Thousands of Art Enthusiasts Gathered at COEX for a Four-Day Extravaganza of International Artistry

Seoul South Korea September 9, SayArt- Frieze Seoul, the international art fair that has become a major cultural event in September, wrapped up its second edition with a spectacular showcase of global artistic talent at COEX. Over the course of four days, approximately 120 galleries from around the world came together to exhibit and sell a wide array of artworks, drawing throngs of art enthusiasts to the venue. 

While each booth remained bustling with visitors until the fair's closing on September 9th, this year's event was noted for its more serene ambiance compared to its inaugural edition. Notably, the booths that garnered the most attention were those of Robilant Voena (R+V) Gallery and Stephen Ongpin Fine Art Gallery, both featured in the 'Frieze Masters' section. 

▲ M17 ROBILANT+VOENA, Photo by Sims Green @SayArt. R+V Gallery, known for its crowd-drawing display of Pablo Picasso's self-portrait in the previous year, continued to captivate audiences with a stunning collection. Highlights included Jeff Koons' 3-meter-wide sculpture 'Gazing Ball' and Damien Hirst's 'Tree of Life,' crafted from hundreds of butterfly wings. In addition to Picasso's works, the gallery exhibited paper creations by Cy Twombly and Marc Chagall, further solidifying its popularity with attendees. The R+V Gallery booth saw lines two to three times deep in front of it throughout the event. ▲ M17 ROBILANT+VOENA, Photo by Sims Green @SayArt.

Similarly, the Stephen Ongpin Fine Art Gallery's booth featured a collection of works on paper by renowned artists like Picasso, Paul Cézanne, and Lucian Freud, causing visitors to patiently queue for their chance to explore the offerings.

▲ M6 STEPHEN ORGIN FINE ART, Photo by Sims Green @SayArt.One noteworthy attraction was the Peter Harrington booth, specializing in first and rare books, where visitors could marvel at the first edition of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' personally signed by author J.K. Rowling.

Galleries also made strategic changes, swapping sold works with fresh pieces. The David Zwirner Gallery, for example, replaced Yayoi Kusama's 'Pumpkin of the Red God,' which had sold for a staggering $5.8 million (approximately 7.7 billion won), with a piece from Kusama's 'Infinite Nets' series.

In addition to Frieze Seoul, many art enthusiasts flocked to Korea's largest art fair, KIAF Seoul, concurrently taking place at COEX Halls A and B over the weekend. KIAF Seoul will continue its artistic celebration until the 10th.

As Frieze Seoul takes its final bow for this year, it leaves behind a legacy of artistic splendor and international camaraderie, solidifying its position as a prominent fixture on the global art calendar.

Sayart.net 

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com