Galleries prepare for another milestone year, shedding light on renowned Korean artists and international artists being shown in Korea for the first time
Galleries in Seoul have unveiled a roster of exhibitions for 2025 that will have collectors and art enthusiasts alike looking forward to the openings.
Arario Gallery will focus on presenting Asia-based artists of different generations who are expanding their career globally. The new year began with the solo exhibition of Kim Byung-ho who, using metal as his main medium, creates what he calls an artificially cultivated garden.
In April, Gallery Hyundai will celebrate its 55th anniversary with an exhibition featuring both leading and emerging Korean contemporary artists who have worked with the gallery since its opening. Initially established in Insa-dong in the 1970s as Hyundai Hwarang, the gallery is now located in Samcheong-dong.
Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul in Hannam-dong will present a solo exhibition of works by Lee Kang-so in June. The gallery announced it would be representing the Korean artist last year. Since the 1970s, Lee has developed experimental practices across a variety of mediums, including photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture and installation.
White Cube in Seoul will open its first exhibition of the year, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones's exhibition "Immersions," on Friday. The painter was featured at the 60th Venice Biennale's Nigerian Pavilion last year.
Swiss gallery Galerie Eva Presenhuber will present Iowa-based artist John Dilg's first solo exhibition in Seoul at its showroom in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul in February, marking its second collaboration with P21.
Seoul galleries will be pulling out all the stops come early fall, with their very best shows scheduled to coincide with Frieze Seoul, which runs Sept. 3 to 6. In previous years, galleries have joined the festivities of the global art fair with late-night openings, particularly in Seoul's three main art clusters of Samcheong-dong, Hannam-dong and Cheongdam-dong.
Kukje Gallery in Seoul will showcase solo exhibitions of two artists -- Louise Bourgeois and Gala Porras-Kim -- in September and October. The Porras-Kim exhibition will mark the gallery’s first presentation of the artist.
Meanwhile, Gallery Hyundai will present works of Kim Min-jung, who works with the Korean traditional paper called hanji, at an exhibition that runs through mid-October.
An exhibition at PKM Gallery will feature works by Hong Young-in, who creates through the mediums of “sewing,” cheap labor often done by women workers in Asia, and “embroidery,” which has not been considered fine art, according to the gallery.
UK artist Pam Evelyn will be introduced to the Korean art scene by Pace Gallery. Pam's paintings feature densely layered brushstrokes and rich textures achieved through the artist’s intuitive approach. The exhibition will run Sept. 1 to Oct. 25.
