ArtAsiaPacific: Weekly News Roundup: August 23, 2024

Frieze and KIAF Organizers Share Highlights

In a joint press conference on August 22, the international art fairs Frieze Seoul and KIAF Seoul revealed details about the upcoming events, which will both begin at Gangnam’s COEX Convention Center on September 4. The third edition of Frieze Seoul will feature over 110 galleries from 32 countries; most hail from Asia and have branches in Korea, but of the 23 newcomers, many are exhibiting in Seoul for the first time. This year’s program entails three sections, with a focus on art and exhibitors from Asia: Frieze Masters, displaying historical art; Focus Asia, introducing new artists from emerging galleries; and the inaugural Frieze Live, showcasing poetry-themed performances. Meanwhile KIAF, which is organized by the Galleries Association of Korea and is now in its 23rd year, will host 206 exhibitors from 22 countries. The special exhibition “KIAF onSITE” will showcase installations, performances, and multimedia projects by local and international artists, thematizing the relationship between humans and technology. Frieze will run until September 7, while KIAF will end on the 8th.

Massive Public Art Project to Hit NYC

ART 2030, a nonprofit organization that works with art to achieve the United Nations’s 17 Global Goals, is set to produce a large-scale public art project titled “Future Ours,” featuring contributions from 21 artists and art collectives worldwide; among the invited are Icelandic Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and Damascus-born artist Simone Fattal. “Future Ours” will be hosted inside the UN headquarters in New York from September 13–29, alongside the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, where diplomats will discuss critical issues in the global community. In partnership with the French advertising firm JCDecaux, posters of the artworks will also be displayed on bus shelters throughout New York from September 16–29. “Future Ours” will be co-curated by Chilean artist and educator Patricia Domínguez, Swiss curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and New York-based critic Jeppe Ugelvig. In 2025, the project will travel to Copenhagen and be exhibited at the Kunsthal Charlottenborg Biennale, as well as in public spaces throughout Denmark.

The Met to Unveil Lee Bul Commission

On September 12, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) will debut four new sculptures by renowned South Korean artist Lee Bul, titled Long Tail Halo (2024), for the institution’s iconic Fifth Avenue facade. The fifth installment of the Met’s annual Genesis Facade Commission, Long Tail Halo also marks Lee’s first major project in the United States in more than 20 years. A press release stated that the works “explore the complexities of the human condition through powerful, hybrid forms . . . while speaking to present-day hopes and anxieties about the future.” For this commission the Seoul-based artist worked with Lesley Ma, a curator in the Met’s department of modern and contemporary art. The artwork will be presented by the global automotive brand Genesis as part of its art initiatives, with additional support from the Korea Foundation and the Kahng Foundation, among others. Long Tail Halo will be on view until May 27, 2025.

Displaced Gallery Finds New Home in West Bund 

ShanghArt Gallery, founded by Swiss gallerist Lorenz Helbling, has opened a new venue at the old Nanpu Railway Station in Shanghai, marking its fourth location alongside ShanghArt M50 in Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore. Situated in the West Bund Financial Hub area, the new “ShanghArt WB Central” venue was designed by Hangzhou-based architects GOA Headquarters and comprises 500-square meters above ground and another 700-square meters underground. Helbling stated that the move was prompted by the end of the gallery’s five-year lease at its previous West Bund headquarters, where several galleries were evicted in June. The venue’s inaugural exhibition is a group show titled “In Harmony With The Way,” featuring works by eight young artists—some making their debut at ShanghArt—that will run until September 22.

Major Merger of Beijing Cultural Districts

Beijing’s 798 Art District and 751 Design Park have joined forces, creating the largest arts and creative industry cluster in China. The combined area of the 798 and 751 districts, now dubbed 798-751, spans over 500,000-square meters and is home to more than 600 galleries, studios, and creative spaces. In June, the industry giant Beijing Electronics Holdings hosted an inaugural meeting to launch a culture and technology platform in the Chinese capital, proposing that Beijing integrate the spaces to leverage advancement in both sectors. 798-751 will continue to host major cultural events such as Summer Rhythm, the 798 International Art Season, the Drama Summer – Beijing Drama Carnival, the 798 Art Festival, and the 751 Tech-Culture Festival. These programs are expected to attract both domestic and international audiences, boosting investment in Beijing’s creative industries and strengthening the city’s position as a cultural and innovation hub.

Accession of Golden Lion-Winning Artwork 

The Australian government has acquired the award-winning installation kith and kin (2024) by First Nations artist Archie Moore, gifting it to the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane and its British acquisition partner, the Tate. Commissioned by Creative Australia, the government’s principal arts investment and advisory body, and curated by QAGOMA’s Ellie Buttrose, the installation made history when it was awarded the Golden Lion at this year’s 60th Venice Biennale, marking the first Australian artwork to be honored with the prize. Moore’s kith and kin is both political and personal, as it maps 65,000 years of his Kamilaroi/Bigambul heritage while reflecting the grim history of Indigenous incarceration. Chris Saines, the art director of QAGOMA, described the work as “an extraordinary image of human connection through deep time,” adding that the institutions “are profoundly grateful to be the joint custodians of this historic work.” The installation is currently on view at the Australia Pavilion for the Venice Biennale, which runs until November 24. In August 2025 the work will be presented in Brisbane.

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