This week in Seoul, the grand fall art season commences with Kiaf SEOUL 2025. Beginning with a VIP preview on September 3, the groundbreaking art fair’s 24th edition is open to the public from September 4-7 at COEX.
Visitors from near and far will be embraced by 175 domestic and international gallery presentations, as well as thrilling programming. Look forward to the third annual Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS Award and a Special Exhibition exploring the nuanced artistry of collecting. A meticulously curated Talks Program is unveiled alongside Frieze Seoul and Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), and the 2025 Korea Arts Festival is a nationwide platform that honors the richness and energy of Korea’s cultural scene.
Must-See Booths at Kiaf Seoul 2025
Installation Image, Courtesy Kiaf Seoul 2024.
More than 125 prominent Korean galleries will participate at Kiaf SEOUL this year. 313 ART PROJECT (Seoul) brings the revelations of Lee Ufan and Antony Gormley, while Kukje Gallery (Seoul) offers expressive works by Ugo Rondinone, Anish Kapoor, Ha Chong-Hyun, and more.
The fair’s primary GALLERIES platform brims with international notables and their impactful creations. Vazieux (Paris) places the life and work of Ungno Lee and In-Kyung Park in unique dialogue, and Ming Dian Gallery (New Taipei City) shines light on French and Italian contemporary visionaries Leo & Steph, Angelo Accardi, and Simone Fugazzotto.
Leo & Steph, KID CUP Grafitti V3,” 2025, Mixed Media, 60 x 90 cm; Courtesy of the artists and Ming Dian Gallery.
Kiaf PLUS champions emerging artists who fearlessly lead with material experimentation and are in constant exchange with the international scene. Artemin Gallery (Taipei) offers the surreal abstraction and perceptive humor of Nung-Hsuan Cheng (Taiwan), Mirza Cizmic (Finland), and Bram Kinsbergen (Belgium). Nearby, Gallery DA SUN (Gwacheon) beckons visitors with the multi-faceteted cityscapes of Esther Wang, who delves into poignant themes of human sentiment and remembrance.
Unveiling the Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS Award
Moonassi, “The Opaque Mirror III,” 2025, Ink on Korean paper, 130 x 130; Courtesy of the artist and EM GALLERY, Seoul.
Kiaf SEOUL 2025 introduces the third edition of the Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS Award, this year guided by the profound theme of “Resonance.”
An esteemed jury of museum curators in Korea have selected the ten trailblazing semi-finalists: Moonassi with EM GALLERY (Seoul), Eunsi Jo with GalleryMEME (Seoul), Sejin Hong with Gallery PLANET (Seoul), Donghoon Rhee with Gallery SP (Seoul), Ahra Kim with Kimreeaa Gallery (Seoul), Jungin Kim with La Heen (Seoul), Yu Xiao with Lucie Chang Fine Arts (Hong Kong), Geoffroy Pithon with MAĀT Gallery (Paris), Nohwan Park with Space Willing N Dealing (Seoul), and Grim Park with THEO (Seoul). Their cutting-edge works will be shared throughout public media facades across Seoul, with three winners revealed during the fair’s VIP preview.
Embark on a Special Exhibition, a Talks Program, and the 2025 Korea Arts Festival
Installation Image, Courtesy Kiaf Seoul 2024.
The fair’s much-anticipated 24th edition debuts “Reverse Cabinet,” a special exhibition rejoicing in the 60th anniversary of Korea–Japan diplomatic relations. Deftly curated by Yuli Yoon, Chief Curator of Ilmin Museum of Art, alongside Tomoya Iwata, Director of alternative space The 5th Floor, the project focuses on six emerging artists: Sunpil Don, Jihye Yeom, Geumhyung Jeong, Kai Oh, Kei Takemura, and Sen Takahashi. Through captivating sculpture, digital media, video, and archives, the intuitive Korean and Japanese artists reframe collecting as an ever-evolving creative act imbued with remembrance, selfhood, and cultural legacy.
In a collaborative showcase between Kiaf SEOUL, the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), and Frieze Seoul, the 2025 Talks Program unites thought leaders of the Korean and global arts landscape. You won’t want to miss “Queer Asian Art and the Technology of Re-membering” on September 4, bringing together artists Sin Wai Kin, Sung Hwan Kim, and Candice Lin. That same day, “Artistic Imagination between Reality and Virtual” will spark pivotal conversation with artists Adrian Villar Rojas and Young Kim alongside Sunjung Kim, the Artistic Director of Art Sonje Center.
Junho Han, “New Beginning 2403,” 2024, Mixed media (Scratched) on canvas, 72.7 x 116.8 cm; Courtesy of the artist and Gallery Grappe.
Finally, leading up to the fair, the 2025 Korea Arts Festival backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism offers dazzling “Gallery Nights” within Seoul’s arts districts. Hannam showcased Leeum Museum of Art, BHAK, Gallery SP, and Gallery Joeun on September 2, and Cheongdam radiated with SONGEUN, Galerie GAIA, Gallery Grappe, GALLERY WE, and GALERIE PICI on September 3.
The spirited program culminates on September 4 in Samcheong, bringing art lovers and collectors together to journey through the gems of Art Sonje Center, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Kukje Gallery, HAKGOJAE GALLERY, GALLERY YEH, and LEE HWAIK Gallery.
