Weekly News Roundup: April 4, 2025
By THE EDITORS
View of Duarte Sequeira, Seoul. Courtesy Duarte Sequeira, Braga/Seoul.
International Galleries Expand in Seoul
Amid recent political turmoil and economic slowdown, the Korean art scene forges ahead, with two international galleries—Portuguese contemporary gallery Duarte Sequeira and Berlin’s Esther Schipper Gallery—announcing relocations and expansions in Seoul. On April 3, Duarte Sequeira unveiled its new space in the city’s vibrant Hannam-dong neighborhood, after relocating from Gangnam-gu with the aim of “fostering deeper connections with Seoul’s art community,” according to gallerist Duarte Sequiera. In February, Esther Schipper also relocated to Hannam-dong, to a space better suited to large-scale exhibitions, after launching its initial Seoul venue in 2022. The gallery cited the Korean capital’s “remarkable and rapid ascent . . . as a global art hub” as a driving force behind their move. Meanwhile, on March 27, Italian gallery Massimodecarlo announced its representation of Korean painter Hejum Bä—the first Korean artist signed by the gallery since the opening of its Seoul studio in Gangnam-gu last year, and the second Korean artist to join the gallery’s roster following Yee Soo-kyung.
ARPITA AKHANDA, Dendritic Data Ib, 2024, paper weaving, archival print on Hahnemuhle photo rag, 175 × 127 × 18 cm. Courtesy the artist and the Sovereign Art Foundation.
Arpita Akhanda Wins 2025 Sovereign Asian Art Prize
The nonprofit Sovereign Art Foundation has announced Indian multidisciplinary artist Arpita Akhanda as the winner of its 2025 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. Established in 2003, the annual USD 30,000 award celebrates artists from the Asia Pacific region while raising funds to support arts programs for disadvantaged children. This year’s jury—which included British curator David Elliott, the Bangkok Art Biennale’s artistic director Apinan Poshyananda, and Singapore Art Museum’s senior curator Haeju Kim—selected Akhanda out of 36 nominees for her “poetic, multidisciplinary approach” that involves “layering, destruction, and time.” The jury praised her paper weaving work Dendritic Data lb (2024), which explores themes of trauma, identity, and memory.
Portrait of LAP-SEE LAM. Photo by Simen Overgaard. Courtesy the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Hovikodden.
Lap-See Lam Wins 2025 Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award
On April 2, the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in Høvikodden, Norway, announced artist Lap-See Lam as the winner of its fourth Lise Wilhemsen Art Award. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Lam draws on traditional storytelling forms—such as Cantonese opera and shadow plays—to navigate the emotional and linguistic complexities of cultural heritage. Her practice spans film, sculpture, and installation, examining personal and collective memories as well as histories of migration. Lam was selected by an international six-person jury of art professionals, who praised the artist for her “personal yet widely resonant” works that “investigate narratives and mythologies surrounding the Cantonese diaspora in Europe, particularly in Sweden.” As part of the USD 100,000 award, Lam will hold an exhibition at the Henie Kunstsenter, which will then acquire the artist’s work for its permanent collection.
Installation view of JULIA HUNG’s Indefinite Pink, 2024, thread, resin, metal structure, light bulb, 400 × 400 × 600 cm, at Taipei Dangdai, 2024. Courtesy Taipei Dangdai.
Taipei Dangdai Reveals Program Highlights for 2025 Edition
Taipei Dangdai Art & Ideas is set to return for its sixth edition at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from May 9–11. This year, the fair brings together returning international galleries including Galerie EIGEN + ART, Galleria Continua, Ota Fine Arts, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, and SCAI The Bathhouse, alongside first-time participants such as Karsten Greve and Almine Rech. Several leading Taipei galleries will also return to the event, including Tina Keng Gallery, Lin & Lin Gallery, Asia Art Center, and Each Modern, among others. In partnership with the Taipei City Government’s Ministry of Culture, Department of Cultural Affairs, the fair will feature two special exhibitions highlighting Taiwanese artists. “Pulling the Plug” will showcase large-scale digital installations by Shu Lea Cheang, Su Hui-Yu, and Zhang Xu Zhan, while the inaugural “Taipei Node”—an annual special exhibition dedicated to Taipei-based artists—will spotlight three works by artist Li Yi-Fan, Taiwan’s national representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The program also includes a lecture by Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of London’s Serpentine Gallery, scheduled for April 13.
View of Kiang Malingue, Hong Kong. Courtesy Kiang Malingue.
Kiang Malingue to Launch New York Space
On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, the Hong Kong-based gallery Kiang Malingue has announced its expansion to New York. Gallery founders Lorraine Kiang and Edouard Malingue announced that the new venue, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, will open next month on the fourth floor of 50 Eldridge Street. Boasting 325 square meters, the space will showcase paintings, videos, sculptures, installations, photography, and performances by the gallery’s roster of established and emerging artists from Asia, Europe, and the US. The inaugural exhibition will feature new works by Hiroka Yamashita, marking the Japanese-born artist’s debut in New York.
