The Art Lover’s Guide to Seoul, South Korea

South Korea knows the effects of soft power all too well. Just look at how K-pop, K-beauty, and K-drama have infiltrated global pop culture. Up next is the art world, and the Korean capital is vying with Hong Kong and Singapore to be Asia’s art destination. With the fourth edition of Frieze Seoul arriving in the heart of Gangnam at COEX from September 3 to 6, the global art cognoscenti—and a K-pop star or two—will descend on K-POP Square to see what’s next in contemporary art.

“Seoul is such an exciting city for art, from artist-run spaces and non-profits to world-class museums and collections,” said Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul. “I love how the city brings together local talent and international artists, creating dynamic conversations across media, themes, and generations.”

If you happen to be in town for Frieze Week, which kicks off September 1, there are countless exhibitions opening, from Mark Bradford at the Amorepacific Museum of Art, to the Leeum Museum of Art, which is opening a four-decade survey of multidisciplinary artist Lee Bul. If you’re planning a trip to Korea in the future, there are plenty of places to see art year-round, from blue-chip galleries to experimental spaces. Here is a guide to the best places to get a glimpse of South Korea’s rich art history, where you could encounter work by the leading figures of the famed Dansaekhwa (“monochromatic painting” in Korean) movement to emerging artists from Korea and beyond.

Amorepacific Museum of Art

It’s fitting that architect David Chipperfield’s luminous cube in Yongsan is a striking work of beauty; it’s not only the headquarters of Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific, it also houses one of Seoul’s most impressive museums. Did we mention that admission is free? “It brings in world-renowned contemporary artists and presents exhibitions that feel both sophisticated and distinctly Seoul,” said Jamie Lee, the Seoul-based designer behind the handbag line Jamie Wander. Last Frieze Week, the Amorepacific hosted exhibitions by Derrick Adams and Elmgreen & Dragset, complete with a full-size home inspired by the film Parasite. This year brings American artist Mark Bradford’s retrospective Keep Walking to the main space, and Takashi Murakami to the APMA Cabinet. After you’re done checking out the art, select a rich K-beauty haul at the Amorepacific boutique upstairs.

Art Sonje Center

If experimental is what you’re after, head through the winding streets of Samcheong-dong to the Art Sonje Center, a pioneering nonprofit committed to experimental and boundary-pushing contemporary art. Designed by Korean architect Jong Soung Kimm, the space has been pushing boundaries for three decades. The program spans performance, video, installation, and sound art. This Frieze Week brings nomadic artist Adrián Villar Rojas to the institution for his first exhibition in South Korea. The artist deconstructs the institution, transforming it into one singular sculpture with site-specific installations and works from The End of Imagination, his ongoing series that started in 2022. Additionally, said Lee, “We will present Frieze LIVE to showcase 11 next-generation Korean artists exploring queer narratives and gender sensitivity as part of their Off-Site 2: Eleven Episodes exhibition.”

Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA)

Located near Deoksugung Palace, the Seoul Museum of Art represents the Korean capital’s ambitious attempt to create a truly public art institution. “During my last visit to South Korea in May, I visited SeMA, Seoul Museum of Art, for the first time and saw Myonghi Kang’s retrospective,” said New York-based Korean-American artist Anna Park, who is showing at Frieze at Lehmann Maupin’s and Leeahn Gallery’s booths. “It was really inspiring to see the breadth of works spanning six decades of her career. My mother and I also saw the Lee Kun-hee collection there, which was so special since my mom’s first introduction to art as a child was from learning about her in school.” Catch the Seoul Mediacity Biennale there, featuring artists including Hilma Af Klint, Nam June Paik, Joseph Beuys, and Minjeong An until November 23.

Leeum Museum of Art

A trio of European starchitects—Swiss architect Mario Botta, French architect Jean Nouvel, and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas—designed the Samsung Foundation-operated Leeum Museum of Art. You could spend the entire day here; the collection spans everything from ancient celadons to video installations, but it’s the contemporary holdings that draw the Frieze crowd. Opening during Frieze Week, multidisciplinary artist Lee Bul presents a major retrospective of her work spanning four decades, from the 1980s to present. Expect to see videos of her major performance works, plus her timely “Cyborg” series that examined the fusion of human and machine from 1997 to 2011.

XLarge Gallery

Situated in artist, curator, and founder Jae Seok Kim’s apartment, XLarge Gallery offers a close-up, intimate way of looking at art. “Seeing work in that kind of focused, home-based setting feels refreshing,” said Lee.

Frieze House Seoul

If you can’t make it to Seoul for Frieze Art Week, Frieze House Seoul, their new permanent exhibition space in Yaksu-dong, will be open throughout the year. Similar to No.9 Cork Street, Frieze’s gallery in London, Frieze House Seoul opens during Frieze Week with an inaugural exhibition titled UnHouse, curated by XLarge Gallery founder Jae Seok Kim, that explores the idea of home through queer perspectives. Programming throughout the year will include gallery residencies, special projects, and curated exhibitions.

Jongno District

The Jogno District is what Avenue Matignon is to Paris, Chelsea is to New York, Mayfair is to London, and H Queen’s and The Pedder Building are in Hong Kong. Jongno, the historic core of Seoul, is where hanok-style teahouses and traditional galleries reside amid contemporary art spaces and design shops. If you want to see a mix of spots to check out the art scene in one place, make your way there, where you’ll discover Korean blue-chip galleries like Kukje and Gallery Hyundai; the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul; and Art Sonje Center.

Primary Practice

Tucked away in an unassuming building in Buam-dong and run by curator Sung Woo Kim, Primary Practice has become the gallery that Seoul’s artists watch most closely. Founded by a collective of curators frustrated with the commercial gallery system’s limitations, they define it as a curatorial space that operates more like a laboratory than a traditional gallery. “I love that they focus on emerging and mid-career artists—every visit feels fresh and inspiring,” said Lee.

N/A

Venture to the up-and-coming and industrial Euljiro neighborhood to N/A, a gallery helmed by Jonhyeok Oh that showcases emerging talent from both Korea and abroad. “The exhibitions are always interesting, and the area itself has this incredible creative energy thanks to nearby non-profit spaces,” said Lee.