{"id":106689,"date":"2026-08-02T06:07:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/106689\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T06:07:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T06:07:11","slug":"k-culture-is-not-a-passing-trend-major-art-market-players-to-gather-in-seoul-in-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/106689\/","title":{"rendered":"K-culture Is Not a Passing Trend… Major Art Market Players to Gather in Seoul in September"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview with Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul<\/p>\n

VIP opening at COEX on September 2<\/p>\n

Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, and others<\/p>\n

More than 120 galleries from 30 countries will take part<\/p>\n

“Full of passion to learn”<\/p>\n

They want to meet Korea’s young and wealthy collectors<\/p>\n

Art is an investment that requires a long-term view<\/p>\n

The impact of financial market volatility is limited”<\/p>\n

\"Patrick \uc0ac\uc9c4 \ud655\ub300 Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, speaks with Maeil Business Newspaper about the art fair’s identity and direction. [Han Joo-hyung] <\/p>\n

“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 begun to discover it. I am certain that K-culture will never be a passing trend.”<\/p>\n

Patrick Lee, 57, director of Frieze Seoul, met with a reporter in late last month at Frieze House in Sindang-dong, Seoul, and said with confidence, “The K-culture wave will not go backward.” He added that “art, unlike mass-market genres, is a slow and nuanced system,” and explained 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 its VIP preview at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on September 2, must establish itself as a forum for discourse, not just a market for sales.<\/p>\n

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, he served as a committee member for Art Basel Hong Kong. He was then appointed the inaugural director of Frieze Seoul in 2021 and has overseen the event for the fifth year since 2022.<\/p>\n

Frieze Seoul, which began as Frieze London’s Asia hub fair, has drawn major figures from the global art world to Seoul every September and is also estimated to generate significant economic impact.<\/p>\n

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. On the growing share of Asian galleries, he said he does not agree with the term “localization,” but added that the fair’s identity is clearly becoming stronger. He also said there is a high likelihood that Frieze’s first Middle East hub fair will launch in Abu Dhabi in November.<\/p>\n

In his view, Seoul is already a city with world-class cultural infrastructure. “Compared with any other city, it has an unmatched number of art museums. Along with hundreds of museums, it hosts rich events such as the Gwangju Biennale, the Busan Biennale, the Seoul Mediacity Biennale, and various architecture biennales. On top of that, it has strong support from the government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a robust collecting culture, and highly accomplished artists.”<\/p>\n

His goal is to bring the art world’s biggest players together in Seoul in early September.<\/p>\n

“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, or the long game. What matters is how that 1% of encounters leads 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. Who came, and what relationships were built, is what matters.”<\/p>\n

He described the art market as “cautiously optimistic” despite the unprecedented volatility in global financial markets this year. He explained that high-end collectors take a long-term approach, so they are not easily shaken by short-term fluctuations.<\/p>\n

The reason overseas galleries are coming to Korea is the rise of a new generation of young collectors.<\/p>\n

“Korea’s collector base is getting younger. They have an incredible passion to learn. They want to discuss art with galleries, visit exhibitions, and engage deeply with art. That is the biggest reason galleries around the world are paying attention to Korea.”<\/p>\n

He also expressed high expectations for Frieze Live, a citywide public program. It is a project by British artist Ryan Gander that hides 16,000 coins across Euljiro, Hannam, and Samcheong-dong in Seoul for citizens to discover by chance. 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.<\/p>\n

“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 remarkable.”<\/p>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

\"Patrick \uc0ac\uc9c4 \ud655\ub300 Patrick Lee, head of Frieze Seoul. 2026.7.31 [Han Joo-hyung] <\/p>\n

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