Weekly News Roundup: July 19, 2024

Paris to Host New Korean Art Event During Olympics

From July 26 to August 25, an exhibition entitled “Decoding Korea, La Corée Décodée” will present Korean media art in Paris. According to curator Lee Daehyung, the event “immerses viewers in the social, political, and cultural fabric of Korea,” exploring its transformation from a war-ravaged, colonized country to an industrial powerhouse. A total of 18 works by 11 Korean artists will be on view at the Parisian art center Grand Palais Immersif, including Kwon Hayoun’s 489 Years (2016), Kang Yiyun’s Finite (2021), and Kim Heecheon’s Double Poser (2023), among others. In honor of Nam June Paik, the pioneering Korean video artist who passed away in 2006, a special section will be dedicated to his works Global Groove (1973) and Wrap Around the World (1988). The event coincides with the 2024 Summer Olympics and is hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and organized by the Korea Arts Management Service.

Adelaide Biennial Welcomes Esteemed Curator for 2026 Iteration

The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) has appointed Ellie Buttrose as the curator of the 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Buttrose was unanimously elected by the 2026 Biennial selection panel who commended her appreciation for the diverse artistic practices within Australia’s contemporary art scene. Based in Brisbane, Buttrose is curator of Contemporary Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and has served on the curatorial team for the gallery’s flagship Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art exhibitions since 2015. Buttrose recently curated the Australia Pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale, showcasing Aboriginal artist Archie Moore’s installation kith and kin, which honors First Nations peoples by tracing his Kamilaroi/Bigambul lineage back 65,000 years. The presentation was awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, the first time an Australian has received this prestigious prize. The Adelaide Biennial, recognized as Australia’s longest-running survey of contemporary art, is scheduled to take place from February 27 to June 7, 2026.

Smithsonian in Washington Appoints Inaugural Korean Curator

On July 16, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) announced Sunwoo Hwang as the Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art and Culture. Hwang holds a master of arts degree from the University of Chicago and is a doctoral candidate at Seoul’s Dongguk University. Since 2018 she has helped shape the NMAA’s Korean arts program through various curatorial and scholarly projects, including the exhibitions “Sacred Dedication: A Korean Buddhist Masterpiece” (2019–20) and “Once Upon a Roof: Vanished Korean Architecture” (2022). As an inaugural curator at the NMAA, Hwang will oversee the museum’s Korean program and collection. One of the first American museums to showcase Korean art, the NMAA commissioned Do Ho Suh’s most recent installation Public Figures (2024), which will be on display for the next five years. For her new role, Hwang has planned a major exhibition for 2025–26 featuring Korean artworks donated by the estate of former Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee. 

Frieze Seoul Reveals Diverse Program Details

Frieze Seoul has announced the full program details for its third edition, which will run from September 4–7 throughout the city. From live performances and media art showcases to a series of talks, this year’s fair will boast new and continued partnerships. The multidisciplinary event will also debut Frieze LIVE, a program curated by Art Sonje Center’s project director Je Yun Moon. The initiative, titled “신·경(神經): Nerve or Divine Pathway,” will showcase poetry-infused performance art by seven new Korean artists, including Cha Yeonså, Jesse Chun, and Hong Ji Young. For the film segment, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s curator Joowon Park and Tate Modern curator Valentine Umansky collaborated with Ewha Media Art Presentation to produce “All that Weaves the Universe: Of Quantum Entanglements,” which will feature time-based media works by over 20 international artists. Beyond the Frieze talks, organized in association with Kiaf Seoul and Korean Arts Management Service, the fair will platform 16 nonprofit organizations across Seoul, Gwangju, and Busan. 

Citing Heat, Tokyo Art Fair Moves to Fall for 2025 Edition

The art fair known as Tokyo Gendai has announced new dates for its 2025 edition, shifting from July to September 12–14 at the Pacifico Yokohama, south of Tokyo. Speaking with ARTnews, co-founder Magnus Renfrew explained that “when weather in Tokyo is extremely hot and humid, [it] is a hindrance” to attracting US and European visitors. Aside from offering a more pleasant climate for galleries and attendees, the fall season in Japan is traditionally associated with new cultural endeavors which will be presented at the fair’s third edition. The art galleries showcased at this year’s event saw visitors from over 40 countries, as well as prominent Japanese collectors Takeo Obayashi, Shunji and Asako Oketa, and Yoshiko Mori. American galleries Pace and BLUM, both with locations in Tokyo, recorded successful sales. As part of the Art Assembly’s group of fairs in the Asia-Pacific region, Tokyo Gendai was supported by the Japan Tourism Agency and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan.

Hong Kong to Host New Photography Fair during Art Central

Art events company Creo has announced the launch of Photofairs Hong Kong, a contemporary art fair dedicated to photography. The inaugural edition will take place from March 26–30, 2025 at the open-air Central Harbourfront event space, coinciding with Art Central, another fair organized by Creo. The event is expected to welcome between 50 to 75 local and international exhibitors and will be headed by Fan Ni, director of Photofairs Shanghai. The 2025 edition will feature three sectors: “Main,” showcasing modern and contemporary photography and photo-based art; “Focus,” presenting solo and dual artist presentations; and “Digital,” spotlighting artists who experiment with photography in conjunction with cutting-edge technologies. The announcement comes one month after Creo confirmed the cancelation of Photofairs New York, which had debuted last year alongside the Armory Show. The news also marks the latest expansion of a Shanghai-based fair into Hong Kong, following Art021. 

Melbourne Art Fair Appoints New Director

On July 16, Melbourne Art Fair (MAF) announced the appointment of Melissa Loughnan as its new fair director. Loughnan’s role is bolstered by her substantial experience and notable credentials in Australia's art scene. She founded the Collingwood-based nonprofit gallery Utopian Slumps in 2007, which later transitioned to a commercial model. Since 2015, she has provided art consultancy and freelance curatorial services to government, corporate, and private clients. MAF had been directed by Maree Di Pasquale since 2018, who will continue in her role as CEO of the Melbourne Art Foundation. Positioned as a “premier fair and progressive forum for contemporary art and ideas,” every year MAF showcases over 60 galleries and Indigenous art centers from the region. Its 2025 edition is scheduled to take place from February 20–23 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

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