Sydney
Art Guide

A number of Seoul's best art galleries can be found in Samcheong-dong in Jongno-Gu, including Kukje Gallery. The gallery is known for its roster of Korean and international artists such as Anish Kapoor, Bill Viola, Chung Chang-Sup, Candida Höfer, Gimhongsok, and Haegue Yang.

Also based in Samcheong-dong is PKM Gallery, established in 2001 by Park Kyung-mee—an art historian and the commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at the 49th Venice Biennale. PKM Gallery represents many important established and mid-career Korean artists, many of whom have an international reputation. Among these is the estate of Yun Hyong-keun, a key figure in the history of abstraction and Minimalist art in Korea often referred to within the context of Dansaekwha.

Major art galleries can be found elsewhere in Jongno-Gu, including Arario Gallery, innovative in introducing Indian and Southeast Asian artists to Korea; ONE AND J. Gallery, dedicated to contemporary artists; and JARILAGER Gallery, founded by Sunhee Choi and Jari Lager. Jongno-Gu is also home to Gana Art, one of the first major art galleries to be established in Korea, noted for its focus on Korean and Asian contemporary art and for its public art projects presented in three art spaces across the city.

In more recent years, buoyed by the rise of a new generation of collectors in South Korea, accessibility to the broader Asia region, and the commitment by Frieze to host a Seoul art fair each year, international galleries have sought a presence in the city too. Lehmann Maupin, Perrotin, and Pace Gallery all have spaces in Seoul, as do KÖNIG GALERIE, Thaddaeus Ropac and Gladstone Gallery.

A thriving destination for contemporary art, culture, tourism, festivals, and food, Sydney promises its visitors a well-rounded arts experience. From the architecturally designed Sydney Modern Project at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to the waterfront contemporary art destination, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, art enthusiasts can expect to see world-class exhibitions in the city.

Set by The Domain along Art Gallery Road is the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) and its recent expansion, the Sydney Modern Project, offering a world-class stage for contemporary and modern art across two mammoth spaces.

Overlooking Sydney Harbour at Tallawoladah is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA Sydney), Australia's dedicated public contemporary art museum set in a multi-storey art deco building.

Sydney is also home to a breadth of mid-scale institutions that support emerging artists through exhibitions and opportunities. These include non-profits Artspace Sydney and Firstdraft, both in Woolloomooloo, and Cement Fondu in Paddington. Also in Paddington is UNSW Galleries, the University of New South Wales' dedicated gallery opened in 2013.

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is an independent not-for-profit located in Haymarket which has championed contemporary Asian-Australian art practices since 1996.

In Chippendale is White Rabbit Gallery, established in 2009 to showcase contemporary Chinese art.

Other highlights include Carriageworks, Australia's largest arts and culture centre located in the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in Redfern; Campbelltown Arts Centre, a multidisciplinary contemporary arts centre situated on the edge of southwest Sydney; and the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.

Since it was launched in 2010, Ocula Magazine has interviewed some of Australia's most significant artists, including Dean Cross, Lindy Lee, Angela Tiatia, Richard Bell, and Karla Dickens. It has also covered significant Sydney exhibitions, including shows by Simryn Gill and Tony Albert, and the Biennale of Sydney.

Led by Ocula founder Simon Fisher, Ocula Advisory assists new and established collectors in building and managing their collections.

Through 40+ years of combined experience and extensive relationships with galleries, auction houses, art dealers, and collectors, the Ocula Advisory team has exceptional knowledge about and access to a broad spectrum of modern and contemporary artworks.

Follow the Advisory team for their Picks on must-see art shows in Sydney, exceptional artworks in the city, and artists to follow as well as art market news.

Sign up to My Ocula to follow artists and galleries, save artworks to your favourites, and be informed when new exhibitions and features are published.

Sydney has propelled the careers of Australian and international artists, with its renowned galleries and museums providing a global stage for seminal exhibitions. Australian artists who have recently held major solo exhibitions in the city include Brett Whiteley, Daniel Boyd, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili, and Emily Floyd.

Sign up to My Ocula to follow artists and galleries, save artworks to your favourites, and be informed when new artworks become available.