Seoul: Everyone Wants A Slice
By Valentina Buzzi
JI YOUNG YOON, Just, You, One, Face, 2024, beeswax, stearic acid, multiple voices recorded with phonograph wax cylinders, 40 × 30 × 30 cm. Courtesy the artist and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul.
Another year, another blinding spotlight on the art ecosystem of Seoul, and South Korea at large. The third edition of Frieze Seoul marked a particular milestone, showcasing international and local talent in addition to other significant accomplishments—such as South Korea’s strong presence at the 60th Venice Biennale and two domestic biennales: the 15th edition of the Gwangju Biennale and the 2024 Busan Biennale. South Korean art also continued to gain worldwide attention through exhibitions in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific region, thanks to the efforts of national funding provided by KAMS (Korean Art Management Service) and initiatives supported by various Korean conglomerates—Lee Bul’s Genesis Facade Commission at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Mire Lee’s major Hyundai Commission at the Turbine Hall in London’s Tate Modern being two primary examples.
