Art OnO Receipts: ‘Like a Little Frieze’

Seoul's latest international art fair Art OnO, which opened on 18 April with a VIP preview at the Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention (SETEC), is now open to the public from 19 to 21 April 2024.

The modest number of 36 participants, hailing from around 20 countries, attracted attention from collectors and art enthusiasts before the fair even opened for its selective line-up of international and Korea-based galleries.

Among the first to announce their participation were Dvir Gallery, Gallery Baton, and Kosaku Kanechika, followed by Pearl Lam Galleries, Galerie Chantal Crousel, and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. Well-known galleries with outposts in Seoul, such as Peres Projects, Esther Schipper, JARILAGER Gallery, and Tang Contemporary Art, are also present across the three exhibition halls of SETEC.

According to fair founder Noh Jae-Myung, the event's small size will push big and emerging galleries alike to promote more experimental works, while offering an affordable platform to younger galleries.

'When I visit art fairs, I often encounter the same participating galleries in different cities,' Noh said in an interview with South China Morning Post. 'It's just more of the same, regardless of where I am.'

While results are still coming in, the strategy appears to have been effective. SEOJUNG Art showed London-based artist Gus Monday for the first time in their booth, whose Wallace Collection (2024) sold on the first day alongside works by Korean artists Phee Jungwon and Nanan Kang.

Esther Schipper, whose booth presented works by both young and established artists, including Angela Bulloch, Liam Gillick, Hyunsun Jeon, and Karolina Jabłońska, reported that they also sold some of their representative works during the preview. THEO, who brought works by young Korean artists, sold a number of yarn on canvas works by Kyumin Hwang, clay sculptures by Jeong-ui Yun, and paintings of fantastical creatures by Seungwan Ha.

'Responses from collectors were beyond expectation in spite of the recession,' said Lee Jinwoo, Advisor at THEO. 'Among galleries, we have discussed that the fair is small but substantial, like a little Frieze.'

The most conceptual booth by far was presented by Gallery Shilla, whose booth was completely barred from view by a white wall and yellow barrier tape. Robert Barry's Closed Booth artwork dictates that the booth will be revealed only on 20 April, and only by inquiry. According to the gallery's statement, the works inside include a 'human canvas'—Barry tattooed a diptych onto Director Lee Joon Yeob's arm, creating an unsellable work of art.

The central exhibition hall made optimal use of its large space with a curated exhibition of media art, titled OyO (Once you Own It), that consists of moving image works mounted on shipping crates. Highlights include: artist duo Muntean/Rosenblum's The Twilight of Our Heart (2016), presented by Galerie Zink, in which a choir sings in harmony while each member intently looks into their electronic devices; and Paris-based artist Ndayé Kouagou's A to Z (2024), a life-size LCD screen featuring a male guru, in a female voiceover, who gives nonsensical instructions on how to get from one end of the alphabet to the other.

Kouagou's work was presented by London-based gallery Gathering, whose booth also showed works by artists lesser known in Korea, such as Francesco João, Wynnie Mynerva, Benedikt Hipp, Tamara K.E., Tal Shani, and James St Findlay.

'It's been a very strong start, especially as it's our first fair in Korea,' Nina Ledwoch, Associate Director at Gathering, told Ocula. 'Our artists have been met with a lot of curiosity and engagement and there hasn't been a single work at the booth which we didn't see strong interest.'

In a city such as Seoul, which already has two prominent international art fairs, it may be debatable whether it needs another art fair. But Art OnO is well on its way to becoming a distinct alternative to Kiaf and Frieze Seoul.

'While the market may be calmer compared to when Peres Projects first opened in Seoul two years ago, it still provides an excellent opportunity to curate exhibitions and showcase outstanding artists and artworks,' said Kacey Eun Hye Cho, Managing Director, Asia, of Peres Projects. 'As a collector, now is a great time to acquire amazing pieces in this fair.'