Kiaf Seoul 2023 ready for September alongside Frieze Seoul

By Park Han-sol

Kiaf Seoul, Korea's longest-running contemporary art fair, is gearing up to return this September for its 22nd edition, joined by over 210 galleries from 20 countries.

Like last year, the five-day art fair, hosted by the Galleries Association of Korea, will run alongside its global counterpart Frieze Seoul via a five-year-long partnership at COEX in southern Seoul from Sept. 6 to 10.

With an emphasis on its mission to introduce forward-looking contemporary Korean art and rising stars to a global audience, more than 130 participating exhibitors will hail from the local art scene ― headlined by the likes of Kukje Gallery, Hakgojae Gallery, Gallery Hyundai and Leeahn Gallery ― said Hwang Dal-seung, president of the Galleries Association of Korea, during a meeting with international press in Seoul, June 21.

The leading international art dealers returning to this year's edition include Galleria Continua, Peres Projects, Whitestone Gallery and Asia Art Center.

The fair will see 30 first-time participants from around the world as well such as New York-based The Hole, Tuesday to Friday in Valencia, Amsterdam-based Gallery Delaive and Lucie Chang Fine Arts in Hong Kong.

Kiaf Plus, Kiaf Seoul's first satellite art fair that debuted at the nearby Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC) in 2022, will be staged at COEX this year for improved accessibility. Joined by 30 emerging galleries here and abroad, the new media- and NFT-focused event aims to serve as a platform for up-and-coming creators and targets a burgeoning group of younger collectors in the country.

“In addition, we are organizing a curated exhibition of 10 Korean new media artists. Its primary focus won't be on making sales but on showcasing the current landscape of digital art to the audience,” Hwang noted.

Kiaf Seoul has also launched its very first membership program, which offers VIP tickets to the September event as well as access to exclusive gallery tours, lectures and networking soirees throughout the year.

In 2022, which marked the first year of the partnership established between the two fairs, Kiaf Seoul and the inaugural Frieze Seoul jointly attracted over 70,000 visitors.

“We were, of course, able to draw significant global attention thanks to this juncture. We hope our relationship with Frieze can continue to grow this year,” said the Galleries Association of Korea president.