More than 370 artists and designers offer latest works at large-scale fairs in Seoul


Two art and design fairs are set to open in Seoul, offering inspiration for those planning to have a fresh spring look in their homes.

Monthly art magazine Art & Criticism will open “A&C Art Fair Seoul 2012” on Friday at SETEC in Daechi-dong. Celebrating its fifth year, the fair introduces over 1,200 works by about 250 artists.

Unlike other art fairs, which are usually gallery-oriented, this fair is strictly artist-focused. Each artist will have its own booth, and will be present to explain, promote and sell their work during the fair’s five-day run.

“The fair does not collect booth fees from artists. Each artist will communicate with collectors on their own, and all the profits made will go straight to the artists,” said Bae Byeong-ho, head of Art & Criticism and also organizer of the fair.

“The fair aims to clarify the art market and improve the working environment of individual artists,” added Bae.

Artists displayed range from renowned South Korean artists such as Paik Nam-june, Kim Hyung-geun and Choi Jong-tae to unfamiliar foreign artists like Singaporean Chinkok Tan and Canadians Jim Bourke and Aleda O’Connor. The fair will be a chance to see the latest trends in contemporary art, said the organizers.

As the booths will be directly run by the artists, it will be a rare opportunity to talk with them and learn first-hand about their backgrounds and art worlds. 

Chung Hyun-sik, one of the participating artists, for example, only began to learn art in 2008, a year before he retired from his former job as an economics professor at Sungkyunkwan University.

His talents shone soon after he fully devoted himself to the new field. He won the special prize at Korea Painting Grand Competition in 2011, and has been holding many exhibitions in Korea. From May 9 to 13, he will be showcasing his works at the Korea-China Art Exchange Exhibition in Yanbian, China.

To celebrate both the artist and his wife’s 70th birthday this year, he prepared the exhibition as a small event for his wife, he said. He will showcase about nine paintings of their grandchildren and also a portrait of his wife at the fair.

Another art market, “Design & Art Fair 2012,” kicked off Saturday at Seoul Arts Center.

Celebrating its third year, the fair loaded SAC’s Design Museum, V-gallery and lobby with the latest artwork and design products by over contemporary artists and designers. “Fresh & Live” is the main theme of the nine-day fair.

Along with the main exhibition which will offer creations by 120 artists and designer groups, the fair will also present special exhibitions featuring Korean artists, acclaimed international designers as well as “new generation,” or up-and-coming designers.

A variety of art performances and events that visitors can participate in and communicate with the designers will add to the fun.

A&C Art Fair Seoul 2012 will run from April 27 to May 1 at SETEC in Daechi-dong. For more information, call (02) 2231-4459 or visit www.sinwonart.co.kr.

Design & Art Fair 2012 runs through April 29 at Seoul Arts Center’s Design Museum in Seocho-dong. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 10,000 won. For more information, call (01) 735-4237 or visit www.daf777.com.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)