Weekly Stitch: Christie's and Sotheby's Exhibitions during Kiaf SEOUL and Frieze Seoul Art Fairs.. and more
Christie's and Sotheby's Exhibitions during Kiaf SEOUL and Frieze Seoul Art Fairs
During the Kiaf SEOUL and Frieze Seoul events in early September, which are jointly organized, the two major global auction houses, Christie’s and Sotheby’s, will showcase artworks by world-renowned artists such as Basquiat, Warhol, Banksy, and Haring.
Christie’s, in collaboration with Hyundai Card, will present Heads On: Basquiat & Warhol, featuring the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol at Storage by Hyundai Card in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on September 7. Among the exhibited works, Basquiat’s Warrior (1982) was sold for approximately 47.2 billion Korean won in 2021, making it the most expensive artwork ever traded in Asia. The exhibition will be open for only one day, and admission is available only through prior reservation via the Christie’s booking page and the Hyundai Card DIVE app.
Sotheby’s will showcase 34 works by Banksy and Keith Haring at the Incheon Paradise City Art Space from September 5 to November 5. Banksy, the graffiti artist based in the UK who maintains anonymity, gained the world’s attention when his work Girl with a Balloon was partially shredded by a pre-installed internal shredder during a Sotheby’s auction in London in 2018, immediately after being sold. The artwork’s title was changed to Love is in the Bin after the incident.
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The Seoul Museum of Art to Expand Its Main Building by 2026
The steep hill in front of the main entrance of the Seoul Museum of Art’s (SeMA) main Seosomun branch is scheduled to be removed by 2026. The museum has plans to level the area and create underground spaces within the building, including a dedicated exhibition space in the underground area of the main building. Commemorating its 35th anniversary this year since its inception in 1988, SeMA has expressed its intent to renovate the aging Seosomun main building, expanding both its exhibition and storage capacities. Starting in November and December of this year, a design competition will be launched, with construction scheduled to begin in March 2025. The overhaul of the main building is projected to be finished by May 2026.
SeMA has set its sights on operating a total of 10 branches throughout Seoul. In October 2024, a photography art museum will open its doors in Dobong-gu, followed by the opening of the Seo-Seoul Art Museum in Geumcheon-gu in November 2024, which will place emphasis on new media and interdisciplinary arts. The museum has stated that it intends to manage all these branch museums in an interconnected manner, ensuring a unified and seamless operation.
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International Galleries' Expansion into Seoul Continues
The global art fair Frieze has decided to jointly organize art fairs in South Korea until 2026. Despite the slowdown in the Korean art market, Frieze, being held in Korea, has led to ongoing efforts by international galleries to expand their presence in Seoul.
Thaddeus Ropac Seoul, which opened in the Hannam-dong Fort Hill building in 2021, has recently secured an additional floor to expand its exhibition space. Starting in September, the gallery will operate a space that can host two exhibitions simultaneously.
The London-based gallery White Cube is opening its second Asian exhibition space after Hong Kong. White Cube Seoul will open on the 1st floor of the Horim Art Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Japan’s large-scale gallery, Whitestone, is also opening a gallery space spanning from the basement 1st floor to the 4th floor, situated opposite the former Hilton Hotel in Namsan, also coinciding with the Kiaf SEOUL and Frieze Seoul events in September.
Amid uncertainties in the Hong Kong art market, in recent years, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan have emerged as new hubs for contemporary art. Particularly, Korea is gaining attention with its relatively large art market, tax benefits, and the country’s keen interest in contemporary art.
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