master of color field abstraction Mark Rothko and Lee Ufan on September 4. This exhibition, highlighting Lee Ufan’s paintings from 2018 to recent works alongside Rothko’s works from the 1950s and 1960s, is notable for being curated directly by Lee Ufan in collaboration with Rothko’s family. Korean-American senior sculptor John Bae will hold his first solo exhibition in Korea in 11 years at Gallery Hyundai in Sagan-dong. PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong has been hosting a solo exhibition of first-generation Korean abstract painter Yoo Youngkuk since the 21st. International Gallery in Sogyeok-dong will simultaneously open solo exhibitions of Ham Kyungah, known for her embroidery works, and Korean-American artist Michael Joo on the 30th.
Gagosian Gallery, considered one of the world’s top galleries, is holding its first exhibition in Korea. The solo exhibition of American artist Derrick Adams opens on September 3 at the APMA Cabinet, a project space on the first floor of Amorepacific headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul. Adams unveils a new series of paintings inspired by his Brooklyn studio and beauty store window displays worldwide, including works featuring mannequin heads adorned with colorful wigs.
A Feast of Popular Artists Including Yoshitomo Nara, Nicolas Party, Ugo Rondinone, and George Condo Presented by Auction Houses’ Special Exhibitions
Gladstone Seoul in Cheongdam-dong will exhibit early video works by Joan Jonas (88), a pioneer of performance and video art, starting September 5, while Tadeus Ropac Seoul Gallery in Hannam-dong will present works by Irish abstract painter Sean Scully and German Neo-Expressionist master Georg Baselitz featuring eagle motifs from September 3.
Auction houses have also prepared special exhibitions. At Seoul Auction Gangnam Center in Sinsa-dong, a solo exhibition of famous Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara and a duo exhibition titled 'Mindfulness' featuring ceramic artist Park Youngsook and Lee Ufan are ongoing. Phillips Auction will start a special exhibition on September 30 at Songwon Art Center in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, gathering works dominated by sky blue tones by popular artists in the art market such as Nicolas Party, Ugo Rondinone, George Condo, and Salvo. Some of Phillips’ lots for the November Hong Kong auction can also be viewed here.
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