KIAF, the biggest art fair in Korea, is held from September 20 to 24 at COEX, Seoul
By Kim Ami

“This year, the guest of honor system will be brought to an end after eleven years of running. The Korea International Art Fair has thus far sought to grow quantitatively as it invited guests of honor every year, aiming to grow itself. Moving into the future, the fair will focus on developing qualitatively as a prominent international art fair,” Heecheol Jeong, team leader at the Galleries Association of Korea (GAK), addressed the press at a conference held at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, on September 7. The gathering of journalists was organized by the GAK to promote the sixteenth Korea International Art Fair (KIAF), which is scheduled to be held on September 21.

From September 21 to 24, the KIAF, the biggest art fair in Korea, will be held by the GAK at COEX Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul. The VIP opening will begin on September 20, in advance of the official opening.

“Despite its priority on the sale of artworks, the KIAF has strived to offer a variety of cultural programs, such as lectures, talks and conversations, and special exhibitions, as it is one of the most prominent international art festivals held annually in Korea,” said GAK President Hwaik Lee at the press conference. “For the remainder of my two-year term, I will do my utmost to support the event,” he said.

This year’s KIAF will feature 167 galleries from thirteen countries, including major galleries in Korea such as Gana Art Center, Gallery Hyundai, Kukje Gallery, Dong San Bang Gallery, Leeahn Gallery, Arario Gallery, Woong Gallery, Leehwaik Gallery, PKM Gallery, Hakgojae Gallery, and 313 Art Project; French galleries Perrotin, which has a location in Seoul, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, and Galerie RX; 10 Chancery Lane Gallery from Hong Kong; Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery from Japan; Flowers Gallery from Britain; and STPI Gallery from Singapore.

Since last year, the art fair has focused on improving the quality of the presented art and reducing the number of participating galleries. “We asked the participating galleries provide their pieces, along with the design plans for their sales venue, before the fair starts,” said Jeong. “This year’s featured galleries are the crème de la crème.”

This year, the GAK has invited as many as 80 art specialists and collectors from around the world. Prominent figures in the global art world will visit Korea to participate in the event, including Abdella Karroum, Director of Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar; Maurice Verbaet, the founder of Maurice Verbaet Art Center; Daisuke Miyatsu, Professor at the Yokohama College of Art and Design; Lito and Kim Camacho, the vice president of Credit Suisse and his wife; Dai Zhikang, the president of Zendai Group; and Sylvain Levy, the founder of DSL Collection in France.

“The number of collectors in Korea limits selling only to the Korean market, along with negative conditions at home, so the fair began inviting international VIP collectors last year with the hope that they will use their buying power at the fair,” explained Lee.

For this year’s event, the KIAF presents a section titled Highlight, exhibiting selected artists’ new works and prominent pieces from art history, and another section titled Solo Project, a series of solo exhibitions showcasing up-and-coming artists with potential and established artists in Korea. Through such exhibitions, the fair focuses on promoting Korean artists in the global art world.

Several special exhibitions will also be displayed. Ineffable Things, a special exhibition on media art curated by Kim Noam, the director of Art Space Hue, will be presented both in and outside of the venue, while Explores of Experiment and Challenge, an archive exhibition curated by art critic Yoon Jinsup, will illuminate the 50-year-history of Korean performance art.

A variety of conversation programs will accompany the exhibitions. On September 21, “The Possibility of Performance,” chaired by Yoon, and “Shanghai, Fast-growing Heart of the Contemporary Arts” by Kim Hong-hee, former director of Seoul Museum of Art, will be held. The following day, three additional sessions will be offered: “Gyeongseong Dadaist in 1920s” chaired by Kim Noam, director of Artspace Hue; “Post-war Abstract Art in Asia,” chaired by Chung Yeon-sim, professor of art history at Hongik University; and “Private to Public Collection” by Kim Sun Jung, president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation.

The KIAF has a budget of KRW 3 billion, including KRW 300 million being spent on inviting VIP buyers and collectors. Out of its total budget, KRW 100 million will be sponsored by the Korean Arts Management Service and KRW 200 million funded by the GAK. The total sales at KIAF are estimated to be KRW 23–24 billion. (Seoul=news1/theArtro)

 

 

Kim Ami / News1