The 23rd edition of the Korea Galleries Association’s international art fair, Kiaf Seoul, will take place from September 4 to 8 at COEX, in conjunction with Frieze Seoul. This year’s fair features 206 galleries from 22 countries, a decrease from last year’s numbers. Of these, 132 are domestic galleries and 74 are international, with over one-third coming from abroad.
 
The event is divided into several sections: the main "Galleries" section, the "Plus" section for galleries established within the last decade, and the "Solo" section for solo artist exhibitions. Additionally, Kiaf will showcase various programs, including "Kiaf onSITE: Invisible Transitions," highlighting notable teams from both domestic and international spheres, and "Kiaf Seoul 2024 HIGHLIGHTS," aimed at discovering promising artists.

Despite significant growth since its collaboration with Frieze Seoul, Kiaf Seoul is unlikely to experience major changes this year. Just as Frieze has outperformed Kiaf in the past two years, this year’s fair is expected to follow a similar pattern. While Kiaf 2024 features international galleries from East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, the Americas, Northern Europe, Western Europe, and the Middle East, it noticeably lacks the prominent mega-galleries found at Frieze.
 
Despite the rigorous selection process aimed at improving the quality of participating galleries, the true effectiveness of this curation may become clearer once the fair begins, as the preliminary list does not fully capture its impact. Nonetheless, there are several galleries and artists that are expected to be standout highlights for visitors.

| Galleries

The "Galleries" section features a total of 165 galleries, showcasing a diverse range of works from Korean art masters such as Kim Whanki, Kim Tschang-Yeul, Park Seo-Bo and Chun Kwang Young, as well as unique pieces by international artists. Kukje Gallery will spotlight sculptor Kim Yunshin, while Gana Art will present works by Shim Moon-Seup, Rim Dongsik, and several other artists.
 
Arario Gallery will exhibit the work of Gwon Osang, known for his photographic sculptures. Gwon Osang challenges the identity of sculpture with his exploration of new formal structures and continues to create innovative sculptures through experimental media fusion. His works have been auctioned at Christie's Hong Kong, fetching approximately 18 million won in 2013 and 50 million won in 2011.

Johyun Gallery will feature works by Ahn Jisan, who continually explores the boundary between life and death. Ahn Jisan (b. 1979) reinterprets his psyche, memories, experiences, and traumas on canvas, layering new content and time to create dramatic scenarios. While his works initially evoke a somber and dark atmosphere, closer examination reveals the artist's unique personality and intriguing details. For his’s pieces, the price range for works sized 10F, typically falls in the late 3 million won range, while those sized between 120F and 150F are priced around 24 million won.

Albarran Bourdais Gallery from Spain will showcase installation works by the Danish artist collective SUPERFLEX, aiming to captivate viewers. The group addresses various social issues, including capital imbalance, migration, and copyright, through works that transcend traditional genre boundaries, encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and video. SUPERFLEX has held solo exhibitions at renowned venues such as Tate Modern in London and Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland, and recently, they had a solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery, drawing significant visitor interest.
 
Given their diverse range of work, SUPERFLEX offers a broad spectrum of pieces available for sale. For instance, the piece Non-Alcoholic-Vodka Tower (2006), which features glass bottles stacked in four tiers, is priced around 67 million won, while the LED wall installation There Are Other Fish In The Sea (Wall Version) (2019) is approximately 51 million won. Additionally, sculptures made of pink concrete are priced between 22 million and 29 million won.

| Plus

The "Plus" section, dedicated to emerging galleries, features a selection of artists known for their fresh and innovative work. Notable among them are Katja Farin from dR and Yoon Hyangro from THEO. Katja Farin (b. 1996), a young American artist, captures simultaneous everyday moments using figures with diverse skin tones and bold colors, blending elements of surrealism with everyday life.
 
Farin also participated in the recent group exhibition "All Walks of Life" at Pace Gallery. Her oil painting on canvas, sized 20F, is priced around 2 million won, while a smaller 4F acrylic work on paper is traded at approximately 1 million won.

Yoon Hyangro from the emerging gallery THEO explores new possibilities in abstract painting using contemporary image processing technologies. Under the concept of "Pseudo Painting," Yoon employs image editing algorithms to reference and transform elements from various fields such as painting and popular culture into her artworks.

While her portfolio includes large-scale pieces, smaller oil paintings around 10x10 cm are priced in the mid-range of approximately 1 million won.

References

• 키아프 서울 2024 (Kiaf Seoul 2024)