Kiaf Seoul 2023: 6 Directors Introduce Their Booths

Partnering with Frieze Seoul, KIAF Seoul (7–10 September 2023) has established itself as an important bridge to connect the Korean art market and global art market. Six galleries share highlights of their upcoming presentations: Alzueta Gallery, Wooson Gallery, Whitestone Gallery, Johyun Gallery, Peres Projects, and Hakgojae Gallery.

1. Juliana Sorondo, Sales and Communication Director at Alzueta Gallery, Barcelona

Our booth showcases the vibrant and playful figurative abstractions of Sune Christiansen, and the intuitive paintings of Gabrielle Graessle, which transition from charcoal drawings to sparkly compositions. We are also showcasing Francisco Mendes Moreira's use of recycled materials prompting reflection on eternal questions of circular identity, while James Rielly's introspective examinations delve into the psychological complexities of life's transitions.

David Macho's critical approach challenges established notions and encourages a re-evaluation of our cultural perspectives, while Violeta Maya's personal escapes through painting create a bridge to introspection and inspire positivity.

The highlight is Jon Koko's serene scenes, which invite viewers to explore the transformative power of plainness. They are an ode to the beautiful stillness in Japanese landscape paintings, which he interprets with an added touch of nostalgia and dreamlike atmosphere.

In Koko's Memories of Zürich (2023), something so simple as walking home from the car becomes iconic through the skills of the artist, who finds sublime beauty in the most mundane everyday experiences.

2. Suhyun Cho, Associate Director at Wooson Gallery, Daegu

We are bringing a rich range of paintings, sculptures, and photographs by artists including Yi Youjin—whose paintings have been included as a Kiaf Highlight—and Omyo Cho, Nosik Lim, and Youngho Jeong.

Figures and objects in Yi's painting Leopard Laundry (2023) encounter one another in various environments, situations, and complex relationships as a metaphor for the subtle harmony of emotional states.

We're also excited to show Choi Byung-So, who is known for his distinct practice that involves drawing lines in pencil and pen on a piece of newspaper until the entire surface is covered in black and the paper is torn in places.

The artist has been working in this way since the 1970s without simplifying the process, and the newspapers in his work begin to emerge as completely different objects.

3. Jiyoung Park, Director at Whitestone Gallery, Tokyo

We will present emerging and mid-career artists hailing from Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom, while directing a spotlight towards the exquisite oeuvre of Ronald Ventura, whose artistry encompasses a sophisticated interplay of images and styles, spanning from hyper-realism to cartoon and graffiti.

Through his creative process, Ventura employs layering as a metaphor that mirrors the intricate facets of the Filipino national identity. A product of centuries, this identity is shaped by the profound influences of various powers—Spain, Japan, and the United States—intertwined with the Indigenous culture.

This intricate intermingling has given rise to a nuanced and occasionally complex sense of identity. In his exploration of this historical and psychological phenomenon, Ventura engages in a visual dialogue that conjures the confluence of East and West, the interplay between high and low art, and the juxtaposition of tradition and modernity.

4. Javier Peres, Founder of Peres Projects, Berlin

Our presentation shares ambitious works by a large group of artists, including Joseph Awuah-Darko, Sholto Blissett, Harm Gerdes, Nicholas Grafia, and Donna Huanca.

Encompassing painting, sculpture, and photography, the booth unfolds an introspective journey from the individual to the collective that interweaves personal affective and imaginative worlds into a more global examination of human existence.

Among the highlights is Conversaba con la Luna (2022) by Paolo Salvador. This meditative night scene shows a feline creature sitting on the branch of a bright green tree in reverent stillness. Loose, soft brushstrokes lend a sensual quality to the work, revealing the layers of detail meticulously built up on the surface of the canvas. Rather than a realistic representation of the world, this landscape is the incarnation of Salvador's intimate mythical imagination.

Although figurative, Salvador's works have the intent to evoke feeling, rather than unfold a visual narrative. In this new body of work, Salvador deepens his exploration of the creative process as a means of personal discovery and connecting to his identity.

5. Min-Young Joo, Director at Johyun Gallery, Busan

We are pairing works by master Korean artists with works by artists of younger generations to generate tension and dialogue across time.

Park Seo-Bo, for instance, channelled Korean aesthetics into contemporary abstract art. His Écriture No. 010614 (2001) will be paired with the ink-and-wash painting From stroke (2023) by Jo Jong Sung, who engaged with the properties of hanji.

Similarly, Kim Chong Hak's acrylic on canvas Untitled (2022), depicting a hypnotising field of pink flowers, will be paired with Lee So Yeun's oddly familiar, theatrical painting Bird Mask (2023), showing a girl with a bird mask surrounded by green leaves.

6. Chankyu Woo, President, Hakgojae Gallery

We are presenting works by mid-career and emerging artists. Jang Seungtaik, Kim Hyunsik, J. PARK, and Kim Young-Hun have firmly established themselves in the contemporary Korean art scene as leading artists scrutinising the new possibilities of painting and technical modernity, while incorporating philosophical reflections into their work.

Jang employs layered painting techniques to focus on the relationship between time and the body. Kim, working with epoxy resin, brings attention to notions of infinity and absoluteness. PARK's work traverses the digital realm, expanding noises from imaginary micro-worlds into painting, and Kim's paintings depicting magnetic fields reconsider the potential of Korean painting.

In addition to this selection, we are showing works of young artists Lee Woosung and JI Keun Wook. Lee's square canvas Come Sit with Me (2023) depicts a close-up of a watermelon being prepared for hwachae or watermelon punch, a popular summer drink in Korea that's meant to be shared between families and friends. Happiness, Lee's work suggests, lies not within pleasure, but within acts of sharing and satisfaction.

JI's intricate coloured pencil drawings and paintings are concerned with the macroworld of the universe and the microworld of particles. Scientific investigation leads on to a new kind of painting.

Both Lee and JI's works are also on view at Hakgojae Gallery in solo exhibitions Woosung Lee: Come Sit with Me and JI Keun Wook: Hardboiled Breeze until 13 September. —[O]