Seoul

The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul, held in collaboration with longstanding homegrown art fair Kiaf (Korea International Art Fair), took place from September 3–7. The mood was subdued but steady, fueled by the quiet energy of collective hustle that emerged from renewed national stability after South Korea’s politically and economically turbulent year. 

Attendance was on par with 2024 (Frieze: 121 exhibitors, 70,000 visitors; Kiaf: 175 exhibitors, 80,000 visitors) but demographics shifted. Some 40 galleries had not returned to Frieze Seoul, including international players Michael Werner, Karma, and Sadie Coles HQ; in their place, the percentage of Asian galleries rose to 64 percent—up from 48 percent in 2024 and 35 percent in 2023 and 2022. First-time participants to Frieze Seoul (but not Kiaf) included Tokyo’s Ota Fine Arts, Hong Kong’s 10 Chancery Lane and de Sarthe, Beijing- and Shanghai-based Hive, and Yogyakarta’s kohesi Initiatives. The number of Korean galleries rose to 32, up from 12 in Frieze Seoul’s inaugural edition.