Frieze Seoul
FRIEZE is an international art fair held in London, New York, and Los Angeles.
In September 2022, it expanded into Asia. In partnership with the Galleries Association of Korea, it launched as “FRIEZE SEOUL.”
The venue was Halls C and D on the third floor of COEX, a large convention and complex facility. The fair ran concurrently with KIAF (Korea International Art Fair), Korea’s largest art fair, held in Halls A and B on the first floor. Access between the two floors was seamless, and from the opening VIP preview day the venue was already lively with a large number of visitors.
Frieze ticket holders were also allowed entry to KIAF.
Since the tickets were digital, visitors held their phones up to have the barcode scanned at entry.
Frieze Seoul invitees were also automatically granted access to KIAF, though entry only started at 5 pm — a bit later than the Frieze opening. *KIAF’s own VIPs were admitted from 2 pm.
Since re-entry was free, we recommend spending a full leisurely day at the fair, taking breaks at the cafés and restaurants inside COEX when your feet get tired. The B1 floor of COEX is a large shopping mall, which made spending the day very comfortable.
The first Asian edition of Frieze Seoul was met with an impressive turnout.
Press coverage was also considerable, reflecting the level of attention the fair was drawing.
Frieze Seoul was divided into two large sections, held across Halls C and D.
The scale was very large, and it takes considerable time to see everything. Comfortable shoes and preparations are essential.
As for the content, with more than 110 galleries from 20 countries gathered together, the fair was truly international and richly varied.
The first-ever Asian edition, Frieze Seoul 2022.
The venue was blessed with a large turnout and was filled with excitement. Alongside collectors from within Korea, many collectors from other parts of Asia gathered as well, and even from Japan there were many familiar faces in the art world and among collectors.
The fair was centered around mega-galleries and filled with strong, ambitious works, and it felt as though many high-priced works were also marked SOLD. It seemed as if the surrounding galleries and museums — indeed the entire city — supported the excitement of the fair. For art fans, it must have been an irresistible event.
Frieze Seoul has already confirmed its next edition for 2023.
For a global art fair of this scale to be held in Japan as well, many challenges will need to be resolved — but for now, we simply want to applaud the success of the fair in our neighboring country.
Overview
Frieze Seoul 2022
Dates: September 2–5, 2022 *September 2 was the VIP preview. Public admission hours differed on September 3–5.
Venue: COEX (Seoul, Korea)
