The Second Edition of Frieze Seoul Illuminates the Blossoming Art Capital

On September 6 in South Korea, Frieze Seoul returns for the second year to COEX for a sweeping presentation of art, conversation, film, and music, open through September 9. Hosted by the Galleries Association of Korea, with the support of LG OLED and Deutsche Bank, the international art fair serves as a platform for 120 globally renowned galleries and preeminent Korean exhibitors. Within Seoul Art Week, in which a myriad of singular projects and programming take place across the vibrant city, the much-anticipated fair welcomes visitors to explore fresh editions of Frieze Film and Frieze Music, as well as an illuminating spotlight on Seoul’s grassroots art community.

“Frieze Seoul, together with Kiaf SEOUL, has already in our second year become an anchor in the city’s art calendar, underlining Seoul’s position as Asia’s most exciting art capital on the rise,” said Director of Frieze Seoul Patrick Lee. “We look forward to welcoming our participating galleries from across the globe, who will bring a wide range of solo and curated presentations featuring some of the leading artists working today. With a strong contingent of Korea and Asia-based galleries, Frieze Seoul promises to bring together the best in local, regional and international creativity.”

Presented during Seoul Art Week, which runs September 1-10, Frieze offers meticulously curated presentations alongside solo booths. David Kordansky Gallery unveils the multi-faceted creations of Los-Angeles based artist Mary Weatherford, whose recent works fusing painting with neon lighting for the 2022 Venice Biennale were both haunting and mesmerizing. Pace Gallery introduces works from the estate of the late conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner in dialogue with scintillating pieces by Robert Nava, Lee Kun-Yong, and Yoshitomo Nara. PKM offers a group show uniting revolutionary Korean artists Yoo Youngkuk, Yun Hyong-keun, Chung Chang- Sup with modern visionary Koo Jeong A, who will champion Korea at the 2024 Venice Biennale.

The Focus Asia sector, spearheaded by Joselina Cruz, Director and Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), part of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila, and Hyejung Jang, Chief Curator of DOOSAN Gallery, debuts 10 solo exhibitions from Seoul-based galleries, with an emphasis on captivating new discoveries. Yeo Workshop brings the innovative artworks of Priyageetha Dia, who layers video game software and 3D animation for stunning revelations into the plantation histories of Southeast Asia. Yutaka Kikutake invites visitors into the site-specific presentation of Yuko Mohri, whose work Decomposition utilizes a synthesizer to decipher a symphony of fruits. Frieze Masters, led by Nathan Clements-Gillespie, joins extraordinary antiquities with modern showpieces. Stephen Ongpin Fine Art displays works on paper by forces such as Lucian Freud, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Cézanne, while Axel Vervoordt shows a singular Khmer head in the form of a deity dating back to King Jayavarman VII’s reign. 

This year’s edition of Frieze Film, curated by Kim Sung Woo and Sungah Serena CHOO, exhibits the dedicated artistry of 14 Korean creatives both at four non-profit sites throughout Seoul as well as online. Titled, It was the way of walking through narrative, notables such as Hong Lee Hyun-Sook, Park Sunmin, Moojin Brothers, Baek Heaven Hyeonju, and Pyo Minhong invite guests on inspiring, boundless narratives through time and place. Talks, in partnership with Kiaf SEOUL and Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), brings together art industry leaders such as Yung Ma, Curator of Hayward Gallery, and Doryun Chong, Deputy Director of M+, for stimulating conversations on Korean experimental art and the future of new media.

Frieze Music, hosted in collaboration with BMW, celebrates its first edition with an electrifying live performance by beloved South Korean singer-songwriter Colde on September 8, alongside fellow artists Khakii and APRO. With presentations by 35 non-profit artist-run spaces around the city, in collaboration with Arts Council Korea (ARKO), and lively gallery district shows, such as Cheongdam Night on September 6, and Samcheong Night on September 7, Frieze Seoul 2023 embodies art and community for the 21st century.