Which galleries are heading to Frieze Seoul 2025?

A view of Kosaku Kanechika's booth at Frieze Seoul 2024 / Courtesy of Frieze and Lets Studio

Once the summer heat fades, September ushers in a season of art in Seoul, headlined by the return of the Frieze Seoul mega fair.

Now in its fourth edition, the fair runs from Sept. 3 to 6 at COEX in southern Seoul, bringing together more than 120 galleries from over 30 countries across three sectors: Galleries, Focus Asia and Frieze Masters.

As in previous iterations, this year’s lineup boasts a strong showing from across Asia, with a particular focus on exhibitors with physical spaces in Korea, alongside international blue-chip heavyweights like David Zwirner, Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Lisson Gallery and Spruth Magers.

Returning Korean dealers include Arario Gallery, Gallery Baton, Gallery Hyundai, Jason Haam, Johyun Gallery, Gana Art, Kukje Gallery, Hakgojae Gallery, P21, PKM Gallery and Whistle. Among the major players around the region are Shanghai’s Antenna Space, Hong Kong’s Kiang Malingue, Singapore’s STPI, Tokyo’s Take Ninagawa and Manila’s The Drawing Room.

This year, five exhibitors are “graduating” from the emerging Focus Asia section to the main Galleries sector — A-Lounge Contemporary, Barakat Contemporary, Cylinder, G Gallery and SAC Gallery.

A wave of first-time participants are also joining the scene, such as Hong Kong’s 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Athens’ The Breeder, Braga’s Duarte Sequeira, Tokyo’s Kaikai Kiki Gallery and Seoul’s ThisWeekendRoom.

The Frieze Seoul Artist Award will once again spotlight an emerging talent with the opportunity to realize a new commission during the fair. The winner is set to be announced on June 10.

A view of the booth of Gana Art at Frieze Seoul 2024 / Courtesy of Frieze and Lets Studio

“Frieze Seoul is the cornerstone of our presence in Asia — a fair that defines our ambitions in the region and plays a vital role in the wider Frieze calendar,” said Kristell Chade, Frieze’s executive director of fairs.

She added that the recent collaboration with Korea’s Kiaf at EXPO Chicago, the latter acquired by Frieze in 2023, is a “powerful example of how we work to champion artistic voices from across Asia on the global art scene.”

Meanwhile, for some art lovers, the real fun begins beyond the fairgrounds and on the city’s streets. Late-night gallery openings, artist-led activations and all that jazz will light up the already-buzzing neighborhoods of Euljiro, Hannam, Cheongdam and Samcheong during the Seoul Art Week.

Adding to this festivity are major institutional shows: a Lee Bul survey at the Leeum Museum of Art; “Mark Bradford: Keep Walking” at the Amorepacific Museum of Art; a blockbuster Louise Bourgeois show at the Hoam Museum of Art; a Kim Tschang-yeul retrospective at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; and an Antony Gormley exhibition at Museum San.