Frieze to bring underrepresented LGBTQ+ art to the fore in Seoul
Seoul's art scene is set to receive its annual injection of fresh energy this fall with a series of art events during Frieze Week. This year, topics exploring queer identity — largely consigned to the margins here — will be highlighted in some of the art fair's main events.
Frieze Seoul, which runs Sept. 3 to 6 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, returns for its fourth edition with more than 120 galleries from nearly 30 countries and a full program of live art, performances, films, talks and special artist projects. The global art fair collaborates with Kiaf Seoul, an art fair organized by the Galleries Association of Korea.
'This year's program at Frieze Seoul speaks to the extraordinary depth and breadth of Korea's contemporary art landscape, while also welcoming global perspectives that challenge and expand our ways of seeing,' said Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee in a statement on Wednesday.
Frieze Live, the fair's platform for live art and performance, will focus in particular on female and genderqueer practitioners this year. Related events featuring 11 artists and collectives will be held at Coex and other venues in Seoul and in partnership with Art Sonje Center.
One such Frieze Live event is the exhibition, 'off-site 2: Eleven Episodes,' from Aug. 26 to Oct. 26 at Art Sonje Center. Additional performances will be taking place at Kukje Gallery, and (Together)(Together) in Jongno-gu, Seoul as well as Dosan Park in Seoul's Sinsa-dong.
Through performance, installation and moving image, the 11 participating artists — Yagwang, Chang Yeong-hae, Hah Ji-min, Kwak So-jin, Ru Kim and others — will explore themes of identity, embodiment and belonging, offering reflections on the social conditions and lived experiences shaping contemporary Korean art, according to Frieze.
Frieze Film and Seoul Museum of Art will collaborate on the 13th edition of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale, curating a series of screenings and talks on the museum's rooftop. Open to the public from Sept. 2 to 4, the program aims to show a diverse group of international artists whose time-based works navigate occult, mystical and spiritual traditions.
Talks with artists, curators and experts will be held at Coex from Sept.4 to 6, organized by Frieze, Kiaf and Korea Arts Management Service. Discussion topics covered will include the intersection of queer Asian identity and digital memory; the evolving role of foundations in supporting the arts; and the challenges faced by emerging galleries in a rapidly shifting landscape.
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Korea Herald
23-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Frieze to bring underrepresented LGBTQ+ art to the fore in Seoul
Global art fair to collaborate with Seoul museums for Frieze Live, Frieze Film Seoul's art scene is set to receive its annual injection of fresh energy this fall with a series of art events during Frieze Week. This year, topics exploring queer identity — largely consigned to the margins here — will be highlighted in some of the art fair's main events. Frieze Seoul, which runs Sept. 3 to 6 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, returns for its fourth edition with more than 120 galleries from nearly 30 countries and a full program of live art, performances, films, talks and special artist projects. The global art fair collaborates with Kiaf Seoul, an art fair organized by the Galleries Association of Korea. 'This year's program at Frieze Seoul speaks to the extraordinary depth and breadth of Korea's contemporary art landscape, while also welcoming global perspectives that challenge and expand our ways of seeing,' said Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee in a statement on Wednesday. Frieze Live, the fair's platform for live art and performance, will focus in particular on female and genderqueer practitioners this year. Related events featuring 11 artists and collectives will be held at Coex and other venues in Seoul and in partnership with Art Sonje Center. One such Frieze Live event is the exhibition, 'off-site 2: Eleven Episodes,' from Aug. 26 to Oct. 26 at Art Sonje Center. Additional performances will be taking place at Kukje Gallery, and (Together)(Together) in Jongno-gu, Seoul as well as Dosan Park in Seoul's Sinsa-dong. Through performance, installation and moving image, the 11 participating artists — Yagwang, Chang Yeong-hae, Hah Ji-min, Kwak So-jin, Ru Kim and others — will explore themes of identity, embodiment and belonging, offering reflections on the social conditions and lived experiences shaping contemporary Korean art, according to Frieze. Frieze Film and Seoul Museum of Art will collaborate on the 13th edition of the Seoul Mediacity Biennale, curating a series of screenings and talks on the museum's rooftop. Open to the public from Sept. 2 to 4, the program aims to show a diverse group of international artists whose time-based works navigate occult, mystical and spiritual traditions. Talks with artists, curators and experts will be held at Coex from Sept.4 to 6, organized by Frieze, Kiaf and Korea Arts Management Service. Discussion topics covered will include the intersection of queer Asian identity and digital memory; the evolving role of foundations in supporting the arts; and the challenges faced by emerging galleries in a rapidly shifting landscape.
Korea Herald
10-07-2025
- Korea Herald
With Chanel funding, Korean artists to create video series for Frieze Seoul
Luxury fashion house, Frieze Seoul collaborate to create 'Now & Next,' exploring practices of different generations of Korean artists Chanel and Frieze announced on Thursday the artists for the fourth edition of 'Now & Next,' a video series dedicated to spotlighting established and emerging Korean artists, ahead of Frieze Seoul in September. The six selected artists of different generations and backgrounds — Kim Yun-chul, Kim So-jung, Kim Bo-hie, Chung Yu-mi, Lee Jin-ju and Lim No-sik — will be paired into groups of two for the 'now' and 'next' of each episode, sharing their artistic practices, inspirations and culture in Korea through conversation. Kim Yun-chul merges technology with art to produce installations, audio works and multimedia creations. Jun So-jung uses video and writing to explore contemporary aesthetics and political themes. Kim Bo-hie creates paintings based on Korean traditional painting techniques, depicting scenes from nature. Chung Yu-mi pursues traditional methodologies to paint abstract landscapes, reflecting on memory and imagination. Lee Jin-ju creates uncanny scenes from the unconscious and re-creates memories of daily life through a unique painting style inspired by East Asian cultures. Lim No-sik explores the act of witnessing the invisible through the process of painting. The initiative aims to spotlight Korean artists who are pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, inspired by the spirit of Gabrielle Chanel, founder of Chanel, who said 'I want to be part of what happens next,' according to the fashion company. The three episodes of 'Now & Next' will be shown on the Frieze website close to the Frieze Seoul opening. The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul will run Sept. 3 to 6 at Coex in Gangnam, southern Seoul, with 120 galleries from around the world participating.
Korea Herald
01-07-2025
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Cultural exchange between Korea, France to be strengthened in second half of the year
The Embassy of France in Seoul is set to embark on a second round of cultural events for the year, strengthening cultural ties between Korea and France across artistic fields ahead of next year's 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties. 'France has had a strong presence in contemporary creation, which continues to extend into areas that people might not typically expect, such as digital art and webtoons and other emerging fields," Pierre Morcos, cultural counselor of France in Korea, said Tuesday at the Embassy of France in Seoul. "Through artistic collaboration with Korea, we hope to explore and foster a sustainable and mutually enriching relationship,' he said. A number of French classical musicians, including violinist Olivier Charlier and pianist Emmanuel Strosser, will perform at "Music in PyeongChang,' a classical music festival held July 23- Aug. 2. Renowned French fiction writer Bernard Werber, who rose to prominence globally with his book 'Empire of the Ants,' will meet Korean audiences on Sept.1 at the French ambassador's residence in Seoul to introduce the author's new novel, 'The Age of Chimera,' set to be released locally on Aug. 20. The South Korea-France partnership is expected to be prominent in visual arts. French gallery Bernard Bouche will join the fourth edition of Frieze Seoul, scheduled from Sept. 3 to 6 at Coex in Seoul. Coinciding with the art fair, a survey exhibition of French American artist Louise Bourgeois will open at Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, from Aug. 21 to Jan. 4, 2026. Works by Paul Cezanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, on loan from the Orangerie Museum of Paris and the Orsay Museum, will be featured at an exhibition at Seoul Arts Center from Sept. 19 to Jan. 25. Attending Tuesday's press conference were French artists Floryan Varennes and Mona Oren. Varennes is participating in an embassy-supported residency program from June to August at Villa Busan; Oren will participate in the Cheongju Craft Biennale, which kicks off Sept. 4. The second cohort of the Korea-France Film Academy, established by the Korean Film Council and Centre National Cinematographie in France, will take part in the Busan International Film Festival in September. To celebrate next year's 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Culture Minister Yu In-chon and French Culture Minister Rachida Dati signed a letter of intention on cultural cooperation in May in Paris, covering a record 492 official events — 389 in the cultural field alone — to strengthen the bilateral partnership.
