Frieze, Kiaf Seoul 2025: quieter opening, stronger Asian presence

Now in its fourth year, Frieze and Kiaf Seoul opened to VIPs and media Wednesday at Coex, southern Seoul, to a quieter scene, seemingly past the excitement and buzz the global art fair received when it first arrived in the city.

Frieze Seoul, which has collaborated with Seoul-based art fair Kiaf Seoul since its inaugural edition in 2022, has been the talk of the town every September, attracting local and international art lovers, collectors, curators and experts to the some 300 galleries taking part.

“The portion of Korean collectors is slightly higher, but we continue to see important international collectors as well. A foreign collector visited the booth earlier and showed interest in Paik Nam-june’s work, ‘Internet Dweller: mpbdcg.ten.sspv,’ which is an important piece of the artist, and the moon jar from 18th century,” said Woo Chan-kyu, president of Hakgojae Gallery at Frieze Seoul’s Masters section, dedicated to masterpieces of the ancient world to the 20th century.

With the greater number of Asian galleries — including those from Korea — present compared to those from the West, questions have arisen over the direction of Frieze Seoul, raising speculation that the fair is losing its international edge.

The fair, however, seems to be finding its footing as a global art event in Asia with newly participating Asian galleries that are drawing responses from local and global collectors alike, some gallerists said.

Among the Asian galleries participating for the first time is Tokyo-based A Lighthouse called Kanata. The gallery, which focuses on abstract paintings and sculptures by Japanese and international contemporary artists, has brought postwar Japanese artists to the Frieze’s Masters section.

“It is very important for us to be seen,” said Waihei Aoyama, the gallery founder. “I suspect a lot of people who have not seen us before in Korea will see us for the first time. We are already having quite good sales. We are very positive (about Frieze Seoul)."

“Can i see you,” a stainless sculpture by conceptual metalwork artist Satoru Ozaki, whom the gallery considers one of the forgotten and lost treasures of Japan, was acquired in the morning by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Gagosian placed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at the fore of its booth. It is also running a pop-up exhibition “Seoul, Kawaii Summer Vacation” at the headquarters of the Amorepacific Museum of Art in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The gallery, which represents Paik Nam-june’s estate and holds worldwide representation of the artist, has brought “Ambassador TV,” which Paik created in 2005.

“We try to bring his work to as many fairs as possible. He is the founder of video art and one of the five or six most important foundational artists of the 20th century,” said Gagosian senior director Nick Simunovic.

“You can't walk into a museum anywhere in the world today without seeing video art and installation-based art. He was at the beginning of all of these different important movements. I would not say that he is a market artist, but a crucially important artist. Museums have long recognized his significance, and sophisticated collectors who understand that have been paying attention to Nam-june for a long time,” he said.

Kiaf Seoul has been more selective this year, reducing the number of participating galleries to 175 from 205 last year, to ensure a higher standard for collectors and audiences, according to the fair organizer, Galleries Association of Korea.

Sundaram Tagore Gallery, based in New York, Singapore and London, has joined Kiaf Seoul, saying the gallery has a “historical relationship” with the art fair. The gallery's booth is the first one seen upon entering Kiaf Seoul.

Last year, the gallery sold two works by Japanese artist Hiroshi Senju at the fair to private museums in Korea.

“I feel that by being here, we get the benefit of both Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul as people will come through our gallery and they will get to see it,” said Sundaram Tagore, founder of the gallery.

I know the market is not strong at the moment, but the art market always ebbs and flows. What matters is that we have a solid client base — collectors coming from New York and elsewhere for the art fairs — and we hope to meet them here and do well.”

Several well-known figures were spotted at the two fairs Wednesday, including first lady Kim Hea Kyung, who gave a short speech during the opening ceremony and stayed for about an hour, RM of BTS, Vernon of Seventeen and Malia Obama, daughter of former US President Barack Obama, among others.

Frieze Seoul runs through Saturday and Kiaf Seoul comes to a close Sunday.