Pace Seoul Debuts Design Updates, New Courtyard, and Tea House in Time for Frieze Week

Expanding the space to ensure installations of all manner can be exhibited within the complex, Cho’s concept for the ground floor gallery includes features like a moving wall, blackout curtains, easy-access speaker ports, and wiring to accommodate international hardware—all conducive to immersive and multimedia presentations. The outdoor courtyard offers a central gathering place which doubles as a place for installing sculptures and other three-dimensional works. Here, Cho has also selected a number of native shade plants, completing the ambiance of the outdoor exhibition space.

Situated next to the courtyard at the back of the complex is a sleek teahouse that doubles as a place for mingling over refreshments and also additional exhibition space. Outfitted with contemporary fixtures that have been sourced nearby (like communal wooden tables, a concrete bar, and stone flooring), it offers a menu of locally-produced teas and tea-infused cocktails to be had while enjoying floor-to-ceiling views of the courtyard along with a selection of editions, prints, and Pace Publishing titles.

“An important part of Pace’s ethos in Seoul—since its opening in the city in 2017—has been nurturing relationships with the local arts community, and the gallery’s effort to present work by Korean artists has supported this aim,” said Youngjoo Lee, Pace Seoul’s Vice President. “With the arrival of Frieze and the opening of Pace’s expanded complex, Seoul has become an international art hub. The gallery’s ongoing commitment to and interest in the city has contributed to the growth of its vibrant cultural scene.”

Two exhibitions are on view at Pace during Frieze Week in Seoul. Filling the complex’s second- and third-story main exhibition rooms is work by the artist Romanian Adrian Ghenie. On view from September 2—October 22, the show represents multiple “firsts” for the artists, serving as Ghenie’s debut solo show in Asia and his first presentation to feature his latest medium of choice, charcoal. On the ground floor, teamLab’s “Massless Suns” (September 2—October 29) features never-before-seen installations, monitor-based works, and other creations from the experiential art collective.