Frieze, Kiaf Seoul to present variety of events in September beyond art fair

Frieze Seoul has unveiled the program for its fair, bringing together film, music, talks, exhibitions and other events in the heart of the city, from Sept. 6 to 9 at Coex in southern Seoul.

Launched for the first time in Asia in 2022, the global art fair is set to return with a variety of programs on the sidelines of the main event, which will host some 120 galleries hoping to meet collectors in the Asian market.

This year's fair will host a number of galleries from Asia, accounting for 41 percent of the total, compared to 31 percent last year, according to Frieze Seoul.

The program includes Frieze Film, curated by Sungah Serena Choo and Kim Sung-woo, which will comprise screenings by 14 Korean artists shown at non-profit venues across the city and online on Frieze's official website.

The global art fair will collaborate with Kiaf Seoul, Korea’s longest art fair run by the Galleries Association of Korea. The two fairs will co-host a series of talks with the Korean Art Management Service from Sept. 7 to 9. The talks will cover salient issues within the global art scene.

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul will kick off concurrently at Coex, allowing people to enjoy both fairs with a joint ticket.

The discussions will be led by leading industry figures such as Chong Do-ryun, deputy director of M+ in Hong Kong; artist collective Jeon Joon-ho and Moon Kyung-won; Yung Ma, curator at the Hayward Gallery in London; and Seng Yu Jin, senior curator and deputy director at National Gallery Singapore.

Frieze Seoul will also collaborate with the Arts Council Korea this year to promote the grassroots art scene by presenting a variety of shows at 35 non-profit spaces during Frieze Week from Sept. 4 to 10 in an effort to support the rich culture of artist-run and independent spaces across Seoul. Among them are 21 spaces funded by ARKO, as part of the ARKO Selection Visual Art program. A further 14 have been selected through consultation with Frieze Film curators Choo and Kim.

This year’s edition will be celebrated with three late-night openings in three of Seoul’s gallery districts -- Hannam-dong, Cheongdam-dong and Samcheong-dong, with galleries and institutes in the district hosting parties and special exhibitions until late into the night, on Sept. 5, 6 and 7, respectively.

Frieze Music Seoul will be launched this year, presented in partnership with BMW and featuring a live performance by acclaimed South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter Colde on Sept. 8 at OHHO in the Seongsu-dong district in central Seoul.

Kiaf Seoul will host 211 galleries, including Peres Projects, which recently expanded its space in Seoul, and Galleria Continua which runs spaces in San Gimignano, Italy, Beijing, Paris, Dubai and Rome. The fair will feature the Kiaf Plus section this year, which will introduce promising artists from around the world, hosted by some 30 young galleries at home and abroad.