KIAF 2016 | The 15th Korea International Art Fair Closes With Success

The 'KIAF 2016 / ART SEOUL', the iconic Asian art market, has been successfully finished in October 16.  

The KIAF 2016 / ART SEOUL has confirmed its prestige as the biggest art fair in Korea and the representative art fair in Asia with recorded turnover of KRW 23.5 billion. The KIAF / ART SEOUL which has drawn the highest number of visitors so far every year among domestic art fairs drew 53,000 visitors this year. Although the number of visitors is almost the same as that of last year, the artwork transaction volume has been increased. Especially, this year's fair was highly esteemed as an art fair achieving qualitative development which is unusual in recent years as it exhibited various novel and original works produced by domestic and foreign artists with various spectrums. Moreover, a large number of foreign diplomats, artists and collectors in Korea visited the fair. The most conspicuous characteristics of this year's fair was inviting a great number of overseas VIP collectors and the parties interested in art to activating the transaction of the artworks and strengthening the positive function of the art fair.  

Numerous celebrities and art enthusiasts such as Park Yeong Guk, the Head of the Culture & Art Policy Division, Park Byeong Won, the Chairperson of the Korea Employers Federation, Rick WANG, the Chairperson of the Taiwan Art Gallery Association and the Asia Pacific Art Gallery Alliance, etc. participated into the opening ceremony held in October 12. Also, at the date of the opening ceremony, a VIP opening party, <The Entrance>, was held to increase exchanges and cooperation between domestic and foreign artistic notabilities and a total of 400 VIPs and notabilities were participated into the event. It contributed to enhancement of the exchanges between domestic and foreign artistic notabilities.  

At this year's event, the invitation of major foreign VIPs was increased in order for the KIAF / ART SEOUL to become an iconic Asian art market. Major foreign VIPs such as Melani Setiawan, the major influential Indonesian collector, Miriam SUN, the co-founder of the MoCA Shanghai, Rebecca Shatwell, AV festival director of the British modern art biennale, Alan CHAN, the famous Hong Kong industrial designer, Llucià Homs, the CEO of the Barcelona Llucia Homs Gallery and cultural consultant, Cosmin Costinas, a star curator, Jehan CHU, a famous art advisor, Budi Tek, the founder of the Yuz Foundation, Sylvain Levy of the world- famous DSL collection, William LIM, the CEO of the CL3 and the representative Asian collector, Jonathan Watkins, the world- famous curator who is working actively in Europe such as London, Veins, and Birmingham, Abby Bangser, the art director of the Frieze Art Fair, WANG Songqi & LELI, the chairperson of the SHEN ART CENTRE in Shanghai, etc. visited this year's fair. And, the exchanges between artistic notabilities and transactions of the artworks have greatly increased. Cho Yoon-Sun Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister has also visited the event in October 16.  

At the KIAF 2016 / ART SEOUL provided various programs and events including lectures on Asian art market by the major guest of honor country Taiwan, K-Art Conversation, the lecture provided by an external cultural art institution and seminars on market price appraisal by the Korea Art Price Appraise Association, etc. for honored guests and visitors. Also, favorable comments were received through the <Special Hallway>, a special sculpture exhibition using hallways, considerations on the conveniences of the participating galleries and visitors by upgrading the VIP lounge design, enhanced docent programs, improvement of the public relations through joint organization with SBS, and upgraded advertisement and public relations on the participating artists, galleries and their works targeting professional collectors and art enthusiasts through cooperation with the Artsy.  

Please refer to the official homepage of the KIAF 2016 / ART SEOUL (http://www.kiaf.org) for more information. The KIAF 2017 / the 16th Korean International Art Fair will be held from September 20 (Wed.) to September 24 (Sun.) for 5 days (including the preview). The preview will be held in September 20 (Wed.).