art fairs-opening
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| ▲ Visitors look around Kiaf Seoul at the COEX exhibition hall in southern Seoul on Sept. 4, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Mark Bradford's "Okay, then I apologize" is on display at Frieze Seoul on Sept. 4, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A special exhibition honoring late artist Park Seo-bo is being held at Frieze Seoul in collaboration with LG OLED at the COEX exhibition hall in southern Seoul on Sept. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Visitors check out artworks at Kiaf Seoul at the COEX exhibition hall in southern Seoul on Sept. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A visitor checks out an artwork by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at Frieze Seoul at the COEX exhibition hall in southern Seoul on Sept. 3, 2025. (Yonhap) |
art fairs-opening
Seoul's dual art extravaganza under way, with strong initial sales
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- Two premier art fairs, Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, opened their doors to the general public on Thursday at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul, following a successful VIP preview the previous day.
This year marks the fourth collaboration between the two annual art festivals, which first joined forces in 2022. Their shared objectives include strengthening the art base, boosting participation from the local art industry and establishing Seoul as a global art hub.
The fairs got off to a strong start, buoyed by impressive initial sales.
Frieze Seoul features works from over 120 galleries, including global mega-galleries representing top-tier artists, such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, White Cube, Gladstone, Thaddaeus Ropac, Lehmann Maupin, Pace Gallery and Esther Schipper.
Zurich-based Hauser & Wirth sold Mark Bradford's "Okay, then I apologize" (2025) a triptych abstract painting, for US$4.5 million to an undisclosed Asian collector. This new artwork by the American contemporary artist stands as the fair's most expensive sale to date.
The gallery also sold paintings by American artists, George Condo and Rashid Johnson, for $1.2 million and $750,000, respectively. Two paintings by Louise Bourgeois fetched $950,000 and $600,000 each.
Salzburg-based Thaddaeus Ropac sold a work by German artist Georg Baselitz for 1.8 million euros ($2.09 million) and a painting by Alex Katz for $900,000.
Among Korean artworks, Hakgojae sold Kim Whan-ki's "Cloud and Moon" for 2 billion won ($1.43 million) and Gallery Hyundai sold Chung Sang-hwa's painting for $600,000. Kukje Gallery sold Park Seo-bo's painting for about 400 million won.
In addition to hosting galleries, Frieze Seoul sought to diversify its programs with curated sections, like Frieze Masters, featuring post-war and modern art, and Focus Asia, which presents 10 solo shows by emerging artists from across the region.
It also opened Frieze House Seoul, a permanent space for cultural dialogue aimed at expanding its presence in the country beyond the fair.
In collaboration with LG OLED, the pioneering art world of the late artist Park Seo-bo is being featured during the fair.
Kiaf Seoul, organized by the Galleries Association of Korea, brings together 175 galleries. Its curated programs include Kiaf Plus, focusing on emerging artists and galleries, and Kiaf Highlight, showcasing 10 promising artists. The "Reverse Cabinet" exhibition features artworks by Korean and Japanese artists to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the two nation's diplomatic relations.
During the preview day, Kiaf Seoul saw visitor numbers rise 30 percent from a year ago to approximately 9,600, according to its publishing company M Public.
Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul run through Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
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