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On April 24, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosted "Art Policy Talk at 3PM" at Art Korea Lab in Seoul under the theme of "Art in the Age of AI." Despite its promising topic, the event ultimately fell short of presenting a deep critical engagement or offering concrete alternatives.
2025.04.29
According to the recently released 2024 Artist Status Survey, 75.7% of artists earn less than 12 million KRW annually, while 31% report having no income at all. The average household income of artists is over 20 million KRW lower than the national average, with severe income disparities particularly evident in photography, literature, and fine arts.
2025.03.11
The Korean art scene is experiencing what can truly be called a "blockbuster boom." One after another, exhibitions of internationally renowned artists—Van Gogh, Hopper, Munch, Basquiat—are being held in Korea, resembling the global tours of pop stars.
2025.02.25
Since the 2000s, the Korean art world and art market have undergone remarkable expansion, growing significantly in scale. This growth is reflected in the dramatic rise of the domestic art auction market over the past 24 years. According to research conducted by the Korea Art Price Appraisal Association (Chairman Kim Young-Seok) and Art Price (CEO Ko Yoon-Jeong), the market has expanded 1,830 times during this period.
2025.02.11
In the 21st century, South Korea has solidified its position as a global cultural powerhouse. K-pop dominates the global music industry, and K-dramas and K-literature have seamlessly entered people's daily lives worldwide, bridging popular culture and fine arts.
2024.12.17
In 2024, a massive financial scandal rocked the South Korean art market. An art trading company called GALLERY K attracted large sums of money by promising investors a 7-9% annualized return and guaranteed principal, but recently, a class-action lawsuit by customers has revealed the full story.
2024.11.19
At some point, the phrase “good artwork” quietly disappeared from the art market’s vocabulary. In its place came expressions like “rising artist,” “sold-out exhibition,” and “best-selling series.” The value of an artwork is no longer judged by the emotions it evokes or the meaning it holds.
2025.04.29
In contemporary life, we often speak of “value,” yet rarely do we pause to examine what we mean by it. Under capitalism, value is almost instinctively reduced to a single measure: price. Art is no exception. The inherent meaning of a work—its inner necessity and expressive urgency—has gradually been pushed aside, while marketability and investment potential increasingly dictate how art is evaluated and consumed.
2025.04.15
At the dawn of the 21st century, the art world is undergoing a profound transformation, shaped by the rapidly evolving forces of capitalism, technological revolutions, and globalization. This transformation is not merely a sign of the times but a seismic shift that shakes the very foundation upon which art exists.
2025.03.25
Korean contemporary art is gaining increasing attention worldwide. Major international museums and biennales are showcasing works by Korean artists, and global art markets are demonstrating a growing interest in Korean contemporary art.
2025.03.18
The Korean art market experienced significant shifts in 2024, with notable fluctuations in auction performance and art fair dynamics. In particular, the total hammer price in Korea’s domestic art auction market saw a 26% decline in the third quarter compared to the previous year, fueling concerns over an ‘art fair crisis.’
2025.03.11
Ha Chong Hyun (b. 1935) is regarded as a pioneer of Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) in contemporary Korean art. His representative series, ‘Conjunction’, has played a crucial role in introducing Korean abstract painting to the global art scene.
2025.02.25
