Arts Management Support Center Marks 7 Years of the Exclusive Writer System
Casebook Highlights Achievements and Growth
475 Galleries and 900 Artists Matched
Cumulative Sales Reach 3,904 Works and 11.5 Billion Won
The Arts Management Support Center published the "2019-2025 Exclusive Writer System Support Project Performance Casebook" on August 26, marking the seventh anniversary of the implementation of the "Exclusive Writer System Support Project" and highlighting its achievements over the years.
The "Exclusive Writer System Support Project" is a three-year initiative that supports galleries-key players in the art market-in discovering young and promising artists and fostering sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships between artists and galleries. Since 2019, a total of 475 galleries and 900 exclusive artists have participated. As of 2024, the cumulative number of artworks sold reached 3,904, with total sales amounting to approximately 11.49 billion won.
This casebook introduces the "Exclusive Writer System" project, summarizes its progress and achievements using infographics, and showcases the representative works of the 2025 exclusive artists in a catalog format. It also includes annual lists of participating galleries and artists, making it easy to grasp the project's overall accomplishments at a glance.
The "Exclusive Writer System" annually selects outstanding galleries and artists through evaluations by domestic and international experts and organizes curated exhibitions. To date, 57 galleries and 91 exclusive artists have participated. This year, from now until September 15, the "2025 Outstanding Exclusive Artist Curated Exhibition, DIALOGUE: Unconfirmed Reception" will be held at Huigyeomjae in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The exhibition will feature 69 works by 10 artists, selected from among 255 exclusive artists, who have high growth potential in the global market.
Additionally, the Arts Management Support Center is collaborating with the Korea Mecenat Association to promote the "One Company, One Artist Support Project." This initiative matches outstanding exclusive artists with corporate sponsors, who provide creative support funds for three years. To date, 13 artists have received corporate sponsorship through this program, and the selected artists for 2025 will be announced in early September.
Researcher Ryu Aeryeong, who has compiled the performance casebook for the past three years, stated, "There are many artists producing excellent work, but it is difficult to enter the market with a long-term vision and strategy based solely on individual efforts." Lee Hyeonji, a curator at Johyun Gallery collaborating with artist Cho Jongseong, commented, "The Exclusive Writer System is not merely a contract between an artist and a gallery; it is a foundation for mutual trust, allowing both parties to consider the artist's artistic growth together and effectively introduce the process and results on domestic and international stages." Artist Bo Kim, who has worked with Gallery BHAK, said, "Through the Exclusive Writer System, I came to understand the art market system, realized the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship between gallery and artist, and learned that collaboration is essential for building and advancing my career as an artist."
Art critic Byun Jongpil evaluated, "The core of the Exclusive Writer System Support Project lies in recognizing the structural problems of Korea's exclusive writer system, which has often been based on 'implicit contracts' or 'unofficial subordination under the name of exclusivity,' and focusing on policy experimentation to enhance fairness, sustainability, and transparency in artist-gallery relationships." Kim Jangho, President of the Arts Management Support Center, expressed his ambition, stating, "We will further advance the Exclusive Writer System Support Project based on our accumulated experience, enhancing the international competitiveness of Korean art."
The "2019-2025 Exclusive Writer System Support Project Performance Casebook" is available for download on the Arts Management Support Center website.
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