Seoul's largest art fair in town; Kiaf, Frieze Seoul open through weekend

It's looking to be an exciting weekend for art aficionados in the capital city as two major fairs kicked off earlier this week to showcase the latest in the world of art.

Our culture correspondent Park Kun-woo has a glimpse.

Wall after wall is filled with creativity.

Creative artwork, from a jumbo sculpture made of half a million Korean pennies to a three-dimensional piece that makes you feel as if it's alive, is exhibited.

To make this happen, the 24th edition of Kiaf Seoul brought together more than 170 galleries, with a third of them from overseas.

Newcomers also joined, reflecting growing interest in Seoul's art market.

"Korea has a very interesting a real openness to the rest of the world culturally. Very excited to see how we could present our artists and our curation to the local Korean landscape. In Seoul, already discussing with other artist curators to actually see how we could potentially work together."

"This art fair showcasing thousands of pieces goes beyond just viewing artwork. It also serves as a marketplace and a platform for networking. At the same time, the organizers are making efforts to encourage developing artists."

Since 2023, Kiaf has been selecting three artists from ten semifinalists, providing both funding and promotion.

One of this year's semifinalists shared why his works drew global attention.

"Because I use traditional Korean materials like 'Muk'과 'Hanji,' my monochrome works stood out among the more colorful pieces. With growing global interest in Korean culture, this sentiment seems to resonate."

Frieze Seoul, which is collaborating with Kiaf for a fourth year, also has a bunch to appeal to.

One section that draws eyes is FOCUS ASIA, which showcases artwork by emerging Asian artists and galleries.

"I am expecting to see just a greater focus on Asian artists. I started collecting Korean art a while ago, and I've been to Seoul six times. Seemed like a good opportunity to see a lot of different galleries at once from all over."

Among the highlights was "Floating Rubble," which creates the illusion of rubble suspended in midair.

And works by renowned masters, including Park Seo-bo, also appeared, some re-created digitally for a fresh experience.

Media art installations, including one with the concept of being caught on fire, also drew interest.

With record crowds flocking in on opening day, the twin art fairs are expected to attract even more through the weekend, making Seoul's art scene livelier than ever.

Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.