The 42nd Galleries Art Fair: A Touchstone for Showcasing Korean Artistry and Market Trends
Galleries Association of Korea(GAoK) announces the return of 2024 Galleries Art Fair, which will take place at Coex Halls C and D from 3 to 7 April, starting with a VIP preview on 3 April. Galleries Art Fair is the oldest art fair in South Korea with a long history and tradition of 42 years. As a major art fair held at the beginning of every year, it serves as a barometer of the domestic art market.
A total of 156 of the country's top galleries will be featured, showcasing works by both established and emerging artists. It will be another opportunity for experienced collectors to discover new tastes and for newcomers to enter the art market. Moreover, Galleries Art Fair provided equal opportunities for all galleries by offering the same booth size, and recommends no more than six artists per booth, ensuring the quality of a carefully curated exhibition rather than a catalogue-like display.
In addition, there are several fresh changes this year: to reflect its expanded scale, an independent website(www.hwami.org) has been established to provide more detailed information about the Galleries Art Fair; an online ticketing system has been introduced to meet the needs of customers, in line with the trend towards younger audiences; and, to make art more accessible, the fair's catalogue will be available online for free for the first time, which will allow more people to access the rich content of Galleries Art Fair. Galleries Art Fair's BI has also changed for the first time since 2020. The new BI, centered on an octagon, symbolizes the pride of the fair and the unity of its member galleries, while the main colors of pink and neon green convey the vibrant energy of contemporary art scene. And unlike previous years, when the exhibition space was split across multiple floors, which caused difficulties in guiding visitors, this year's Galleries Art Fair will utilize Coex Halls C and D on the same third floor for more efficient circulation and operations.
Gallery Highlights
Leading the charge is Kukje Gallery, presenting a stellar lineup that includes the celebrated Korean artist GIM Hongsok, fresh from his recent solo exhibition in Seoul. Joining him are internationally acclaimed artists such as Jean-Michel OTHONIEL and Candida HÖFER, ensuring a diverse and captivating display of artistic talent. GALLERY HYUNDAI continues the excitement with a focus on pioneering figures of Korean art, featuring works by first-generation performance artist LEE Kunyong and avant-garde artist LEE Kangso.
In a testament to the fair's commitment to innovation, established galleries are showcasing a new generation of artists. KEUMSAN GALLERY returns with the imaginative creations of YUN Pilhyun, while Hakgojae Gallery introduces LEE Woosung, JANG Jaemin, JI Keunwook, and other trailblazers shaping Korean contemporary art. ONE AND J. Gallery and BHAK will feature exclusive pieces by artists such as KIM Suyoung, Soonjae and KIM Min, promising a captivating display of artistic prowess.
Solo booths provide an intimate glimpse into the artistic process, with galleries such as PKM Gallery showcasing SHIN Minjoo's exploration of painting's essence through bold brushstrokes. The Page Gallery presents sculptor PARK Sukwon's minimalist abstract sculptures, inviting viewers to contemplate the inherent beauty of materials.
Japanese contemporary art takes center stage as well, with Gana Art featuring a solo exhibition by HIROSHI Sugito, hailed as one of Japan's foremost painters. Johyun Gallery presents works by KISHIO Suga, a luminary of Japan's Mono-ha movement, while GalleryMEME spotlights KAITO Itsuki, recognized as one of Japan's rising stars.
Exploring emerging trends, newer galleries since the 2010s offer fresh perspectives. LEE EUGEAN GALLERY presents JEON Byungkoo's snapshots of everyday life and KIM Hyena's abstract landscapes. GALLERY BATON unveils RHO Eunjoo's captivating pieces, and LEE & BAE features YOU Myunggyun's evocative reflections on natural landscapes. G Gallery spotlights WOO Hannah, known for her large-scale installations, while Space Willing N Dealing introduces rising talents like KIM Hyewon and SON Jihyeong.
Program Highlights
Highlights of the 2024 Galleries Art Fair include ZOOM-IN Edition 5, a special exhibition featuring emerging artists, ART&ARTIST TALK, a talk program with experts in various fields of the art market, and a special online preview of selected works before the event.
- ZOOM-IN Edition 5
Now in its fifth year, ZOOM-IN, Galleries Art Fair's special exhibition for emerging artists, is an artist discovery program for young artists under the age of 39 working in various genres including painting, sculpture, and installation, etc. Ten artists were selected in advance through an open call, and the final three winners of the 2024 ZOOM-IN Awards will be selected through a combination of visitor votes and expert judging on-site at the fair. The award winners will receive cash prizes and special promotional benefits. Galleries Art Fair aims to contribute to the development of the art world by exploring new trends in the art world and providing strong support to emerging artists.
This year, the competition attracted more interest than ever before, and 10 artists were selected from a pool of approximately 570 applicants. The artists selected were KWAK A Ram, KIM Bokyung, KIM Hanna, SONG Jihyun, SIM Yeji, LEE Sungjae, LEE Hojoon, JANG Su ik, CHOI Myeongwon, and CHOI Hyeyeon, and the diversity of genres and the strength of Korean painting were highlighted. The selection process was further enhanced by the participation of three external jurors (Jinkook Ahn/Art Critic, Jang-Uk Lee/Chief Curator of Space K Seoul, and Jeyun Moon/Project Director of Art Sonje Center), who contributed to the selection of outstanding and promising artists.
- ART&ARTIST TALK
Galleries Art Fair received rave reviews last year for its diverse program of talks, including the ARTIST TALK with ZOOM-IN artists and critics, and ART TALK, which provided valuable expertise for art lovers and collectors new to the art market. 2024 Galleries Art Fair promises an even more diverse talk program. Taking place from Thursday, 4 April to Saturday, 6 April at the Talk Lounge, Hall D, the event will focus on the balanced growth of the art market and the cultivation of a proper collecting culture, encompassing artists, galleries, and critics.
ART TALKs will include a collecting guide by Yunah Jung, Vice President of Christie's Hong Kong, who will examine trends in the domestic and international art market, while Rhie Yuk-kyoung Attorney of Danziger, Danziger & Muro, LLP will discuss legal issues related to art, including the Art Tax Act, Promotion Act and Cultural Property Protection Act. Young-Ae Kim, CEO of Ian Art Consulting, will introduce collaboration cases and brand collections on the theme of convergence between two different but similar industries, fashion and art. In addition, the ARTIST TALKs, in conjunction with the special exhibition ZOOM-IN, will feature a dialogue between critics AHN Jinkook, LEE moonjung, LEE taeho, KOH dongyeon, KIM soojin, KIM heokyung and six ZOOM-IN selected artists (KWAK A Ram, KIM Bokyung, KIM Hanna, LEE Sungjae, LEE Hojoon, and CHOI Myeongwon). All talks will also be streamed live on the YouTube channel of Galleries Association of Korea (www.youtube.com/@user-td4xh3io7r).
- Online Preview
In partnership with S.I.VILLAGE, Shinsegae International's premium online boutique, 2024 Galleries Art Fair will host a special online preview on S.I.VILLAGE's website (www.sivillage.com) from 18 March, two weeks before the event, until 7 April, the event's final day.
The online preview will showcase 47 carefully selected works from the fair, encouraging pre-sales and connecting with new customers through a large online lifestyle platform that introduces global brands.
The preview will highlight a number of blue-chip Korean artists, including YUN Hyong-Keun, a representative of Korean monochrome, KIM Kurim, a pioneer of Korean experimental art, SUH Yongsun, who held a large-scale solo exhibition at Art Sonje Center last year, LEE Woosung, who is emerging as the next generation of artists, ZOOM-IN EDITION 4 Grand Prize winner Jen Pak, CHOI Youngwook, and Artnom. In addition, works by some of the selected artists of ZOOM-IN Edition 5 will also be on display.
With such a diverse line-up, tickets for 2024 Galleries Art Fair are on sale in advance from 11 March via a link on the official website (www.hwami.org). General admission tickets are priced at 20,000 KRW, with a discounted rate of 15,000 KRW for students, artist pass holders and members of art associations.
Notes to Editors
About Galleries Art Fair
Korea's oldest art fair, Galleries Art Fair, was founded in 1979 to showcase Korea's precious artworks to the public and develop the Korean art market. Based on decades of accumulated experience, Galleries Association of Korea strives to cultivate emerging artists by promoting projects to discover new talents and enjoy and communicate with audiences through exhibitions of contemporary art selected by member galleries. Through this, Galleries Art Fair is definitely Korea's representative art fair that is constantly leading the way in the development of culture that enriches the life and art of our time. For more information, please visit www.hwami.org and follow us on @galleriesartfair.
About the Galleries Association of Korea
The Galleries Association of Korea was founded in 1976 with a mission to facilitate broader and deeper appreciation of art in Korea, contribute to fostering a healthy art market, and to advance Korean art on an international stage. Today, the association – consisted of more than 160 galleries nationwide – organizes art fairs (Kiaf and Galleries Art Fair) and operates The Art Appraisal Committee and The Art Policy Research Centre.
Opening Dates & Hours
2024 Galleries Art Fair
COEX 3F, Hall C, D (513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
VIP Opening (by invitation only):
Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 3pm to 8pm
General Admission:
Thursday, April 4 to Sunday, April 7, 2024, 11am to 7:30pm (until 6pm on the last day)
Media Contacts
Press Office | Galleries Art Fair | [email protected]
