• Frieze Week will see institutional openings, extended gallery hours and more as Seoul’s art scene activates alongside the fair and Kiaf SEOUL
• Over 110 of the world’s leading galleries will participate in the third edition of Frieze Seoul
• Joselina Cruz (Director and Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila) and
Hyejung Jang (Chief Curator, Doosan Art Center, Seoul) return to advise Focus Asia for the
second year
• Frieze Seoul will also see the return of Frieze Masters, the section of the fair that includes
galleries showing art from throughout history, this year with an emphasis on dealers operating in
Asia
• Ambitious curatorial program will encompass film, performance, music and conversations from
key voices in contemporary art
Seoul, Korea (June 4, 2024) – Frieze today revealed initial details of the third edition of Frieze Seoul, which will take place at COEX from September 4 to 7, 2024. The fair will be led by Patrick Lee and
feature over 110 of the world’s leading galleries. Participating exhibitors span 32 countries across the globe and include a strong core of galleries from throughout the Asian region, with a particular emphasis on those with spaces in Korea. Frieze Seoul will run alongside Kiaf SEOUL, operated by the Galleries Association of Korea. Together, the two fairs will showcase the city’s much-celebrated creative community.
Seoul, Korea (June 4, 2024) – Frieze today revealed initial details of the third edition of Frieze Seoul, which will take place at COEX from September 4 to 7, 2024. The fair will be led by Patrick Lee and feature over 110 of the world’s leading galleries. Participating exhibitors span 32 countries across the globe and include a strong core of galleries from throughout the Asian region, with a particular emphasis on those with spaces in Korea. Frieze Seoul will run alongside Kiaf SEOUL, operated by the Galleries Association of Korea. Together, the two fairs will showcase the city’s much-celebrated creative community.
The fair will see an ambitious program of curatorial initiatives, including the introduction of Frieze Live, a new section spotlighting performance-based art; the second iteration of the Frieze Seoul Artist Award, forwhich an emerging talent will debut a significant commission at the fair; and a talks series at COEX featuring leading industry figures, held in conjunction with Kiaf and the Korean Arts Management Service (KAMS).
Expanding upon the fair’s on-site program, Frieze Film, Frieze Music and a suite of collaborations with key non-profits will activate venues across Seoul. They form a central component of Frieze Week, which will also include late-night openings across Seoul’s gallery districts and the debut of several major institutional shows, demonstrating the vibrancy and depth of the arts landscape in the Korean capital.
This year, the fair will see the return of LG OLED as the Official Headline Partner of Frieze Seoul, continuing a collaboration that brings together the worlds of art and technology. The fair is also supported by Deutsche Bank, Frieze’s Global Lead Partner for over 20 years, continuing a shared commitment to artistic excellence.
Patrick Lee (Director, Frieze Seoul) said: ‘We are very excited to host Frieze Seoul this September, as the fair continues to serve as an important regional hub. We look forward to drawing diverse audiences to the fair and highlighting the wonderful presentations of the participating galleries. I am thankful for the continued governmental support, not only from the Seoul City Hall, but also from Busan and Gwangju, as we explore deeper connections starting with collaborations this year with the biennales in those cities. We look forward to an inspiring, memorable and energetic Frieze Week this September.’
LEADING GALLERIES
The fair’s Galleries section will feature more than 80 major galleries from across the globe, including a core contingent of Asia-based exhibitors. Participants in the third edition of Frieze Seoul count foundational Korean spaces Arario Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Johyun Gallery, Kukje Gallery and PKM Gallery. Additionally, leading dealers who demonstrate the strength of the wider region’s contemporary practice include DAG (India), The Drawing Room (Philippines), Kiang Malingue (Hong Kong), Galerie Quynh (Vietnam), ROH (Indonesia) and Taka Ishii Gallery (Japan). Key international players Canada, Sadie Coles HQ, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Mariane Ibrahim, Karma, Lisson Gallery, Mendes Wood DM, Neugerriemschneider, Pace Gallery, Thaddaeus Ropac, Sprüth Magers, Michael Werner, White Cube and David Zwirner return to the fair, a small selection of the over 75% of exhibitors in Galleries who have participated in every edition of Frieze Seoul to date.
By contrast, Frieze Seoul 2024 will welcome new participants including Bel Ami, located in Los Angeles; Exit, from Hong Kong; Prishtina- and Brussels-based LambdaLambdaLambda; LC Queisser, hailing from Tbilisi; Mind Set Art Center, located in Taipei; Proyectos Monclova in Mexico City; and sultana, based in Paris.
FRIEZE MASTERS
Following its positive reception in the first two years of the fair, Frieze Seoul will see the return of a dedicated Frieze Masters section, steered by Nathan Clements-Gillespie (Director, Frieze Masters). The section will feature galleries showing art throughout the ages, offering a unique contemporary perspective on thousands of years of art history, and include works from collectible objects to significant masterpieces from Old Masters to the late 20th century. This year, Frieze Masters sees a much-increased presence of galleries operating across the Asian region, including first-time participants Asia Art Center, DAG, Liang Gallery, Mizoe Art Gallery, Galerie du Monde and Gallery Shilla, participating alongside returning exhibitors Gana Art, Hakgojae Gallery and Tokyo Gallery + BTAP.
Additionally, Frieze Masters participants include dealers of 20th century American works Castelli Gallery and ACA Galleries, manuscripts specialists Les Enluminures and Robilant+Voena, who focus on European practice ranging from Old Masters to Modern.
FOCUS ASIA
Focus Asia, a dedicated section of the fair showcasing ten solo artist presentations from Asia-based galleries opened in or after 2012, is this year overseen for the second consecutive time by Joselina Cruz (Director and Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila) and Hyejung Jang (Chief Curator, Doosan Art Center, Seoul).
Focus Asia is presented in collaboration with Stone Island, who provide subsidies that help enable young galleries’ participation in the fair, alongside Frieze’s existing support.
Exhibiting galleries and artists in Focus Asia include:
A-Lounge, Seoul – Hyori Cho
Baik Art, Seoul, Jakarta – Kyungryul Park
Barakat Contemporary, Seoul – Sojung Jun
Blueprint 12, New Delhi – Kingsley Gunatillake
Cylinder, Seoul – Jonghwan Lee
G Gallery, Seoul – Hwang Sueyon
Kayokoyuki, Tokyo – Evelyn Taocheng Wang
Nova Contemporary, Bangkok – Supawich Weesapen
Parcel, Tokyo – Lu Yang
SAC Gallery, Bangkok – Taiki Sakpisit
FRIEZE WEEK SEOUL
Frieze Week returns to Seoul in 2024 with a series of special events, artist-led activations and partner projects, expanding the scope of the fair across the city. A central part of this program will see late-night openings in three of Seoul’s most important gallery districts: Hannam Night on Tuesday, 3 September; Samcheong Night on Wednesday, 4 September; and Cheongdam Night on Thursday, 5 September.
Major institutional exhibitions will open throughout the week: Talking Bodies: Asian Women Artists at the MMCA Seoul; Elmgreen & Dragset at the Amorepacific Museum of Art; Do Ho Suh at Art Sonje Center; Leeum Museum’s two autumn shows, a solo by Anicka Yi and Art Spectrum 2024, curated by Rirkrit Tiravanija; the first solo exhibition in Korea of Nicolas Party at Hoam Museum of Art; and selections from the Pinault Collection at SongEun Art Space.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Tickets to Frieze Seoul 2024 will be released in June at frieze.com. A dedicated online Frieze Viewing Room will open in the week before the fair, offering audiences a first look at the presentations and the ability to engage with the fair from afar.
To keep up to date on all the latest news from Frieze, sign up to the newsletter at frieze.com, and follow @friezeofficial on Instagram, X and Frieze Official on Facebook.
Press release from Frieze
Image: Ugo Rondinone. vierzehnterjulizweitausendvierundzwanzig. 2024. Watercolor on canvas. 35 x 53 cm © Ugo Rondinone. Photography by Studio Rondinone Image courtesy of the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London
