Koreas Appetite for Art Grows
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Art lovers and collectors flocked to see works of top artists such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Fernando Botero, Paik Nam June, Lee U-fan and Zhang Xiaogang, at the Korea International Art Fair (KIAF) over the weekend.
The global financial crisis did not seem to have dampened the mood at the art fair. Several gallery owners expressed cautious optimism about the art market's global prospects, noting the growing appetite for art in Asia, especially China and Korea.
A diverse array of paintings, installations, sculptures and photographs by artists from all over the world were on display at the Pacific and Indian Hall at COEX, southern Seoul.
Organized by the Gallery Association of Korea, KIAF featured more than 6,000 art works by 1,500 local and foreign artists. This was said to be the biggest KIAF ever, with 218 galleries from Korea, Germany, Switzerland, U.S., France, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The booming art market in Korea is the main reason why several foreign and local galleries decided to join the KIAF for the fir
Sep 21, 2008