Sculpture fair PLAS 2023 returns to Coex with 'New Dream'

Plastic Art Seoul 2023, an art fair dedicated to sculptures and installation works, kicked off Thursday, strengthening PLAS' ties with other art fairs in Taiwan and Canada.

Ninety-six galleries including 11 galleries from overseas are participating at the 8th edition of the fair being held under the theme of “New Dream.” More than 800 artists’ works are on display during the four-day art fair that runs through Sunday at Coex in southern Seoul. PLAS recently entered into a three-way partnership with art fairs based in Taiwan and Canada, One Art Taipei and Art Vancouver International Art Fair, respectively. The three art fairs are to cooperate in the exchange of their homegrown galleries.

PLAS 2023 will feature a sculpture show of “New Dream,” bringing large-scale sculptures indoors, including award-winning artist Yang Tae-geun’s 1.7-meter bear sculpture titled “Dream-Looking at.” Another 1.4-meter sculpture of a bear, also by Yang, will be on display at the entrance to the art fair. Visitors are welcome to take a photograph with the sculpture.

The art fair aims to introduce sculptures to private collectors as well as companies that hope to decorate their outdoor spaces with art. The last edition of the art fair generated 9 billion won ($6.8 million) in sales, double from the previous fair, and was visited by 47,000 people, according to the organizer.

Among the participating art galleries is 8Street Gallery, which offers an intriguing array of exhibits featuring collaborations between painters and writers. The collaborative works introduce art in an easy and familiar way, with each painting accompanied by a text written by a guest writer expressing his or her feelings about the painting.

“It is the first time to collaborate with writers to present paintings at the art fair. Although many galleries, including us, aim to sell art at the art fair, I found it difficult to communicate with visitors when the purpose of art is actually about communicating with others,” Won Sang-ho, the gallery owner, told The Korea Herald.

The watercolor painting “Choice” by artist Oh Gil-suk of flowers growing along a wall is on display with writing by Yena: “A high-rise wall stands here after debris from ‘break-off’ has stacked up layer by layer."

The art fair runs through Sunday at Coex in Seoul.