Could Seoul Overtake Hong Kong to Become Asia's New Art Capital?

Seoul has emerged as a cultural powerhouse while Hong Kong retains strict pandemic measures and a crackdown on civil liberties. Could Seoul overtake Hong Kong to become Asia's new art capital? “Korea is looking like a very stable haven in east Asia.”

With its growing cultural clout, Seoul has emerged as an alternative to Asia’s art capital Hong Kong.

Frieze Seoul, the contemporary art fair’s debut in Asia, attracted long lines of collectors who within hours snapped up works by established artists including Donald Judd and emerging stars such as Tavares Strachan and Katherine Bernhardt.

Gagosian gallery, one of the many western blue-chip galleries at one of Asia’s most highly-anticipated art events this year, said almost all of its works on display by artists including Louise Bonnet, Takashi Murakami and Nam June Paik sold out on Friday, highlighting the market's recovery from the pandemic’s hit as well as strong enthusiasm for contemporary art in the South Korean capital.

“There is a palpable energy,” Gagosian’s managing director Nick Simunovic said as VIP guests took a look through the fair at the Coex Center in the upscale Gangnam district before its opening to the public from Saturday through Monday. “We are seeing seasoned art collectors, new art collectors, the genuinely interested public that have never been to an art fair before.”

David Zwirner gallery also reported strong first-day sales, selling a sculpture by Donald Judd for $850,000. A Katherine Bernhardt piece depicting a florescent Pink Panther sold for $250,000.

#Seoul #Asia #Explained

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[jskim.]

Taxes are exempt for living artists?? 😮

[jaydelacruz]

They're into K-pop, not arts.
Korea thinks only of Korea. And that makes it difficult for arts to flourish.

[khaledmostafa]

We meeting in train carriage but everyone will going to him target

[dltmdwnfkdldjs]

HK and seoul can develop arts to another level, hopefully.