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| ▲ Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee speaks during a joint press conference for Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul in Seoul on Aug. 19, 2025. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Kiaf Seoul organizers respond to questions during a press conference in Seoul on Aug. 19, 2025. (Yonhap) |
art fairs-opening
Seoul's premier art fairs, Frieze and Kiaf, to open next month
By Woo Jae-yeon
SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The country's two biggest art fairs are set to return early next month, featuring over a hundred galleries around the world to offer a global platform to explore contemporary art.
The two annual events, Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, will run side by side from Sept. 3-6, with Kiaf continuing one day longer until Sept. 7, at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul.
Beyond featuring artworks from over 120 galleries, Frieze Seoul will once again present its curated sections, Frieze Masters and Focus Asia, to enhance the fair's diversity and deepen its programs. Frieze Masters will exhibit post-war and modern art, while Focus Asia will bring 10 solo presentations by emerging artists from across the region.
Marking its fourth edition, a variety of collaborative programs will unfold throughout Seoul, including Frieze Live, the Frieze Seoul Artist Award, Frieze Film and Frieze Music.
Notably, Frieze House Seoul is set to open during the festival period, serving as a permanent space for cultural dialogue and expending Frieze's presence in the country beyond the fair.
"This year's edition reflects the fair's deepening roots in the region, with a majority of participating galleries operating spaces across Asia, while maintaining its international spirit," Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee said during a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday.
"It's a moment to celebrate both the strength of Korea's creative community and the meaningful cross-regional and global dialogues that continue to flourish here."
LG OLED will serve as the official headline partner of the event once again following last year, continuing the dialogue between art and technology. It will showcase Park Seo-bo's pioneering art world that is credited with laying the foundation of Korean contemporary art.
Kiaf Seoul, hosted by the Galleries Association of Korea, will host 175 galleries. According to organizers Tuesday, the decrease from last year's 206 participants is a deliberate move to focus on "quality" and the fair's primary mission of presenting Korean art to the global market.
As part of its curated programs, Kiaf Plus will focus on emerging artists and galleries and Kiaf Highlight selects and showcases 10 promising artists. The "Reverse Cabinet" exhibition will feature artworks by Korean and Japanese artists to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the two nation's diplomatic relations.
Kiaf and Frieze began a five-year collaboration in 2022 when Frieze launched its first Asian fair in Seoul, its fourth global location after London, New York and Los Angeles.
The two organizations are now "positively" considering an extension of their partnership beyond 2027.
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