FRIEZE 2025 Frieze, Kiaf Seoul to return amid fluctuating art market

A view of Mitchell-Innes & Nash's booth at Frieze Seoul 2024 / Courtesy of Frieze and Lets Studio

Amid a lingering slump in the art market and a world in disorder, Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul once again return to the Korean capital this September.

Their comeback carries both weight and promise: the daunting challenge of sluggish sales alongside a creative landscape yearning for revitalization.

As the two art fairs step into the fourth year of their five-year partnership, the events also face a pivotal question — whether their collaboration will continue beyond its original term. Their alliance has stood as a rare instance of an international art fair joining forces with a local counterpart in a bid to anchor itself in a new city.

“While an extension has not yet been decided, conversations remain positive, with details still under careful review,” said Lee Sung-hoon, president of the Galleries Association of Korea, which organizes Kiaf Seoul, at a joint press conference in Seoul Tuesday.

“Kiaf has a long history in Seoul, and obviously, we are beneficiaries of that. I think the relationship has been very positive, symbiotic,” added Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee. “Look at the support we’re getting from the government and all these [citywide cultural] initiatives. We’re a great anchor for that.”

Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee speaks during a joint press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The two fairs will return to their usual home at COEX in southern Seoul, opening simultaneously on Sept. 3. A joint ticket grants access to both events, priced at 250,000 won ($185) for the preview pass and 80,000 won for general admission.

The fourth edition of Frieze brings together more than 120 galleries from 28 countries, with over one-third of the participants operating spaces in Korea.

Kukje Gallery spotlights a breadth of Korean creatives across generations, from the monochrome “dansaekhwa” masters to visionary women artists like Kim Yun-shin and Jang Pa. Also featured are voices from the Korean diaspora, including Lotus L. Kang and Gala Porras-Kim.

Blue-chip dealer Pace Gallery is set to delve into the histories of global abstraction, anchored by New York’s Adolph Gottlieb and Korea’s Yoo Young-kuk.

Shanghai-based Antenna Space will team up with Commonwealth and Council in Los Angeles to illuminate their roster that includes rising Korean art star Lee Mire.

Many of the artists appearing in gallery booths are also the subject of institutional exhibitions and special presentations in Seoul. Among them are Hauser & Wirth’s Mark Bradford, whose “Keep Walking” is on view at the Amorepacific Museum of Art; Gagosian’s Takashi Murakami at APMA Cabinet; and Antony Gormley, who is unveiling his first solo project in the city across White Cube and Thaddaeus Ropac.

Ree Bong-sang's "Pond" (1950s-1960s) / Courtesy of Hakgojae Gallery

Prapat Jiwarangsan's "Parasite Family No. 3" (2024) / Courtesy of SAC Gallery

The fair’s two feature sections also make their comeback: Focus Asia, which introduces 10 groundbreaking artists through emerging galleries from the region, and Frieze Masters, this year devoted to postwar and modern art from Asia and beyond — such as Hakgojae Gallery’s presentation of nine Korean painters engaging with the spiritual legacy of the 18th-century moon jar.

Debuting during this year’s fair week is Frieze House Seoul, a year-round gallery space modeled on the success of No. 9 Cork Street, an initiative of Frieze in London. The venue will open with its first exhibition, “UnHouse,” curated by Kim Jae-seok, which reimagines home and belonging through queer perspectives.

Lee Sung-hoon, left, president of the Galleries Association of Korea, which organizes Kiaf Seoul, answers a question during a joint press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Meanwhile, the 24th iteration of Kiaf Seoul, the country’s longest-running homegrown contemporary art fair, is set to welcome 175 exhibitors from around the world.

For the first time, the event will unfold under a unifying theme: “Resonance.”

“Kiaf has reached a stage where sheer quantitative growth is no longer our priority,” Lee said. “Now is the time to refine our quality and grow in step with other players in the art ecosystem, including artists and local communities.”

Reflecting this shift, the number of participating galleries is reduced from 206 last year.

“What Kiaf must do is what Frieze cannot: to rediscover and reappraise Korean modern and contemporary art and to introduce it to the global market. That’s the direction we aim to pursue.”