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Delivering essential Korean contemporary art news every week.

Latest News

Artist_News Artist Lee Bul Becomes the First Korean Artist Represented by Hauser & Wirth Lee Bul, a leading Korean artist, has become the first Korean artist to be represented exclusively by the renowned global gallery Hauser & Wirth.
2025.04.01
Artist_News Anna Park Becomes the Youngest Representative Artist at Lehmann Maupin New York-based Korean artist Anna Park (b. 1996) has joined Lehmann Maupin as its youngest represented artist.
2025.04.01
Art never stopped a war and never got anybody a job. That was never its function. Art cannot change events, but it can change people. It can affect people so that they are changed.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990, Musician)

Artist

Artist_News Artist Lee Bul Becomes the First Korean Artist Represented by Hauser & Wirth Lee Bul, a leading Korean artist, has become the first Korean artist to be represented exclusively by the renowned global gallery Hauser & Wirth.
2025.04.01
Artist_News Anna Park Becomes the Youngest Representative Artist at Lehmann Maupin New York-based Korean artist Anna Park (b. 1996) has joined Lehmann Maupin as its youngest represented artist.
2025.04.01
Artist_News Artist Hyunsun Jeon Transforms the Windows of Maison Hermès Dosan Park into a Forest The artist Hyunsun Jeon (b. 1989), who translates autobiographical stories into paintings by alternating between abstraction and figuration, is in charge of this year's spring window display at Maison Hermès Dosan Park.
2025.03.18
Artist_News Artist Moka Lee Is Represented by Carlos/Ishikawa in the UK On March 1, London-based gallery Carlos/Ishikawa announced that it now represents artist Moka Lee (b. 1996). Moka Lee’s work spans portraiture, still life, and landscapes, inspired by photos found on social media.
2025.03.11
Artist_News MMCA Announced Four Finalists for “Korea Artist Prize 2025” The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), has selected Kim YoungEun, Kim Jipyeong, Unmake Lab, and Im Youngzoo as the four sponsored artists/artist groups for the Korea Artist Prize 2025, an exhibition and award program co-organized by the MMCA and the SBS Foundation.
2025.03.04
Artist_News Artist Ayoung Kim Selected as the First Korean Recipient of the 'LG Guggenheim Award' Ayoung Kim, widely recognized for her innovative media art practice that traverses reality and the virtual, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 LG Guggenheim Award. Since its launch in 2023, the LG Guggenheim Award has been an internationally recognized prize dedicated to supporting artists who expand the horizons of contemporary art through innovative use of technology.
2025.03.04

Museum

Museum_News MMCA Launches Eco-Friendly Living Products Made from Exhibition Waste The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) has launched three types of eco-friendly everyday living products made from discarded exhibition waste, reflecting ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values.
2025.03.11
Museum_News The World’s First ‘Floating Museum’ in Shinan County to Open This May The world's first floating museum is set to open this May in Anjwa Island, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do. The "Floating Museum" is located near the birthplace of Kim Whanki, a pioneer of Korean abstract art, on a reservoir in the town of Eopdong, Anjwa-myeon.
2025.02.18
Museum_News Nam June Paik Art Center Has Published “Technical Report on the Art of Nam June Paik Ⅰ” Online On January 29, to mark the 19th anniversary of Nam June Paik’s passing, the Nam June Paik Art Center published the “Technical Report on the Art of Nam June Paik I” online to support the research and preservation of his works.
2025.02.11
Museum_News Sorol Art Museum to Reopen Under a New Name in April The Sorol Art Museum in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, which opened in February last year, will be renamed "Gangneung Art Museum Sorol" (tentative name) in April and newly operated as a municipal art museum.
2025.02.04
Museum_News Seoul Museum of Art to Complete Eight-Branch System by 2025 This year, the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) will open two new branches—the Photography Seoul Museum of Art (Photo SeMA) and SeMA Seo-Seoul Museum of Art—completing its "network-style museum" system.
2025.01.28
Museum_News The Museum Honoring Suh Se Ok, Master of Ink Abstract Painting, to Open in Seongbuk-gu in 2028 A museum dedicated to the late Suh Se Ok (1929~2020), a master of Korean ink abstract painting, tentatively named the ‘Suh Se Ok Art Museum,’ is set to open in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, in 2028.
2025.01.21

Nonprofit

Nonprofit_News Corporate Cultural Foundations Triple Their Contribution to Arts and Culture Over the Past Decade On the 11th, the Arts Council Korea (ARKO) released a report on the state of arts and culture sponsorship by corporate cultural foundations—nonprofit organizations established by domestic companies to support arts and culture. The report revealed that corporate contributions have tripled over the past decade.
2025.02.18
Nonprofit_News The House of Painter Kim Tschang-Yeul to Be Reborn as a Public Cultural Facility in 2026 Jongno-gu has announced plans to transform the late world-renowned ‘water drop’ painter Kim Tschang-Yeul’s house in Pyeongchang-dong into a public cultural facility called 'Kim Tschang-Yeul Atelier.'
2025.02.11
Nonprofit_News Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture Announces New Operational Direction for the Globalization of Korean Arts and Culture On January 23, Song Hyung Jong, the newly appointed CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC), announced the foundation’s key directions for 2025. Aiming to position Seoul among the world's top five cultural cities, SFAC outlined a range of initiatives.
2025.02.04
Nonprofit_News ACC Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Major Exhibitions and Programs of 2025 The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s National Asian Culture Center (ACC), celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has unveiled its major exhibitions and programs for 2025. In May, the 《ACC Future Sports Day》 will take place at ACC Creation Space 1, merging media art, physical activity, and play.
2025.01.28
Nonprofit_News Incheon Art Platform to be funded by Incheon Foundation For Arts & Culture from Next year Fifteen years after its establishment, the Incheon Art Platform, which plays an important role in the development of contemporary art in Korea, will be operated independently from the city of Incheon.
2024.12.24
Nonprofit_News Olafur Eliason’s Latest Work ‘Breathing earth sphere’ Has Been Unveiled on Docho Island in Shinan County On the 15th, world-renowned Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson (b. 1967) unveiled his latest work, 숨결의 지구 (Breathing earth sphere), on Docho Island, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The installation, part of a larger initiative by Shinan County that celebrates the region's natural beauty, centers around public art projects that draw attention to reimagining the immediate environment.
2024.12.03

Biennale

Biennale_News Gwangju Biennale Academy International Curator Course Resumed After Six Years, Successfully Launched On August 29, the Gwangju Biennale Academy International Curator Course, which resumed after six years, successfully launched. The program, running until September 12, includes 15 curatorial professionals from 12 countries, including European nations like the UK and Italy, as well as Asian countries such as India, China, and Singapore.
2024.09.10
Biennale_News Gwangju Biennale Pavilion 2024, Swiss Special Program to Be Launched on October 3 The Swiss Special Program, planned as part of the 2024 Gwangju Biennale, will take place from October 3 to 5. Switzerland, participating as a national pavilion in this Biennale, will present performances and workshops in Gwangju Biennale Square instead of a pavilion exhibition.
2024.09.10
Biennale_News The 4th Jeju Biennale “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind, and Stars” Opens on November 26 The 4th Jeju Biennale “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind, and Stars” will take place from November 26, 2024, to February 16, 2025, at venues including Jeju Museum of Art, Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, Public Storage of Artworks, Folklore & Natural History Museum Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, International Convention Center Jeju, and Jeju Art Platform.
2024.08.06
Biennale_News The 7th Changwon Sculpture Biennale “silent apple” Opens on September 27 The Changwon Sculpture Biennale, the only sculpture biennale in Korea
2024.07.22
Biennale_News 15th Gwangju Biennale Pavilion Opens Its Largest Scale Ever in September The Gwangju Biennale, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, announced that a total of 22 countries are participating in the 15th Gwangju Biennale Pavilion. The Gwangju Biennale Pavilion, which aims to serve as a network of domestic and international art and cultural institutions, began in 2018 with the participation of three organizations, increased to nine in 2023, and expanded to 31 this year.
2024.07.01
Biennale_News Busan Biennale 2024 Announces Its Final Participating Artists The final participating artists for the Busan Biennale 2024, which will take place from August 17 to October 20, have been announced. The exhibition, themed “Seeing in the Dark,” will feature 62 artists/teams (78 participants) from 36 countries. The exhibition will be held in the original city center, utilizing the Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, Busan Modern & Contemporary history Museum, Hansung 1918, and Choryang House (an old house in Choryang-dong), and is curated by Vera Mey and Philippe Pirotte.
2024.06.24

Art Market

Art Market_News The Korean Art Auction Market in the 3rd Quarter of 2024 Saw 26% Decrease Compared to the Previous Year The "2024 3rd Quarter Art Market Report," released on October 31 by the Korea Art Authentication & Appraisal Research Center's corporate research lab KAAI, indicated that the slump in the Korean art market continues.
2024.11.19
Art Market_News South Korea’s MCST Plans to Implement Art Policies for the Continued Growth of the Korean Art Market, Which Exceeded 1 Trillion KRW in 2022 Over the past year, many local experts predicted that the size of the Korean art market would surpass 1 trillion KRW (Korean won) in 2022. This speculation has turned out to be true, as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) announced on January 4, 2023, that the size of the art market in 2022 was estimated to be 1.0377 trillion KRW (approximately $1 billion USD).
2023.01.09
Art Market_News "Korea Art Market 2022" Delivers Various Trends and Issues in the Korean Art Market in English The most-searched term in the Korean art world in 2022 was “Frieze Seoul.” The inaugural fair received not only explosive attention from the domestic art world but also aroused international interest in the Korean art market, bringing many global artists to Korea.
2023.01.02
Art Market_News Korean Arts Management Services Estimates the Size of the Korean Art Market in 2021 The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea (MCST) and the Korean Arts Management Services (KAMS) have been publishing a report on the previous year’s Korean art market since 2008.
2022.02.21

Auction

Auction_News Seoul Auction to Host ‘Connect Seoul 2024’ During Frieze·Kiaf Seoul Week Seoul Auctions hosts ‘Connect Seoul 2024,’ a series of exhibitions and events from August 24 to September 13 at its Gangnam Center, to coincide with Frieze-Kiaf Seoul Week. Connect Seoul consists of two special exhibitions highlighting major Korean and international artists of modern and contemporary art, a group exhibition of media art, and a preview of upcoming auctions.
2024.09.03
Auction_News SBI Art Auction to Host Its First Overseas Auction Preview at Art Chosun Space in Seoul Japan’s SBI Art Auction will present its first overseas auction preview, "Early Highlight Viewing in Seoul," from October 1 to 6 at Art Chosun Space (ACS) in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The preview is part of the "68th SBI Art Auction | MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART" to be held on October 25 and 26.
2024.08.13
Auction_News Global Auction House Phillips Appoints Lim Yeon-ah to Lead the Korean office On the 5th, Phillips, one of the world’s top three auction houses, appointed Lim Yeon-ah as the head of its Korean office. Since joining Phillips in 2020, she has overseen Phillips exhibitions during the Frieze Seoul art fair over the past two years.
2023.12.11
Auction_News 3 Korean Women Leaders Who Are Demonstrating Their Leadership at the Asian Offices of the World's Top 3 Art Auction Houses Today, many women figures are active in the contemporary art world, trying to reflect diversity and fostering Korean art.
2022.11.28
Auction_News Phillips Will Hold Its First Exhibition in South Korea during the Frieze Art Fair in Seoul Phillips, one of the three largest auction houses in the world with headquarters in London, has announced that it will hold its first exhibition in Seoul concurrently with the Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul art fairs.
2022.08.15
Auction_News Christie’s First Exhibition in South Korea, What Does This Mean for the Local Art Market? The booming Korean art market attracts many international art galleries and art fairs to Seoul. World-renowned galleries, including König Galerie, Thaddeus Ropac, and Gladstone Gallery, have opened a branch in Seoul, and Frieze has partnered with Kiaf SEOUL to hold art fairs in Seoul for five years from this year.
2022.08.01

Art Fair

Art Fair_News Korean Galleries Make Strong Statement at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 Amid Market Slowdown Art Basel Hong Kong 2025 officially opened on March 26 with a VIP preview at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, drawing attention as Asia’s largest art fair resumes at full scale. Despite a global art market slowdown, Korean galleries are showing remarkable presence and vitality at this year’s event.
2025.03.25
Art Fair_News ‘Access Bangkok’, the First Korean Art Fair to Expand Internationally The first Korean art fair to venture overseas, ‘Access Bangkok,’ was held from December 5 to 7 at ICONSIAM in Bangkok, Thailand, garnering significant attention.
2024.12.10
Art Fair_News Director Kim Jeong Eun Appointed to Lead 'T3 PHOTO ASIA’ Art Fair in Tokyo, Japan Kim Jeong Eun has been appointed as the Fair Director of ‘T3 PHOTO AISA’, which will be held at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu in Japan from October 18 to October 21.
2024.10.08
Art Fair_News Highlights at Frieze Seoul 2024 Highlights of Frieze Seoul 2024, taking place September 4-7 at COEX, Gangnam, Seoul, have been revealed. The world's leading galleries participating in Frieze Seoul 2024 are highlighting a wide range of distinguished artists in the Solo, Group, Frieze Masters, and Focus Asia sections.
2024.09.03
Art Fair_News Kiaf SEOUL 2024 to Host Special Exhibition “Kiaf onSITE: Invisible Transitions” The Galleries Association of Korea announced that it will present the special exhibition “Kiaf onSITE: Invisible Transitions” at Kiaf SEOUL 2024, which will be held for five days from September 4 to 8. “Kiaf onSITE” is a special exhibition showcasing the
2024.08.27
Art Fair_News How to Enjoy Frieze Seoul 2024 to the Fullest Frieze Seoul 2024 will not only feature a fair showcasing globally acclaimed artworks but also present the most extensive and diverse Frieze Week to date, featuring a variety of programs including cultural events in collaboration with galleries and nonprofit organizations.
2024.08.27

Art+

Art+_News Hyundai Blue Prize+ 2025 Calls for Emerging Curators On March 20th, the open call for Hyundai Blue Prize+ began, supporting emerging curators. This year's open call has expanded eligibility, allowing any emerging curators residing in Asia or working with themes related to Asia to apply.
2025.04.01
Art+_News Emma Son, Senior Director of Lehmann Maupin Seoul, Promoted to Global Partner On the 6th, Emma Son, Senior Director of Lehmann Maupin Seoul, was promoted to Global Partner at Lehmann Maupin. The role of a partner involves making all key decisions for the gallery in collaboration with senior directors through strategic meetings.
2025.03.18
Art+_News Hyundai Motors Announces ‘Hyundai Translocal Series’ to Foster Global Artistic Collaboration On 18th, Hyundai Motor Company announced ‘Hyundai Translocal Series,’ a new partnership that roots itself in fostering dialogues and exchanges between art institutions in Korea and across the globe.
2025.02.25
Art+_News Art Basel’s Global Head of Relations Irene Kim Appointed Head of US Arts & Culture for Chanel Irene Kim, who for the last three years was the global head of VIP relations for Art Basel, has left the fair to join Chanel as head of the luxury brand’s US arts and culture division. Kim is the first person to hold the position.
2025.02.11
Art+_News Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Appoints Dr. Soyoung Lee as Director and CEO On the 14th, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco announced that Korean curator Soyoung Lee has been appointed as the next Director and CEO of the museum. This marks the first time a Korean curator has been named to lead a major museum in the United States.
2025.01.28
Art+_News Current Status of Korean Contemporary Artworks Housed in 20 North American Art Museums On December 31, a study revealed that approximately 1,120 pieces of Korean contemporary art are housed in 20 major North American art museums. However, these collections are largely limited to works by a small number of artists with experience working in the United States.
2025.01.07