Frieze, Kiaf to bring together established galleries, high quality works in Seoul

Two international art fairs joined by some of the world’s most established galleries will open Friday in Seoul.

With more than 350 galleries setting up booths at Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, the events are expected to attract hundreds of art aficionados from around the world.

VIP openings for both shows at Coex in southern Seoul will begin 2 p.m. Friday. Frieze Seoul will be open to the public from Saturday to Monday while Kiaf Seoul will open Saturday through Tuesday.

Those who purchase joint tickets will allow access to both Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, while Kiaf Plus, a satellite art fair of Kiaf Seoul scheduled to kick off Thursday at Seoul Trade Exhibition ＆ Convention (Setec), a five-minute drive from Coex, will require a separate ticket.

At the inaugural Frieze Seoul, the first Asian edition of the global art fair, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner and Lehmann Maupin are among the well-known international galleries bringing in contemporary and historical works by leading artists.

Gagosian, headquartered in New York with 19 galleries around the world, will bring works by more than 20 artists. The gallery’s booth will include artists who have never exhibited in Korea, such as Los Angeles-based painters Louise Bonnet and Mark Grotjahn, British artist Thomas Houseago, German artist Albert Oehlen and American sculptor Nancy Rubins.

Hauser ＆ Wirth, a Swiss contemporary art gallery based in Europe, the US and Asia, will show works by leading artists in commemoration of the gallery’s 30th anniversary. Among the paintings on view is American artist George Condo’s latest large-scale painting “Red Portrait Composition.” Two artists represented by the gallery -- British artist Phyllida Barlow and New York-based artist Mika Rottenberg -- will join the Busan Biennale 2022, which will open on Sept. 3 in the southeastern port city.

LGDR, established by Dominique Levy, Brett Gorvy, Amalia Dayan and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, will introduce, among others, six new paintings by American artist Joel Mesler.

Frieze Seoul will have a strong lineup of galleries from Asian countries. Around 25 to 30 percent of galleries joining Frieze Seoul are Asian, many of which are first-time participants at Frieze. A total of 12 of Korea’s leading galleries will participate in Frieze Seoul, including Gallery Hyundai, Kukje Gallery, PKM Gallery, Arario Gallery, Jason Haam and Hakgojae Gallery.

Frieze Masters, a special section dedicated to art from ancient to contemporary art curated by Nathan Clements‑Gillespie, will include “Femme au beret rouge a pompon” by Pablo Picasso presented by the New York-based Acquavella Galleries. Hakgojae Gallery and Gallery Hyundai will show pioneering Korean artists from the modern to contemporary, including Paik Nam-june, Quac In-sik, Lee Seung-taek and Park Hyun-ki.

Frieze Seoul’s Focus Asia section will spotlight 10 solo artist presentations from Asian galleries that opened after 2010. Christopher Lew from Horizon Art Foundation and independent curator Jang Hye-jung are curating the special section.

Kiaf Seoul, a 20-year-old international art fair based in Seoul, has strengthened the lineup of international galleries this year. Belgium-based Axel Vervoordt Galery, which will also join Frieze Masters, will highlight works by Korean artist Kim Soo-ja at Kiaf Seoul. The art fair will feature a separate section in which 16 galleries will each highlight works by one artist that they represent. Those galleries include Duarte Sequeira, Galerie Kandlhofer and Galerie Stephanie.

Kiaf Plus will showcase 73 relatively new galleries from 11 countries that have opened in the past five years and also feature non-fungible token art exhibitions.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)