The 21st edition of the Galleries Association of Korea’s premier international art fair, Kiaf SEOUL returns to COEX from September 3—6 with an exclusive VIP opening on September 2. Fairgoers will find presentations from 164 galleries filling the venue’s Hall A and B, encompassing an international selection representing 17 countries, over 100 Korean art spaces, and a selection of 37 newcomers. The satellite fair, Kiaf PLUS, debuts this year from September 2—5 at the city’s SETEC.
“With over two decades of history and experiences, Kiaf is in a unique position to showcase contemporary Korean art in unparalleled depth and breadth,” said the Galleries Association of Korea’s President, Dal-Seung Hwang. “At the same time, we’re proud to have evolved into a global gathering place for the art world, with our exhibitor list this year more international than ever. We are seeing great interest from collectors and industry professionals both in Korea and internationally and look forward to welcoming our visitors in September.”
Olafur Eliasson, “The colour spectrum series,” 2022, partially silvered glass spheres, stainless steel, paint (black, white) 113 x 174 x 20 cm, photo by Jens Zeihe, courtesy of the artist and PKM Gallery.
Previous fair attendees may recognize presenters like the Seoul locals Gallery Hyundai, Jason Haam, PKM Gallery, Leeahn Gallery, Gana Art, and Arario Gallery, as well as names hailing from the rest of the world like Esther Schipper and Peres Projects of Berlin, and Perrotin and Whitestone Gallery, which each have multiple international locations. Meanwhile, those showing for the first time include the Los Angeles-based Anat Ebgi, Anne Mosseri-Marlio Galerie of Basel, Ora-Ora from Hong Kong, Tokyo’s Yumiko Chiba Associates, Cristea Roberts Gallery from London, the Italian art space Eduardo Secci.
Of the fair’s solo presentations, 16 galleries will highlight the work of emerging artists—like Galerie Kandlhofer bringing the work of Maximilian Prüfer, SH Gallery presenting Backside Works, and Guimi You on view with Make Room, and Duarte Sequeira sharing the work of Ricardo Passaporte.
Photo by Kiaf SEOUL Operating committee, courtesy of Kiaf SEOUL.
The inaugural Kiaf PLUS welcomes 73 galleries both domestic and international, focused on experimental art spanning many practices and genres including NFTs and other new media art. Situated within the SETEC convention center (walking distance from the main fair), attendees will find the satellite presentation comprised of galleries like Blank Space, Everyday Mooonday, Gallery Banditrazos, Yukikomizutani, Saradipour Art, and L21 Gallery.
Yinka Shonibare CBE, “Modern Magic III,” 2021, set of five relief prints with woodblock and fabric collage, contained within a wooden portfolio box bound in Dutch wax batik fabric selected by the artist, paper and image 84.0 x 62.0 cm (each), courtesy of the artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London.
