사진 확대 Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, speaks about the fair’s identity and direction. Han Joo-hyung, reporter.
“Korean culture did not suddenly become hot. For decades, it has been building remarkable talent in film, music, fashion, and art, and the world has only now discovered it. I am confident that K-culture will never be a passing trend.”
At the end of last month, Patrick Lee, 57, director of Frieze Seoul, met with reporters at Frieze House in Sindang-dong, Seoul, and said with confidence that “the K-culture boom will not go backward.” He added that “art works through a slower and more complex system than popular genres,” and that “it takes long conversations and debate before an artist gains recognition from institutions, galleries, and curators.” That is why Frieze Seoul, one of the world’s top art fairs, which opens with a VIP preview at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Sept. 2, must establish itself as a forum for discussion, not just a market for sales.
Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, he graduated from law school in the United States and worked at a securities firm before moving to Korea in the 2000s and entering the art world. After working at One and J. Gallery and Gallery Hyundai, and serving as a committee member for Art Basel Hong Kong, he was appointed the inaugural director of Frieze Seoul in 2021 and has overseen the event for five years, starting in 2022.
Frieze Seoul, which began as Frieze London’s Asia hub fair, has drawn major global art players to Seoul every September and is also estimated to generate significant economic impact.
He said that more than 125 galleries from 30 countries, including Gagosian Gallery, White Cube, and Hauser & Wirth, will participate this year. He noted that institutional and museum participation has steadily increased each year. While he stopped short of calling the growing share of Asian galleries a form of “localization,” he said the fair’s identity is clearly strengthening. He also added that Frieze’s first Middle East hub fair is likely to launch in Abu Dhabi in November.
In his view, Seoul already has world-class cultural infrastructure. “Compared with any other city, it has an unmatched number of art museums. Along with hundreds of museums, there are major events such as the Gwangju Biennale, the Busan Biennale, the Seoul Mediacity Biennale, and various architecture biennales. On top of that, there is strong support from the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a solid collecting culture, and highly accomplished artists.”
His goal is to bring the art world’s heavyweights together in Seoul in early September.
“The most important goal is to connect the world’s best galleries, curators, institutions, and collectors so they can meet in Seoul. A good art fair is not just about sales results; it is about building long-term relationships, a true long game. The key is how those 1% encounters lead to exhibitions and collections one or two years later. I have already seen countless cases where relationships formed here have led to major museums and galleries around the world. What matters is who came and what kind of relationships were built.”
Even amid unprecedented global financial volatility this year, he described the art market as “cautiously optimistic.” He explained that high-end collectors take a long-term view, so they are not easily shaken by short-term swings. Foreign galleries are coming to Korea because of the rise of a new generation of young collectors.
“Korea’s collector base is getting younger and younger. They have an incredible desire to learn. They talk with galleries, visit exhibitions, and want to experience art deeply. That is the biggest reason galleries around the world are paying attention to Korea.”
He also expressed anticipation for Frieze Live, a citywide public program that turns Seoul into a stage for participation. The project by British artist Ryan Gander hides 16,000 coins across Euljiro, Hannam, and Samcheong-dong, inviting citizens to stumble upon them. Overseas, his coins have even been traded on the secondary market as art objects, so the project is expected to draw explosive interest from younger audiences.
“Frieze’s choice of Seoul is an enormous stroke of luck and an honor. The passionate cultural energy in Korea, where museums and galleries stay open late into the night during Frieze week, is simply astonishing.”
Meanwhile, the venue for next year’s Frieze Seoul has not yet been decided because of renovation work planned at COEX in Samseong-dong. He said that “several locations are under review.”
[Lee Hyang-hui, Senior Reporter]
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.