Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul held a joint press conference in Seoul ahead of the collaborating fairs in early September, with all eyes on whether the local and global art fairs will continue their partnership as they pass the halfway mark of their five-year contract.
“There is no such marriage that one continues on one hand while preparing for a divorce on the other,” said Hwang Dal-sung, president of the Galleries Association of Korea, on Thursday in Seoul. “I expect our partnership will continue.”
Hwang compared the partnership with Frieze Seoul to marriage, referencing Frieze CEO Simon Fox's description of the collaboration with Kiaf Seoul as a “long-term marriage” last year.
The Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul art fairs will kick off on Sept. 4 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, joined by more than 215 galleries across the world. It is reportedly known that the Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul agreed on five-year partnership when Frieze Seoul made a debut in the city in 2022, choosing Seoul as its Asian art destination.
It is rare for an art fair of such international acclaim to collaborate with a local art fair when landing in a new city.
Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, stressed how the collaboration had a positive impact both within and outside of Korea.
“I expect to see more initiatives in the future (with Kiaf Seoul). I think the relationship is mutually beneficial for sure. We are very enthusiastic as we see this relationship continuing. There is no plan to change that, at least from our side.
“The initial contract as you (the press) mentioned is five years, that is the initial contract. We are always in discussions of continuing that partnership,” Lee said.
Questions from the press focused on the continuation of their partnership, as some in the art sphere expect this third edition of the joint fairs to be a watershed moment. Many expect Frieze to gauge whether to remain in the Asian art market at a time when the art market is showing a recent decline.
The two fairs share a ticket, priced at 250,000 won ($186) for preview and 80,000 won for general admission, and will jointly host a talk program at Coex from Sept. 5 to 7, bringing together prominent art figures. Frieze Seoul runs until Sept. 7, with Kiaf Seoul continuing for an extra day to Sept. 8.
Hwang hinted that Kiaf Seoul will join Expo Chicago in April next year as a result of the partnership with Frieze Seoul. Frieze acquired Expo Chicago and The Armory Show last year, growing its presence in the US art scene. Details regarding Kiaf Seoul's participation in Expo Chicago will follow, he said.
Lee shrugged off worries about slow sales or Frieze Seoul's quality at a time when the art market has gone sluggish over the past years.
“Over the past years, the quality of collectors and the institutions have been incredibly strong. You are also going to be so impressed by the quality of the visitors who are coming to Seoul this year. I am very confident on this,” he said.
Frieze Seoul will be joined by some 110 galleries across the world, with an emphasis on the Asian region. Focus Asia will show ten solo artist presentations from galleries in the region, at or under 12 years of age. Frieze Masters section will return with galleries showing art throughout the ages, offering a unique perspective on thousands of years of art history, according to the fair.
Kiaf Seoul will attract 206 galleries from 22 countries for galleries section, solo section and plus section where newbie galleries, operating for less than 10 years, will be featured.
