In 2026, Korea’s art fairs form a relatively layered structure in which large-scale international events centered in Seoul coexist with regionally grounded fairs in cities such as Busan and Daegu. Unlike museum exhibitions curated by a single organizer, art fairs operate through the participation of multiple galleries, each presenting its own artists and works. As a result, a wide range of styles, price points, and artistic approaches can be encountered within a single fair.
 
This article focuses on the major Korean art fairs taking place in 2026, explaining the intent and character of each event and suggesting how visitors may best approach them. It aims to provide a clear and accessible guide, allowing readers without specialized art knowledge to understand and enjoy art fairs through an overview of each fair’s defining features and viewing points.


BAMA (Busan Annual Market of Art)

BAMA is an annual art fair held in Busan, explicitly foregrounding the concept of a “Market of Art,” as reflected in its name. From its inception, BAMA has prioritized actual transactions and accessibility over exhibition spectacle, continuously exploring whether art can function as both an everyday cultural experience and a realistic form of consumption.
 
Busan has long sustained a relatively stable base of regional collectors and a lifestyle-oriented culture of art collecting. Growing out of this environment, BAMA has avoided excessive expansion or elaborate staging typical of large international fairs, instead maintaining a structure that supports realistic pricing and actual purchases.
 
Rather than focusing on large-scale transactions of high-priced works, BAMA tends to see repeated patterns of first-time purchases and collecting oriented toward lived spaces. In past editions, steady sales have been recorded primarily in the low- to mid-price range, with paintings and sculptures priced from several million won up to around 20 million won. This has resulted in a relatively high proportion of first-time buyers and has contributed to a market structure that remains resilient even during periods of economic adjustment.
 
In recent years, the number of international visitors traveling to Busan with an interest in Korean art has also gradually increased. As BAMA functions less as a global art spectacle and more as an event embedded in the everyday life of the city, it offers an accessible entry point for overseas visitors encountering Korean art for the first time. In 2026, BAMA is expected to continue demonstrating how actual purchasing behavior unfolds within a moderated market environment.
 
Dates: April 2–5, 2026
Venue: BEXCO, 55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan



ART OnO

ART OnO is a relatively small-scale art fair held in Seoul, operating in a manner distinct from large, market-driven fairs. The event limits both the number of participating galleries and booth sizes, placing emphasis on exhibition quality and concentrated viewing experiences.
 
Past editions of ART OnO have shown high visitor satisfaction relative to its scale. With simple circulation and generous spatial layouts, visitors are able to engage with works at a slower pace, more akin to viewing an exhibition. The fair frequently introduces emerging artists and experimental practices, allowing audiences to encounter diverse currents in contemporary art without the pressure often associated with larger fairs.
 
Rather than emphasizing transaction volume, ART OnO is notable for revealing the early stages of market response. Historically, it has functioned as a site where interest in specific artists can be observed before they move on to fairs such as Galleries Art Fair, Kiaf Seoul, or international platforms. Prices are generally set at accessible levels, and collectors tend to focus more on long-term artistic development than short-term returns.
 
Through this role, ART OnO has established itself as a point where new artists and emerging demand first converge within the Korean art market. It serves less as a showcase of market scale and more as a barometer for future directions. For visitors who find the density and noise of large art fairs overwhelming, ART OnO offers an environment well suited to focused viewing and deeper engagement with artists. In 2026, further clarification of its project-based and artist-centered exhibition structure is anticipated.
 
Dates: April 3–5, 2026 (VIP Preview: April 2)
Venue: SETEC, 3104 Nambu Sunhwan-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul



Galleries Art Fair

Galleries Art Fair is the oldest art fair in Korea and has consistently maintained a gallery-centered operational model. Rather than prioritizing short-term attention around individual artists, the fair emphasizes sustained relationships between galleries and artists, as well as the long-term coherence of gallery programs.
 
Historically and in recent years alike, Galleries Art Fair has seen repeated transactions ranging from tens of millions of won to the lower entry point of the hundred-million-won range. This pattern has functioned as a key indicator of the continued viability of Korea’s mid-career artist segment. Emerging artists are also introduced not as isolated highlights but through gradual integration into gallery programs, a process that often becomes visible at this fair at an early stage.
 
A broad spectrum of artists—from emerging to established—are presented together, spanning painting, sculpture, and installation. With price ranges distributed across a wide spectrum, the fair remains accessible to newcomers while still engaging experienced collectors.
 
For these reasons, Galleries Art Fair has long served as a reference point for understanding the overall structure and dynamics of the Korean art market. In 2026, its emphasis on stability and trust is expected to continue.
 
Dates: April 8–12, 2026
Venue: COEX, 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul



Diaf (Daegu International Art Fair)

Diaf operates on the foundation of the local art market and collector culture in Daegu. The city has sustained a long-standing tradition of art patronage and collecting, characterized by a relatively high rate of repeat purchases rather than one-off acquisitions. This regional base has enabled the fair to maintain steady attendance and purchasing patterns over time.
 
In previous editions, Diaf has consistently favored stable presentations centered on painting and sculpture. Rather than relying heavily on trends or headline-driven works, the fair emphasizes the coherence of artistic practice and the completion of individual works. A high proportion of returning collectors allows for more extended dialogue between galleries and visitors, contributing to a calm and focused viewing environment.
 
Recently, the fair has also attracted a growing number of international visitors interested in combining Korean art with regional cultural experiences. As such, Diaf functions not only as an exhibition venue but also as a point of entry into the everyday cultural fabric of the city. In 2026, it is expected to continue demonstrating the sustainability and resilience of regionally grounded art markets.
 
Dates: To Be Announced
Venue: Daegu EXCO, 10 EXCO-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu



Art Busan

Art Busan is Busan’s leading international art fair and represents the most active site of international transactions outside Seoul. Initially launched as a regional event, it has steadily expanded its international profile through increased participation by overseas galleries and the development of its programs.
 
Art Busan has been widely regarded as the fastest-growing international fair outside the capital. Maintaining a structure that presents both mid-career and emerging artists, it has demonstrated relatively stable transaction flows in the upper mid-price range, with works priced in the tens of millions of won and above. This price segment has functioned as a meeting point between domestic collectors seeking international artists and overseas galleries testing the Korean market.
 
In recent years, the fair has also contributed to a noticeable rise in international visitors traveling to Busan, with last year’s edition showing continued substantive transactions amid balanced participation by domestic and international galleries. Art Busan thus plays a key role as a regionally distributed international market platform that complements Seoul-centered structures.
 
In 2026, it is expected to further articulate its identity as a city-oriented art fair integrating viewing and travel experiences.
 
Dates: May 22–24, 2026 (VIP Preview: May 21)
Venue: Busan BEXCO, 55 APEC-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan



Frieze Seoul

Frieze Seoul is the most significant international art fair directly connecting the Korean art market to the global art world. Organized by the globally recognized Frieze brand, the fair brings together leading galleries and artists from around the world and attracts substantial numbers of international collectors and art professionals.
 
Since its inaugural edition in 2022, Frieze Seoul has rapidly established itself as the centerpiece of Seoul Art Week. With the participation of top-tier global galleries, the fair concentrates high-value works, institutional acquisitions, and transnational gallery networks, functioning as a site where the upper price range and international benchmarks of the Korean art market become visible.
 
The extension of Frieze Seoul’s hosting in Seoul for an additional five years as of 2025 has confirmed its position as a structurally stable international market hub rather than a temporary phenomenon. Its achievements have been measured less by short-term sales figures than by the accumulation of long-term relationships among institutions, collectors, galleries, and curators, as well as by the enhancement of Seoul’s global art-market visibility.
 
In 2026, Frieze Seoul is expected to operate in a more structured form, continuing to serve as the central platform for experiencing contemporary international art networks.
 
Dates: September 2–5, 2026
Venue: COEX, 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul



Kiaf Seoul (Korea International Art Fair)

Kiaf Seoul was launched with the aim of becoming Korea’s representative international art fair and remains the platform where transactions involving domestic galleries and Korean artists are most concentrated. While average price levels are lower than those seen at Frieze Seoul, the frequency of transactions and the number of participating collectors have shown consistent stability.
 
Historically, Kiaf Seoul has facilitated sustained sales centered on Korean artists, serving as evidence of the continued strength of the domestic art market. A relatively high proportion of visitors attend with the intention to purchase, making Kiaf one of the fairs with the highest transaction density. Since beginning to coincide with Frieze Seoul, the fair has also seen a gradual increase in international visitors.
 
Within this structure, Kiaf Seoul has come to represent the axis of continuity and practical operation within the Korean art market. In 2026, alongside its concurrent scheduling with Frieze, Kiaf is expected to function as the platform that most clearly reveals the depth and everyday mechanics of Korea’s art market.
 
Dates: September 2–6, 2026
Venue: COEX, 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

 
 
Conclusion

In 2026, Korea’s art fairs collectively operate not as a single annual schedule but as a map of how the Korean art market is structured and differentiated. Each fair fulfills a distinct function in terms of pricing, transaction patterns, collector demographics, and modes of international connection, and together they articulate the current state of the market.
 
As the global art world continues to shift away from a single-center model toward a network of multiple hubs, Korean art fairs demonstrate a parallel response. The coexistence of international platforms in Seoul and regionally grounded experiences in cities such as Busan and Daegu reflects a market capable of accommodating diverse scales and audiences.
 
To view the Korean art market through its art fairs is not simply to survey a list of events, but to observe how art is introduced, experienced, and accumulated over time. In this sense, the art fairs of 2026 form a practical guide to understanding where Korean art stands today—and how it may continue to expand within the global art landscape.