Organized by the Galleries Association of Korea, Kiaf SEOUL 2026 (Kiaf), Korea’s largest international art fair, will return to COEX in Seoul from September 2-6, 2026. In the last 25 years, Kiaf has played a pivotal role in strengthening Seoul’s position as a global art hub, offering audiences from Korea and beyond a richer and more immersive cultural experience. 175 galleries from 18 countries and territories will participate in this year’s edition, presenting a dynamic range of artistic practices and offering collectors and audiences a broad view of today’s contemporary art scene.
Creative Director Kuho Jung Elevates Brand Identity and Visitor Experience
For the first time, Kiaf has appointed an external Creative Director, bringing on board acclaimed designer Kuho Jung–known for his work across fashion, performance, and exhibition design. The appointment reflects Kiaf’s broader effort to strengthen its brand identity while elevating the overall visitor experience to be more engaging and intuitive, with Jung expertly leading the fair’s branding, spatial design, and special exhibition curation–while rethinking the exhibition environment and visitor journey.
Participating Gallery Highlights
Kiaf will bring together 175 leading galleries from 18 countries and territories, offering a dynamic overview of today’s contemporary art landscape. Participating Korean galleries include Gana Art, Gallery Hyundai, Kukje Gallery, Sun Gallery, PYO Gallery, Johyun Gallery, Wooson Gallery, Hakgojae, Arario Gallery and more. International exhibitors include renowned galleries such as Whitestone Gallery (Hong Kong), Art of the World Gallery (Houston), and Lazy Mike (Riga). Several long-standing international participants will also return this year, including Gallery Tsubaki (Tokyo) and Galerie Zwischen (Karlsruhe) for their 17th and 13th editions respectively.
This year also welcomes 20 first-time participants, including international newcomers Nino Mier Gallery (New York), Jacob Arthur Gallery (Los Angeles), Anna Nova Gallery (St. Petersburg), and JD Malat (London). Joining them are five Korean galleries – Gallery Hesed, Hedwig Gallery, CARIN, Hori Art Space, and CDA – bringing new perspectives and expanding the fair’s curatorial range.
Originally launched as a platform dedicated to emerging artists and galleries, Kiaf PLUS has evolved into one of the fair’s signature programs. Celebrated for its experimental spirit and distinctive artistic voices, the section has become a space for discovering new ideas and emerging directions in contemporary art. This year’s edition reflects an increasingly diverse and international scope, featuring eight Korean galleries—Azulejo Gallery, CDA, Gallery Hesed, Hedwig Gallery, Gallery Grappe, PBG, Gallery h-u-e, and CARIN—alongside 11 international participants including Joyman Gallery (Bangkok), Hide Gallery (Tokyo), SARAHCROWN (New York), Sistema Gallery (Moscow), Tsutaya Books (Tokyo), YOD Tokyo (Osaka), V&E Art (Taipei), Arma Gallery (Madrid), Empathy Gallery (Tokyo), Robineau Art (Moscow), and mizusai (Tokyo).
Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS Strengthens Artist Support with Dedicated Exhibition Spaces
Launched in 2023 to spotlight and support participating artists, Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS returns in an expanded format this year, with participating galleries invited to nominate one artist each. Following a selection process led by a panel of art professionals, 10 artists will be chosen.
Bringing together works that engage with themes such as environment, materiality, and Eastern philosophy, the program highlights artists whose practices reflect both strong artistic vision and contemporary relevance – For 2026, Kiaf HIGHLIGHTS will further evolve through the introduction of dedicated in-booth exhibition spaces designed to showcase selected artists in greater depth, offering collectors and visitors a more focused viewing experience.
Seoul Art Week Expands Artistic Experiences Across the City
Since 2023, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has promoted the Korea Art Festival, a nationwide initiative encompassing major art events such as Kiaf and Frieze Seoul. As part of this initiative, Seoul Art Week serves as a city-wide platform centered on Kiaf and Frieze Seoul, connecting exhibitions and cultural programs throughout the city, including major institutions such as Leeum Museum of Art, Art Sonje Center, and Space K, alongside district-based programs such as Samcheong Night, Hannam Night, and Cheongdam Night.
KB Financial Group Returns as Lead Partner for Third Consecutive Year
KB Financial Group joins Kiaf for a third consecutive year as Lead Partner. Through its ongoing collaboration with Kiaf, KB has expanded its engagement with the arts through preview programs and private docent tours, strengthening its presence as a cultural leader in the financial sector. This year, KB will present a collaborative exhibition with Kim Taek Sang, leading figure of the post-Dansaekhwa generation, creating new opportunities for visitors to engage with contemporary Korean art.
Upon announcing the participating galleries for this year’s edition, Kiaf Operating Committee Chairman Sunghoon Lee, also serving as President of the Galleries Association of Korea, commented that. “Kiaf will continue to strengthen its position as an international platform where leading galleries from Korea and around the world gather to present diverse perspectives and possibilities in contemporary art.”
LOCAL GALLERIES
021gallery Daegu
2448 ARTSPACE Seoul
2GIL29 GALLERY Seoul
313 ART PROJECT Seoul
Allmeartspace Seoul
ARARIO GALLERY Seoul
ART FACTORY Paju
Art SoHyang Busan
ARTPARK Seoul
ArtProject CO Seoul
ARTSIDE Gallery Seoul
Artspace H Seoul
ATELIER AKI Seoul
Azulejo Gallery Seoul *PLUS section
Banditrazos Gallery Seoul
BHAK Seoul
BON GALLERY Seoul
CARIN Busan *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
CDA Seoul *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
CHOSUN ART GALLERY Seoul
Chung Art Gallery Seoul
CHUNGJARK GALLERY Seoul
Dado Art Gallery Seoul
DATE GALLERY Busan
Dohing Art Seoul
Dong Soong Gallery Seoul
Dongwon Gallery Daegu
Duru Artspace Seoul
e.jung Gallery Seoul
ELIGERE Gallery Seoul
EM Gallery Seoul
Fill Gallery Seoul
Galerie GAIA Seoul
Galerie Pici Seoul
Gallelry361 Changwon
Gallery 41 Seoul
GALLERY B&S Seoul
GALLERY BAKYOUNG Paju
Gallery BAUM Seoul
Gallery Bundo Daegu
GALLERY CHOI Seoul
GALLERY DA SUN Gwacheon
Gallery Doll Seoul
Gallery FM Seoul
Gallery Focus Seoul
GALLERY GODO Seoul
Gallery Grappe Seoul *PLUS section
Gallery Grimson Seoul
Gallery Hesed Seoul *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
Gallery h-u-e Busan *PLUS section
Gallery Hyundai Seoul
Gallery iLHO Seoul
Gallery Imazoo Seoul
GALLERY J. ONE Daegu
Gallery JEON Daegu
Gallery JINSUN Seoul
GALLERY JJ Seoul
Gallery Joeun Seoul
Gallery Joy Busan
Gallery Juyoung Seoul
GALLERY MAC Busan
GALLERY MARE Busan
Gallery MEME Seoul
GALLERY MYUNG Seoul
Gallery NoW Seoul
GALLERY PALZO Cheongdo
Gallery PLANET Seoul
Gallery Sein Seoul
GALLERY SEJUL Seoul
GALLERY SEOHWA Seoul
Gallery Shilla Daegu
Gallery Sklo Seoul
Gallery SP Seoul
Gallery Vit Seoul
GALLERY We Yongin
Gallery Woo Busan
Gallery Woong Seoul
GALLERY YEH Seoul
gallery yoon Seoul
GALLERYMIZ Seoul
Gana Art Seoul
Garam Gallery Seoul
Hakgojae Gallery Seoul
HEDWIG GALLERY Pangyo *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
Hidden M Gallery Seoul
HORI ART SPACE Seoul *First time exhibitor
INSA Gallery Seoul
Johyun Gallery Busan
JOONG JUNG GALLERY Seoul
JOONGANG GALLERY Daegu
KEUMSAN GALLERY Seoul
KIDARI GALLERY Daegu
KIMREEAA GALLERY Seoul
KIWA Seoul
KONCRETE Gallery Jeonju
Kukje Gallery Seoul
La Heen Seoul
LEE & BAE Busan
LEE HWAIK GALLERY Seoul
LEESEOUL Incheon
LYNN Fine Art Gallery Hanam
moin gallery Seoul
NINE GALLERY Gwangju
Obscura Seoul
OKNP Seoul
PARK RYU SOOK GALLERY Seoul
PBG Seoul *PLUS section
PIBI GALLERY Seoul
PNC GALLERY Daegu
PYO GALLERY Seoul
RHO Gallery Seoul
Seoshin Gallery Jeonju
SONG ART GALLERY Seoul
SOUL ART SPACE Busan
Space WIlling N Dealing Seoul
Sun Gallery Seoul
Suppoment Gallery Seoul
The Columns Gallery Seoul
The Page Gallery Seoul
THEO Seoul
TOPOHAUS Seoul
UM GALLERY Seoul
Wellside Gallery Seoul
WOOSONGALLERY Daegu
YEASUNG GALLERY Seoul
YEEMOCK GALLERY Seoul
Yoonsun Gallery Daegu
INTERNATIONAL GALLERIES
Anna Nova Gallery Saint Petersburg *First time exhibitor
ARMA Gallery Madrid *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
Art Of Nature Contemporary Hong Kong
Art of the World Gallery Houston
Artbooth Seoul Abu Dhabi *First time exhibitor
Choi and Choi Cologne
CMay Gallery Los Angeles
Der-Horng Art Gallery Tainan City
Donna Art Taipei *First time exhibitor
Empathy Gallery Tokyo *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
Galerie Marguo Paris
GALERIE VON&VON Nürnberg
Galerie Zink Seubersdorf
GALERIE ZWISCHEN Karlsruhe
Gallery Makowski New York
GALLERY TSUBAKI Tokyo
Hide Gallery Tokyo *PLUS section
J. P. ART CENTER Kaohsiung
Jacob Arthur Gallery Los Angeles *First time exhibitor
JARILAGER Gallery Cologne
JD Malat London *First time exhibitor
Joyman Gallery Bangkok *PLUS section
KAZE ART PLANNING Osaka
Kornfeld Gallery Berlin
Lazy Mike Riga
Lucie Chang Fine Arts Hong Kong
Mark Hachem Gallery Paris
Mizuiro Gallery Tainan City
Mizuma & Kips New York
mizusai Tokyo *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
MYTH Gallery Saint Petersburg *First time exhibitor
NINO MIER GALLERY New York *First time exhibitor
OPERA GALLERY Paris
pop/off/art Moscow *First time exhibitor
ROBINEAU ART Moscow *First time exhibitor, PLUS section
SAN Gallery Tainan CitySARAHCROWN New York *PLUS section
SH GALLERY Tokyo
SISTEMA GALLERY Moscow *PLUS section
The Bridge Gallery Paris
The Moolah Multi-Art Space Tainan City *First time exhibitor
TRENDY GALLERY Bangkok *First time exhibitor
TSUTAYABOOKS Tokyo *PLUS section
V&E ART Taipei *PLUS section
Vazieux Paris
Whitestone Hong Kong
YOD TOKYO Osaka *PLUS section
YUSTO / GINER Marbella
Press release from Kiaf Seoul
Image: Kiaf SEOUL 2025. Image courtesy of Galleries Association of Korea ⓒ Creative Resource
