September’s must-see art fairs: from Seoul to New York

I’ve just returned to Paris after a wonderful holiday full of sunshine, laughter, reading and artistic discoveries. Now, what can we expect after this summer break? Autumn is off to a flying start, with Seoul and New York in the spotlight. Artfairmag’s Asian correspondent, Alicia Huieun Kim, will be covering Frieze and KIAF, while Laura Lati, our US correspondent, will be meeting art dealers at The Armory Show and Independent. From Paris, I’ll be taking you to Parcours des Mondes, a tribal art fair held in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.  

5 – 10 September 2023

My return to art fairs this year will be in Paris, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with Parcours des Mondes, an open-air fair that each year brings together the best tribal art dealers from France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, as well as gallery owners from the Ivory Coast, Finland, the United States and Australia.

For this 22nd edition, exhibitors will be presenting a wide range of sculptures, masks, textiles, jewellery and other marvellous objects. Classical Africa remains the central axis around which gravitate the arts of Oceania, from Polynesia to Micronesia, via the aboriginal art of Australia, as well as those of The Americas and Asia, where Japan, India, the Himalayas and Indonesia invite us to travel.

Ancient creations sit harmoniously alongside contemporary works, and it is precisely these bridges built between peoples across continents and time that form the DNA of the Parcours des Mondes. Directed by Yves-Bernard Debie, the 22nd edition of the fair will have Stéphane Martin, the emblematic President of the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac from 1998 to 2020, as its Honorary President. I look forward to making you discover (or rediscover) this one-of-a-kind fair.

Frieze Seoul

6 – 9 September 2023, Seoul

For this second edition, Frieze Seoul has named more than 120 galleries, including the four mega-galleries – Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, and David Zwirner – alongside with major names such as Thaddaeus Ropac, Paula Cooper Gallery, Kurimanzutto, Lehmann Maupin, Lisson Gallery, Galerie Lelong & Co., Mendes Wood DM, Sprüth Magers, and Take Ninagawa. There will also be a special focus on Asia-based exhibitors showcasing the best art from the region. 

The main section of the fair will be accompanied by two smaller sections. Frieze Masters will showcase works made at any point in art history and incudes exhibitors as Gallery Hyundai, Gray, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Skarstedt, and Axel Vervoordt. Finally, Focus Asia will presents solo presentations from Asia-based galleries, like Capsule Shanghai, G Gallery, and Yutaka Kikutake Gallery.

All info about the fair here.

KIAF

6 – 10 september 2023, Seoul

First launched in 2002, Kiaf SEOUL will welcome this year more than 210 galleries, each named by the Galleries Association of Korea. Kiaf takes place in partnership with Frieze Seoul and both fairs are held on different floors of the capital city’s COEX Convention & Exhibition Center. Our Asia correspondent Alicia Huieun Kim will cover the two fairs with several “1 minute in the booth” video interviews. 

In a statement, Dal-Seung Hwang, the association’s president, said, “We are honored and proud to contribute to the development of Seoul as an international hub for art and culture, in close partnership with our galleries, partner organizations, and the Korean government. As Korea’s leading art fair, Kiaf will once again serve as a platform to showcase outstanding artists from Korea and Asia, with a focus on forward-thinking  contemporary art.”

All info about the fair here

6 – 10 September 2023, New York

Mid-July, Frieze, one of the world’s leading contemporary art organizations, announced that it has acquired The Armory Show in New York and signed an agreement to acquire EXPO CHICAGO. Both fairs will continue to operate under their existing brands and with their current teams.

A not-to-be-missed event on the New York cultural scene since its creation in 1994, every year the Armory Show brings together the leading international galleries at the Jarvits Center in the heart of Manhattan. This year, in 2023, more than 225 leading international galleries will be exhibiting, representing over 35 countries and showcasing more than 800 artists. Last year, the fair welcomed only one mega-gallery, David Zwirner; this year, no mega-galleries have signed up. However, some blue-chip entreprises, such as Victoria Miro, Jessica Silverman, Kavi Gupta, James Cohan, Templon, Roberts Projects, Nara Roesler, Kasmin, Sean Kelly, Almine Rech, Timothy Taylor, and Instituto de Visión. Our US correspondent, Laura Lati, is delighted to be making several “1 minute in the booth” videos with the art dealers of the fair.

All info about the fair here.