BUSAN (Yonhap) -- The annual Busan International Art Fair (BIAF) will open in the South Korean port city early next month and will feature 3,000 artworks by more than 200 local and foreign artists, the event's organizer said Tuesday.
Launched in 2007, the BIAF is an open market where artists and collectors can make direct deals on the spot.
"The 16th BIAF will kick off for a five-day run at the BEXCO center on Dec. 7," the K-Art International Exchange Association said.
The fair will house 37 booths for member artists of the Asian Art Academy, 81 booths for non-member artists, 20 booths for new artists, and special booths for Japanese and Indian artists, K-Art said.
Work by artist Kim Young-woon, invited to the Busan International Art Fair. (BIAF)
Visitors can find works by special invitation artists Kim Jung-ok and Kim Young-sung.
Buddhist monk Geumgang will also show his works at a special exhibition.
Indian artists include Alphonso Arul Doss, R.M. Palaniappan, C. Douglass and Smita Kinkale.
"The invited Indian artists are globally renowned masters whose works are gaining attention at Sotheby's auctions, albeit they are unfamiliar to domestic collectors," K-Art said.
In particular, such big Indian galleries as Gallery Beyond, Art Space, Artists' Center, Arka Art Trust and Gallery Mukadam will take art in the fair to discover promising Korean artists, K-Art said.
"This year, we've invited big foreign galleries to help our artists advance abroad," K-Art Chairperson Heo Sook said.
Earlier, K-Art agreed with Bombay Art Society to hold the 1st Bombay Biennale at the Nehru Convention Center in October next year, in which works of 120 Korean and 120 Indian artists will be displayed.
