Delivering essential Korean contemporary art news every week.
Latest News
Museum_News Leeum Museum of Art Announces Its 2025 Major Exhibition Plans
The Samsung Foundation of Culture, celebrating its 60th anniversary next year, has unveiled the exhibition plans for the Leeum Museum of Art in 2025, encompassing both traditional and contemporary art.
2024.12.17
Art+_News Most Influential Koreans in the Art World This Year: ArtReview ‘2024 Power 100’
On the 5th, the renowned British art magazine ArtReview unveiled its ‘2024 Power 100’ list. Since 2002, the annual ‘Power 100’ has involved experts from around the globe in an in-depth and comprehensive evaluation to select 100 individuals who have made significant contributions to the global art and cultural scene through their activities and influence.
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.
Artist_News Artist Chung Seoyoung Participated in Asia Pacific Triennial 11
One of South Korea’s leading contemporary sculptors, Chung Seoyoung, is participating in the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT11). Held at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane, Australia, APT11 has been underway since November 30 and features 70 artists and collectives from more than 30 countries.
Artist_News Artist Moka Lee Has Been Selected as One of the 10 Artists of “The Artsy Vanguard 2025”
The global online art platform Artsy has selected artist Moka Lee as one of the "Artsy Vanguard 2025" artists, highlighting the most promising talents working today. Among the 10 artists chosen this year, Moka Lee is the only Korean artist featured.
Museum_News Leeum Museum of Art Announces Its 2025 Major Exhibition Plans
The Samsung Foundation of Culture, celebrating its 60th anniversary next year, has unveiled the exhibition plans for the Leeum Museum of Art in 2025, encompassing both traditional and contemporary art.
2024.12.17
Museum_News Art Sonje Center Announces Its 2025 Exhibition and Program Plans
Art Sonje Center unveiled its 2025 exhibition program during a press conference held on December 2. The 2025 program spans a wide range of media and genres, from live contemporary music performances to large-scale installations that use the museum building and its surroundings as artistic media.
Museum_News MMCA Announces a New Partnership with LG Electronics
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announces a new partnership with LG Electronics. This collaboration aims to advance the development of contemporary art and other arts and cultural initiatives across Korea. Under this agreement, LG Electronics will exclusively provide exhibition sponsorship and technical support for the ‘MMCA X LG OLED’ Series over the next three years.
2024.08.20
Museum_News Seoul Museum of Photography Pre-opening Program, “Photo SeMA Spotlight 1: A Place for Photography”, to Be Held on September 3
The Seoul Museum of Art will host an international seminar, “Photo SeMA Spotlight 1: A Place for Photography”, in advance of the opening of the Photography Seoul Museum of Art (Photo SeMA; 70, Madeul-ro 13-gil, Dobong-gu, Seoul, in the first half of 2025). The seminar, which will take place on September 3 at the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, will commemorate the establishment of Photo SeMA, Korea’s first public photography museum, and also serve as a place to share the visions of international photography institutions in Europe and Asia, along with their programs for contemporary photographers.
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.
Nonprofit_News ‘FUTURA SEOUL,’ a New Large-scale Exhibition Space, Opens on September 5
On September 5, ‘FUTURA SEOUL,’ a new large-scale exhibition space (around 1,157m2), will open in Bukchon, Seoul. FUTURA SEOUL will present a new artistic experience based on the rich history of Bukchon, which was once the living space of the noble families in the Joseon dynasty.
Biennale_News 2024 Daejeon Art and Science Biennale Spin Off “Magnum Opus” on View Through February 2, 2025
Marking its fourth edition, the Daejeon Art and Science Biennale opened on October 25 under the title “Magnum Opus” As the only biennale in Korea dedicated to the theme of science and art, it will run until February 2 of next year at the Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon Creative Center, from the corner (Jeong-dong, Dong-gu), and GONGGAN55 (Seonhwa-dong, Jung-gu).
Biennale_News The 7th Changwon Sculpture Biennale’s Various Programs Are Unveiled
Starting on September 28, the symposium program “Seed and Peel” will be held at the Small Theater of Seongsan Art Hall. The symposium is scheduled for September 28 from 10 am to 4 pm and on September 29 from 1 pm to 4 pm, with simultaneous English translation available.
2024.09.24
Biennale_News The 7th Changwon Sculpture Biennale’s Pre-Exhibition Programs Successfully Concludes
Since last July, the pre-exhibition programs for the Changwon Sculpture Biennale have been underway. The first citizen-participation program, “AVP X Muhayu” (July 15-18), took place at Audio Visual Pavilion (AVP) in Seoul and Muhayu in Changwon, featuring Jeuno JE Kim & Ewa Einhorn, who are based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden, and Sooncheon No, an artist based in Changwon.
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).
Gallery_News Gagosian to Mount First Exhibition in Korea at Amorepacific
A global contemporary gallery, Gagosian, will mount its first exhibition in South Korea, timed to this year’s edition of Frieze Seoul at Amorepacific headquarters.
2024.07.08
Gallery_News German Gallery ‘Meyer Riegger’ to Open New Space in Seoul This September
German gallery Meyer Riegger, whose international artists include Miriam Cahn, Horst Antes, Sheila Hicks, Caroline Bachmann, John Miller, and many more, will open its doors in Korea this September following the acquisition of Galerie Efremidis.
2024.06.24
Gallery_News Busan’s Representative Gallery ‘Johyun Gallery’ Opens Its Seoul Branch
Busan-based gallery ‘Johyun Gallery’ opened a new location in Seoul’s Shilla Hotel on May 23. The new location marks the gallery’s return to Seoul nine years after closing its Seoul exhibition space in 2015, which was located in the Nature Poem building in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul.
2024.05.27
Gallery_News ARTnews Interview: Tina Kim Discusses the Korean Art Market
As the Korean art market garners increasing attention within the global art world, ARTnews, a leading international art media outlet, conducted an interview with Tina Kim, owner of the Tina Kim Gallery in New York and a member of the Frieze Committee. Tina Kim, the daughter of Hyun-Sook Lee, founder of the Kukje Gallery, shared insights into the growing interest in Seoul, which is starting to gain recognition on the international art scene, as well as 20th-century Korean artists.
2023.09.04
Gallery_News Perrotin Will Open Its Second Space in the Gangnam District
The increasing number of international galleries in Seoul is one of the best indicators of South Korea’s potential in the art market. This recent art market boom has attracted numerous international galleries to the country’s capital city, including New York-based Gladstone Gallery, Berlin-based König Galerie, Austria-based Thaddaeus Ropac, Los Angeles-based Various Small Fires, Beijing-based Tang Contemporary, and Berlin-based Peres Projects.
Auction_News South Korea’s Galleries Association Held Its Own Auction to Warn Auction Houses
The Galleries Association of Korea issued a statement on January 3 and held its first auction on January 26 as a protest against Seoul Auction and K Auction, South Korea’s two largest art auction houses. The association alleged that the two auction houses violated their gentlemen’s agreement and that they were only following the “market’s logic.”
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.
Art+_News Most Influential Koreans in the Art World This Year: ArtReview ‘2024 Power 100’
On the 5th, the renowned British art magazine ArtReview unveiled its ‘2024 Power 100’ list. Since 2002, the annual ‘Power 100’ has involved experts from around the globe in an in-depth and comprehensive evaluation to select 100 individuals who have made significant contributions to the global art and cultural scene through their activities and influence.
