'60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Relations' Kiaf SEOUL Opens in September, Spotlight on 'Collecting and Displaying'

Kiaf SEOUL Opens on September 3
Special Exhibition 'Reverse Cabinet'
Commemorating 60 Years of Korea-Japan Diplomatic Relations
Highlighting 'Collecting and Displaying' as Artistic Forms

At Kiaf SEOUL 2025, which opens on September 3, a special exhibition titled 'Reverse Cabinet' will be held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. Curators and artists from both countries will gather in one place to propose a new perspective on the fundamental artistic forms of 'collecting' and 'displaying'.

Kiaf SEOUL 2025 Special Exhibition 'Reverse Cabinet' Co-Planners Photo from left: Yoon Yulli (Curator at Ilmin Museum of Art), Tomoya Iwata (Director of The 5th Floor). Kiaf SEOUL 2025

Now in its 24th edition, Kiaf SEOUL has served as a dynamic platform where the value systems and capital systems of contemporary art collide and intertwine. Reflecting the unique nature of such an art fair, the special exhibition 'Reverse Cabinet' highlights 'collecting' and 'displaying' as both methodology and form in art.

This exhibition is co-curated by Yoon Yulli, a Korean curator (Chief Curator at Ilmin Museum of Art) who has provided insightful perspectives on major discourses in contemporary art, and Tomoya Iwata, a Japanese curator (Director of The 5th Floor) who explores the nature of human existence through exhibitions. Participating artists include Don Sunpil, Jung Geumhyung, Yeom Jihae, and Oh Gayoung from Korea, as well as Kei Takemura and Sen Takahashi from Japan.

Curator Yoon Yulli explained, "Art history can be described as a history of collecting, and exhibitions are the form in which collections are displayed. In that sense, collecting and displaying are closely linked to the most fundamental nature of art. Kiaf SEOUL is attractive in that it brings together diverse art world participants to shape the value of art from different perspectives. Through this exhibition, we aim to newly reconstruct the traditional triangular relationship of 'artist-collector-audience'."

Curator Tomoya Iwata stated, "At first glance, Korea and Japan may seem very different, but I believe there are certain cultural roots that we share. I hope you will pay attention to how each interprets and expresses their own cultural context based on the common language of 'collecting and displaying', which is the significance of this exhibition."

The exhibition encourages visitors to walk among the individually constructed 'reversed' collections, experiencing the diverse perspectives and interpretations of contemporary art, and further expanding these into new acts of collecting and displaying. The Kiaf SEOUL 2025 special exhibition 'Reverse Cabinet' will be open throughout the fair from September 3 to 7 at various locations in COEX Halls A and B and the Grand Ballroom.

From the top left corner clockwise: Don Sunpil (Korea), Jung Geumhyung (Korea), Yeom Jihae (Korea), Takahashi Sen (Japan), Takemura Kei (Japan), Oh Gayoung (Korea). Kiaf SEOUL 2025

Kiaf X Arts Management Support Center X Frieze Jointly Curated Talk Program

Since 2023, Kiaf has been co-organizing a talk program with the Arts Management Support Center and Frieze, inviting key figures from the domestic and international art scenes to share core agendas of contemporary art and foster new discourse through connections with the Korean art community. This year's talk program will take place from September 4 to 6 for three days at STUDIO 159 on the second floor of COEX in Seoul. It will consist of a total of nine sessions, offering diverse perspectives on the social, technological, and cultural transitions facing the arts.

The program will broadly cover major issues in contemporary art, including the public nature and operational strategies of art foundations, the practice and role of Asian queer art and socially engaged art, survival strategies for emerging galleries, the international status and vision of Korean art, and the creativity and possibilities of art in the era of technology and algorithmic creation. There will also be linked sessions featuring conversations between the curators and collectors of the Kiaf special exhibition 'Reverse Cabinet', as well as artist talks, allowing visitors to engage with the event on a deeper level.

Featured speakers include Lee Jisun (President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), Kataoka Mami (Director of Mori Art Museum), Alfredo Cramerotti (Director of Media Majlis Museum), Adrian Villar Rojas (Artist), Kim Sunjung (Artistic Director of Art Sonje Center), Kim Ahyoung (Artist), Lee Jinjun (Artist, Professor at KAIST), Ji Hyejin (Founder of Sanghieut), Patrick Flores (Curator and Deputy Director of Research at National Gallery Singapore), Vivian Chow (Journalist at Artnet), and Purat Osatanugra (Collector, CEO of Deep Bangkok).

All sessions of the talk program are free of charge. Anyone can participate on site on a first-come, first-served basis, even without a Kiaf or Frieze admission ticket. Online pre-registration will be available from August 19 through the official SNS channels of Kiaf and the Arts Management Support Center.