Amid the commercial commotion, fairs like The Armory Show, Independent 20th Century and Photofairs New York are providing free or discounted space for non-profits
Non-profits paws-itively ubiquitous at Armory Week fairs
Window Chronicles Mimics the Positive Effects of a Real Window
After six months spent living in a one-window studio in Seoul, Noëmi Orgaer realized the importance of having a connection to the outdoors – even when you’re surrounded by four walls. Her lone window faced the neighbor’s unimpressive wall. Over time, Orgaer began to notice the impact it was having on her state of mind and overall quality of life. It makes sense, as extensive research has shown that our social, mental, and physical well-being can be effected by lack of access. “This experience ignited my curiosity to delve into the history and purpose of windows as an archetype,” she said. “It motivated me to develop a light system that could benefit individuals in similar situations and promote a healthier living environment.” Window Chronicles is an illuminated wall object that draws inspiration from the natural rhythms Orgaer has observed through her current windows in Brussels.
The lighting pays special attention to the dynamic transformation that can be achieved and its influence on interior spaces, accomplishing both through the use of two adjustable components. The interactivity lends itself to the sensation of opening a window, creating an immersive experience. To achieve this reflection of the outdoors, real-time weather data is used to ensure the lighting accurately shares the current conditions through GPS coordinates of its location.
“Window Chronicles embodies my personal interpretation of the window as a tool that enables communication with our environment, and consequently, reflection with ourselves,” Orgaer shared. “And while attempts have been made to replicate the effects of natural light through artificial means, with similar goals to my project, we must remember that the intrinsic value of natural light cannot be overstated or surpassed. It remains important for architectural design to place great emphasis on natural light and therefor windows. I believe viable solutions should be available for those living in spaces with limited to no qualitative window access, especially in situations where construction cannot be reversed or modified. The essence of windows surpasses their function as a mere transitional space, instead functioning as a medium for further exploration of our connection to our natural and artificial environments.”
Noëmi Orgaer
To learn more about Window Chronicles, visit rundgang.io.
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Gallery Glance: “These Colors Will Not Run,” Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk), “My Country, ‘tis of Thee” (2002), digital inkjet print, is part of the exhibit “These Colors Will Not Run” at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. (collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art / photo by EG Schempf)
Color speaks volumes — its absence or presence conveying stark realities, deep emotions and breathtaking beauty. It can wield power, invite someone in or push them away. “These Colors Will Not Run” at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is an exploration of color, from the vibrance of bugle beads and crayons to the dull grayscale of black and white photographs. It is also an examination into the lives, cultures and artmaking practices of each artist — all of whom are living Native artists — including Craig George (Navajo/Diné), Jeffrey Gibson (Cherokee/Choctaw), Dyani White Hawk (Sičangu Lakota), James Johnson (Tlingit), Tom Jones (Ho-Chunk), Douglas Miles (San Carlos Apache) and Holly Wilson (Delaware Nation/Cherokee).
The titular phrase — “These Colors Will Not Run” — appears on Jones’ print “My country, ‘tis of Thee.” In it, two Native women stare out at viewers. The elder is seated, grasping a cane, while the younger stands next to her, wrapped in a black blanket. Behind them, an American flag ripples in the wind, held by a smiling white woman rendered in 1950s pin-up style. Jones’ work references the complexities of patriotism, juxtaposing archival Native images with classic Americana. His “Protect us by Thy might” displays an archival image of an Indian war dance with text at the bottom explaining, “Native Americans proportionally send more of their people off to war, more than any other group in America.” In each piece, sepia tones are broken with the ubiquitous colors of the American flag.
Highlighting an array of colors, like that of a crayon box, Wilson’s “How Much More Must She Bear” features a grid of 12 miniature busts of girls adorned in bear ears. The girls are nearly identical, yet within their distant expressions come slight variances. Each bear is a different color, from black and white to bright green and orange. Wilson explains, “The Bear Girls do not see the color of each other’s skin or limitations that have been placed upon them because of who they are or where they come (from).”
Gibson’s and White Hawk’s works are strikingly intricate, highlighting more traditional Native artmaking practices. Gibson’s “Shield, number 1” is composed of a deer hide painted in vibrant geometric shapes stretched across a wooden ironing board. Sharp triangles jut out from the shield, indicating their intent to protect. White Hawk’s “Untitled (All the Colors)” features intricately threaded beads arranged in bold horizontal stripes. The piece is rounded like an archway beckoning viewers.
Themes of athleticism link the works of Miles, Johnson and George though their mediums are vastly different. Miles’ “Douglas Miles at The Fort” is a photograph of Miles’ son, professional skateboarder Doug Miles, Jr., in front of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Miles is “a photographer that has been capturing Native American reality, not romanticism, triumph, not tragedy,” according to the artist’s website. Johnson’s graphic, animalistic works are painted on old skateboards. George’s lifelike “Need for Speed” oil painting depicts a bike racer leaning toward the handlebars shouting, in pain or exaltation, as he whirs past graffiti-lined walls.
Colors may fade over time, yet their symbols and imprints are lasting. Featuring works all drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, “These Colors Will Not Run” is an expression of each artist’s relationship to color and what various colors evoke in them. It is also a snapshot of a moment in their lives — their passions, perspectives and shared histories as Native people. Though the artists, tribes and works are unique, “These Colors Will Not Run” pulls them into a cohesive whole.
“These Colors Will Not Run” continues at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, through Dec. 21. (The show will close temporarily, Sept. 4-15, for a display of Wild Life! auction artworks.) Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Hear an artist talk with Dyani White Hawk Sept. 28. For more information, 913.469.3000 or www.nermanmuseum.org.
In ‘American Grown,’ Tiffanie Turner Roots Out Personal Memories and U.S. Exceptionalism
“Excerpt from Still Life with flowers on a marble tabletop” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, and cardboard, 29 x 30.5 x 21.5 inches. All images © Shaun Roberts, shared with permission
In preparing for her newest body of work, Tiffanie Turner sowed three ideas: to expand the standard shapes of her sculptures, to draw underrecognized connections, and to unearth a long-held concern about American culture.
An architect by training, the artist (previously) is known for her incredibly lifelike paper flowers that explore beauty standards and aging through dramatic decay and flawed growths. Her interests in recent years have largely been universal, questioning the nature of imperfection and human vanity or the impending destruction caused by the climate crisis.
But in American Grown, Turner turns toward the personal. Two and a half years in the making, the series comprises ten massive sculptures made with the artist’s signature crepe-paper petals layered in dense masses. The flowers embody both an artistic challenge—one of the three principles behind the collection was to leave behind the circular, wall-mounted form in favor of more conical, gravity-defying constructions—and a deeply introspective look at Turner’s own life. “After spending over two years with this body of work, thinking almost every day about where this idea of the United States being ‘the greatest nation’ in the family I grew up in, I think I figured it out,” she tells Colossal, sharing that she’s circling around how American exceptionalism is deeply rooted in culture and often passed through generations.
The idea for this body of work came about during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic “when her shame about being an American was at an all-time high. A cartoon of an American was swirling in her head: a styleless, gun-loving, misogynistic, God-fearing racist,” a statement says. Like her earlier pieces, Turner returned to universality as she realized that these traits are not always unique to the U.S. Instead, she used that caricature as a starting point to explore this belief in superiority and to connect to “her childhood, comparing and contrasting the standards and safeguards around the raising of her two children with memories of her grandparents and parents, focusing on the past, present, and future, in the timeframe of 1950 to 2050.”
“Cockscomb Rose” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, spray paint, glue, wood rods, cardboard, and soft pastel, 45 x 36.5 x 20 inches
Ephemerality is inherent in Turner’s blossoms, as she preserves the fleeting state of freshness in paper. But where earlier works featured browning petals on the outer edges, those in American Grown are central. A dark rot emanates from the inside of “Excerpt from Still Life with flowers on a marble tabletop,” while the base of the towering “Croquembouche” is laced with decay, suggesting that there’s something insidious not on the fringe but directly at the heart.
The final tenet of the series is discovery and connection. Turner references the two-headed “Cocksome Rose,” which resembles a fasciated strawberry of the same name, and her desire to draw similarities between disparate objects. Even if viewers don’t connect the two misshapen forms, she hopes that “they will still wonder about the piece, and perhaps find something in it that [the artist] hasn’t yet seen.”
American Grown will be on view from September 9 to October 21 at Eleanor Harwood Gallery in San Francisco. Head to Instagram to glimpse Turner’s process and follow updates on her work.
“Originalism (December 15, 1791 – present)” (2023), Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, floral wire, chalk, vintage flag pole holder, and ribbons, 15 x 23 x 14 inches
“580085” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, cardboard, wood rods, and rubber balls, 33 x 32.5 x 15 inches
“Byproduct/Burnt Offerings (Ranunculus)” (2022), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, and Quik-Tube, 29 3/4 x 27 inches
“Byproduct/Burnt Offerings (Ranunculus)” (2022), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, and Quik-Tube, 29 3/4 x 27 inches
“Croquembouche” (2022), Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, floral wire, chalk, chicken egg shells, hat stand, metal platter on pedestal, and epoxy adhesive, 26 1/2 x 15 inches
“The (Brown) Crown” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, wood rods, wood skewers, cardboard mailing tubes, basketball hoop frame, misc. hardware bits, bungee cords, and velcro, 38 x 32 x 38.5 inches
Detail of “The (Brown) Crown” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, wood rods, wood skewers, cardboard mailing tubes, basketball hoop frame, misc. hardware bits, bungee cords, and velcro, 38 x 32 x 38.5 inches
“Soup to Nuts” (2023), paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, wood rods, cardboard, and ribbons, 36 x 46 x 17 inches
A work-in-progress image of “IIndurate (of a size that is remarkable)” (2023), paper mâché, Sonotube, Italian crepe paper, stain, glue, cardboard, basketball hoop, metal rods, metal bits, wood rods, and wood strips, 46 x 28.5 x 57 inches
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘American Grown,’ Tiffanie Turner Roots Out Personal Memories and U.S. Exceptionalism appeared first on Colossal.
The Ultimate Guide to CryptoCubes: A Metaverse-Native Collection
CryptoCubes are more than NFTs; they’re more than art; they’re more than an experimental digital collection. They’re a piece of digital art history. They’re an experiment. And they’re a philosophical exploration of what it means to be “on-chain.”
The CryptoCubes collection is one of the first examples of generative 3D art, meaning they are algorithmically generated and now fully stored on the Ethereum blockchain. They’re not linked to external servers—they are pure code that creates unique shapes, colors, and patterns. NFT enthusiasts know how rare and challenging it is to do this successfully in 2023 and beyond.
CryptoCubes did it in 2020.
They sold in waves of 50 until 256 NFTs were sold, denoting the number of integers in the RGB color code. At the time of writing, the floor price for a CryptoCube is 6.8 ETH on OpenSea, with a total sales volume of nearly 2,002 ETH.
How did such an innovative project come to fruition so far ahead of other 3D on-chain generated art projects? In large part because of its creator, Han Saglam.
What are CryptoCubes?
Every CryptoCube is a result of a unique generation process, which Han created. According to his “Genesis” Medium article from September 2020, which explained the then-forthcoming collection, CryptoCubes are “algorithmically generated volumetric abstractions[…]each CryptoCube is a unique output.”
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Despite the algorithmic inspiration for each CryptoCube, the final collection of 256 CryptoCubes is the outcome of Han’s careful curation and artistic vision. The CryptoCubes playground allows users to animate the CryptoCubes and use them in 3D metaverse environments like OnCyber.
Among the infinite possibilities that the algorithm presented, Han selected the 256 that best represented his vision for CryptoCubes. When he spoke to nft now about the collection, he said, “When people ask me how many cubes I generated, I can only respond: ‘a lot.’”
Why cubes? Because to Han, the cube is a symbol of digital creation. “The cube is a human-made shape; you can’t find it in nature,” said Han. “Its artificiality defines it in the digital world.”
Cubes are also the building blocks of the digital world. They embody both simplicity and complexity, serving as the foundational elements from which intricate digital environments and creations can be constructed. Han cites Minecraft, the massively popular sandbox game, as an example of the creative possibilities with cubes. “Minecraft looks simple: it’s just a bunch of blocks. But what people create with those blocks is complex.”
Similar to Minecraft, with CryptoCubes, Han begins with something simple—literally a building block—and invites others to use it as a canvas for their creativity.
Who Created CryptoCubes?
Han isn’t new to the world of NFTs. He’s been involved in two other projects that showcased his passion for the experimental convergences of the aesthetic and the algorithmic, the geometric and the organic, the digital and the physical. An ardent music aficionado with a particular love for piano, Han sees art and technology as an intricate dance between input and output. “The output, whether visual or audio, is as important as the technology that creates it,” he says.
To that end, he created another project, AlgoRhythms, which he developed in collaboration with digital artist Nicolas Daniel. Curated by Art Blocks, the project was a collection of 1,000 generative audio-visual data sculptures, meaning the NFTs themselves played algorithmically-generated musical notes. This project was later followed up with AlgoBeats. AlgoBeats was also a collaboration between Nicolas and Han. Together, they’ve developed a unique digital music box that fuses the systematic approach of programming with the dynamics of music. While their previous project, AlgoRhythms, focused on music scales, AlgoBeats delves into uncharted rhythms and sounds. It’s designed as a creative tool for musicians, especially in the blockchain realm, and boasts interactive easter eggs for users.
That led him to LightOnChain, a groundbreaking installation that bridged the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Han financed this ambitious project entirely from his crypto earnings, overseeing everything from contracting to installation. LightOnChain was an NFT-powered light installation located in a Turkish town called Kaplankaya. The collection consisted of 660 physical lights that were connected to blockchain-connected hardware.
The installation allowed people to send transactions that could change the brightness, amplitude, frequency, and exact light in the physical world. It was a way of interacting with the blockchain in a tangible and visible way. When he built it, Han says he wasn’t aware it was considered one of the first examples of a physical version of NFTs. Firsts have become second nature for him at this point.
Han does everything with CryptoCubes himself; the way he likes it. Just as a piano performance is the intimate act of one person, so is his relationship with CryptoCubes: a singular, independent opus of creative and technical artistry.
How to buy a CryptoCube NFT
To join fellow CryptoCubes holders Erick Snowfro, VonMises, 6529 Fund, Pablo, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, you can buy your own on OpenSea or SuperRare. According to Saglam, the value of a CryptoCube is multifaceted. First, there’s the historical significance. “It’s one of the first examples of 3D generative collection that is currently on-chain,” he says. “It’s a milestone in the history of digital art.”
But owning a CryptoCube isn’t just about owning a piece of history. It’s also about owning a piece of potential.
“CryptoCubes aren’t static. They’re dynamic and interactive. You can use them in different ways in the digital realm, such as creating your own compositions with them. Every day is a new evolution.” Han mused.
CryptoCubes Creators
Driven by this desire to inspire individual creativity in the same vein as Minecraft, Han created CryptoCubes Creators. The initiative invites artists to infuse their unique flair into the CryptoCubes’ aesthetic and ethos. Each creator picks a CryptoCube number and uses that specific cube to construct their own artwork in their unique style.
Every three months, Han collaborates with a new set of artists. So far, over 100 different artists have participated in this project, including notables like Erick Snowfro, Claire Silver, Refik Anadol, Fvckrender, Rik Oostenbroek, and DeeKay, whose piece titled Right-Click Savers sold for $200,000.
In selecting artists for collaboration, Han goes beyond name recognition, “I focus on curating and inviting the artists who are nft native, and have helped shape the nft scene.”
The future of CryptoCubes
Han isn’t satisfied with what he’s achieved so far. He wants to challenge his technical abilities and push the boundaries of on-chain art.
He cares about this mission because, to him, 100 percent on-chain art because it is more secure, transparent, and authentic than its off-chain counterparts, which rely on external servers that can be compromised. “On-chain art,” he says, “will live for as long as Ethereum lives.”
Creating on-chain artwork isn’t easy. Han has to work out the technical details of compressing source code to fit into a single transaction without losing image quality. But that’s what Han does: he finds interesting technical problems and solves them.
“As we evolve better infrastructures, compression algorithms, and scaling solutions, we’ll be able to get more complex data on-chain. Then we’ll really see what’s possible with on-chain art.”
We also invite you to check out Han’s latest project, where he creates distinctive artworks, crafted using Javascript and GLSL shaders, and resides fully onchain. Each piece, a true 1 of 1, is encapsulated in its own smart contract, making it self-contained for sales and unalterable.
The next CryptoCubes Creators drop will be in the following months. You can follow the Hanrgb, CryptoCubes Twitter for updates.
Prince Philip had cheeky sex book inside Buckingham Palace
A royal photographer has revealed the moment he discovered that the late Duke of Edinburgh had a copy of a well-renowned sex book on his shelves during a photoshoot.
Julian Calder, who took the striking portraits of the late Queen on the Scottish Moors, has shared some fascinating insights about capturing images of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on the first episode of season two of HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast.
“I once did a portrait of Prince Phillip in his office. And he was standing there, and I was quite young at the time,” he tells HELLO!
“And I’m looking through the lens, I thought ‘God just behind his right ear is a book – The Joy of Sex‘ – and I had to say ‘Prince Philip, should we move that?’ And he laughed and he got his equerry to come and move it.”
Dr Alex Comfort’s The Joy of Sex was first published in 1972 and became an international best seller.
In our first podcast episode, A Year On, Julian also shares how he got the late Queen to smile for one of his iconic photographs. Listen to the full episode here…
Meanwhile, writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth also joins HELLO!‘s podcast hosts to share his favourite memories of the late monarch, and the close relationship the Queen had with Margaret Thatcher.
Elsewhere, HELLO!‘s royal editor Emily Nash looks back at the past royal year and how much it has changed since the late Queen’s funeral. And what the second year of King Charles’ reign will bring.
The market for photography is on a roll
The Armory Show has long had its share of photo-centric presentations, but this year it will be sharing the Javits Center with a new fair showcasing photography and related media: Photofairs New York, which will launch with 56 exhibitors. While the photography market seemed to have plateaued a decade ago, the arrival of a dedicated fair suggests that interest in the medium has grown significantly post-pandemic.
Two major Christie’s auctions in 2022 signalled the arrival of this new era: Man Ray’s Le Violon d’Ingres (1924) selling for $12.4m (with fees), and Edward Steichen’s Flatiron (1904) for $11.8m (with fees).
“These sales basically blew the lid off photography and created enormous amounts of pricing ambiguity,” says Bruce Silverstein, whose eponymous gallery is participating in The Armory Show. “With extraordinary images that might be $500,000 or $700,000, now we wonder, what are they worth? Are they $1m? Are they $5m? This huge chasm in pricing discovery represents enormous opportunity.”
Silverstein, who learned the language of photography from his photographer father at a young age, remains market savvy, especially at this pivotal moment.
“It’s beyond being affordable; it’s just extraordinarily undervalued,” he says. “But things are changing rapidly, the top collectors are starting to get involved and people are quickly becoming aware that there is this burgeoning field. It’s remarkable that you can still acquire works by leaders of history and photography at prices that are dwarfed by those in other media.”
Photography is now defined by its ubiquity. Collectors are deeply familiar with this medium, as they can access, edit and upload it in the palms of their hands. Yet it may be this commonality that drives the yearning for more sophisticated imagery.
“There is no other art form that has such an enormous percentage of the population actually participating in the creation process, and these individuals are becoming educated as to those who came before them, and who have influenced the way we all see,” Silverstein says.
Rapid crossover
For Helen Toomer, the director of Photofairs New York (and the former director of the Pulse Contemporary Art Fair), a spirit of accessibility and creative collaboration is essential to capturing the renewed interest in photography. “It’s not about smoke and mirrors; it’s about open arms,” she says. “It’s about ‘Come ask questions and connect.’ That is integral to the fair’s growth and success.”
An important factor fuelling resurgent demand for fine art photography seems to be the widespread interest in digital art, artificial intelligence (AI) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Digital methodologies are rapidly crossing over into more traditional photographic formats and the result is a new kind of image altogether, with AI seen as another tool of innovation.
Much of the AI-generated photography shown to date has been ultra-polished, running counter to many collectors’ interest in rawness and more historical imagery. The accessibility and immediacy of a physical, printed image remain powerful features.
Damjanski’s Post Human Dog—Murray (2020), in which the artist has used AI to erase people © the artist, courtesy of Postmasters Gallery
“Because everyone spent so much time looking at their phones, they’re very happy to be looking at work in person and they’re leaving their phones in their pockets. That [behaviour] was disappearing before the pandemic,” says Tarrah von Lintel, whose Los Angeles-based Von Lintel Gallery is showing at Photofairs New York. “If you watch most people scroll through social media, it’s done at breakneck speed and there’s no way you could take in the entirety of the image.”
As such, works that do not reproduce well online are given new life in person at fairs and other public exhibitions. Von Lintel believes tastes are shifting away from the small, black-and-white images that are hallmarks of fine art photography, while Silverstein suggests that there is a fresh appeal for more intimate viewing experiences. Either way, everyone is championing unique pieces and experimentation in photography.
AI is now a part of that discourse. At Photofairs, Von Lintel is showing works by the Turkish-French artist Sarp Kerem Yavuz, who used AI platform Midjourney to create his homoerotic series Polaroids from the Ottoman Empire (2023). The resulting photorealistic works are completely contradictory by nature, mixing past, present and future while challenging widely held assumptions about both photography and artificiality.
Toomer cites Von Lintel’s showcase as part of the broader conversation about how new technology is changing conversations about photography. “It always comes back to ‘What makes an image? What is truth?’” she says. “These are the questions that people have been asking about photographs since the beginning.”
Other participants will also test the boundaries between lens-based and new media art. New York’s Postmasters Gallery is showing Post Human Dog (2020) by mononym artist Damjanski, which uses AI to erase people from images; and Horror Chase (2002), a sculpture by Jennifer and Kevin McCoy that employs cinematic footage from 2002 recalibrated by an algorithm. Lower East Side gallery bitforms will show a selection of abstract digital works; and Miami-based Transfer gallery is featuring a selection of Huntrezz Janos’s augmented-reality face filters.
A more analogue type of hybrid that will be on show at Photofairs is woven photography. Von Lintel is showing hand-embroidered Lovers & Dreamers (2019-23) landscapes by Lucia Engstrom, where the woven component creates a trompe l’oeil effect, giving the image a sculptural dimension. In addition to his more blue-chip offerings, Silverstein is showing works by Sarah Sense, a Chitimacha and Choctaw artist who weaves photographs using traditional patterns learned from her family. These techniques seek to challenge expectations of photography’s documentary and archival uses.
Ultimately, this evolving context is about the intersection of contemporary art with photography, and everyone in the field agrees that the medium is evolving more rapidly now than it has in decades.
“We’re not drawing from light; we’re drawing from pixels. These images are no longer rooted in reality, but rather purely from the imagination of the creator, which is a very important evolutionary step,” Silverstein says. “Photography or image-based art will inevitably be the most influential art form moving forward, and the works that we’re dealing in—these small photographs from history—are the seeds of that movement.”
Toomer and Scott Gray, the founder and chief executive of Photofairs, hope that the fair will not only benefit participating artists and dealers, but the medium of photography itself, providing a space for these kinds of conversations to unfold on a yearly basis. “We’re putting down roots,” Toomer says, and “planting seeds this year”.
In Spite of an Ongoing Art Market Correction, Frieze Seoul Returns for Its Sophomore Edition With a Bigger International Crowd
Days before the sophomore edition of the Frieze Seoul kicked off on Wednesday, September 6, the international art crowd had already descended into the South Korean capital for pre-fair visits to a seemingly endless list of art openings and parties, where they rubbed shoulders with K-pop and K-drama celebrities.
“I’m already exhausted,” was a line frequently heard on the eve of the VIP day of Frieze Seoul and the stalwart Korea International Art Fair (Kiaf). The next morning, that fatigue seems to have dissipated as art crowds were seen lining up for both fairs, which take place on separate floors at Coex in the city’s Gangnam district (both run from September 6 through 9).
Despite a global market correction experienced since the beginning of the year, dealers sounded pleased with the turnout and some reported solid sales. Others felt it was a bit slow, but the overall atmosphere was vibrant. “Maybe some people feel that Seoul could be the next Hong Kong, so they come, do their homework, and prepare for the next year,” one Asian art world insider told Artnet News.
A very crowded VIP day of Frieze Seoul 2023. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
The Evolution of Seoul
It is clear that part of the appeal of the fair is the city beyond it: patrons from the Bass in Miami and Aspen Art Museum were spotted visiting artist studios, institutions, private collections, as well as both of the fairs on Wednesday’s VIP day.
Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul, said the city has been upping its game to create a conducive environment for arts and culture. “Frieze and Kiaf art fairs are not government-initiated art events,” Oh told Artnet News at Frieze Seoul via an interpreter. “What we do as a city government is to create the environment so that citizens and visitors coming to the fairs can move around conveniently.”
The city listened to feedback from last year, including complaints about difficulty visitors had getting around the city. Oh noted that city officials have tried to offer more taxis (Uber also works this year). Google Maps shows more information, and drivers seem more comfortable with communicating with non-Korean speakers via translation apps. But some newcomers still find the city hard to navigate.
In the spacious aisles of Frieze Seoul, booths were filled with visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Europe, and the U.S. “It definitely feels bigger and more international this year,” art advisor and collector Lawrence Van Hagen told Artnet News ahead of the fairs’ opening. But whether Seoul can be Hong Kong’s equal in Asia will depend on whether the market can be geared towards the wider region. “It needs to open up to the entire Asia,” he noted.
Newcomer Enthusiasm
The positive feedback from the debut of Frieze Seoul in 2022 encouraged new galleries to sign up for this year’s show, which grew from 110 exhibitors to 121 this year. Jessica Silverman from San Francisco, was among the newcomers. The gallery brought a curated solo booth of American ceramicist and painter Woody De Othello, who was presenting work in Asia for the first time; the artist was seen surrounded by enthusiastic Asian and western visitors on the opening day.
Hours after the opening, the gallery sold four sculptures, each priced between $75,000 and $92,000, as well as a 2023 canvas work titled trees protect and shield, for $65,000. Buying clients, the gallery said, included those based in South Korea and Taiwan.
Jessica Silverman’s booth at Frieze Seoul 2023. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
“We always wanted to do a fair in Asia,” said founder and owner Jessica Silverman. “Originally we planned to do Art Basel Hong Kong, but the pandemic hit. And so, we try Frieze Seoul.” The gallery cited an interest in South Korea’s museum and institutional landscape as a motive. Silverman noted how engaged the audience is. “They ask intelligent questions,” she said.
Capsule Shanghai is also taking part for the first time, in the fair’s Focus on Asia section. “We want to open new doors for my artists. The institutions are also very engaging,” said Capsule Shanghai’s gallery’s director Enrico Polato. The gallery presented a solo booth of luminous canvases by Mevlana Lipp, a 1989-born German artist; by afternoon, it has already sold nearly half the booth priced between $8,000 and $23,000 to Asian collectors.
Locals were among the first-timers as well: Seoul-based Cylinder, a young gallery that opened two years ago, is presenting Korean artist Sinae Yoo’s paintings and sculptures, priced between $10,000 and $83,000. The gallery pre-sold two paintings.
Frieze Seoul 2023. Photo: Vivienne Chow.
Sales at the Top
Some dealers reported that sales were slower than last year’s fair, which is not surprising given that the Korean art market saw a substantial decline in the first half of 2023, showing itself to be more volatile than the global art market as a whole. But, on the whole, it did not seem to have too many adverse effects on the opening day.
Thaddaeus Ropac, which just announced its representation of Korean artist Heemin Chung on Wednesday, September 6, sold works by the artist to a Korean institution. The gallery also sold a work by Lee Bul ($190,000) to a Japanese collector, a work by Sylvie Fleury (€60.000) to an American collector, as well as a canvas work by Daniel Richter (€375,000) to a Chinese collector.
“It’s really gathering momentum and we’ve definitely seen more collectors traveling from across Asia to the fair this year, as well as there’s being development in Korean attendance. It’s been very fast paced today, we’ve certainly made more sales just a few hours into the fair this year than we did last year. It’s really a testament to the amazing art scene in Korea,” the gallerist said in a statement.
Despite clashing with the Armory Show in New York this week, dealer Tina Kim, a member of the fair’s selection committee of Frieze Seoul, did not think that there was any direct competition. For one thing: the fair consists of about 30 percent Asian galleries participating, and Frieze Seoul and the Armory have different audiences, she said (perhaps Frieze already knew this when it acquired the Armory Show earlier this summer).
“This means for western visitors, it is an opportunity to see galleries they would not otherwise have a chance to,” Kim commented. She noted that galleries are getting to know the regional market a bit better, and what works and what doesn’t. “There are strong works selected for the Asian market,” she noted of the offering at the fair. “They are inviting their artists to engage with the program and meet the audience,” she added.
Daniel Richter, Aber, Aber (2023). Courtesy Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul © Daniel Richter / VG Bildkunst, Bonn 2023.
Despite fears of fallout effects of the downturn, dealers dared to bring pricy works , many of which seemed to be concentrated in the Frieze Masters section. Skarstedt presented a 1985 Willem de Kooning work on canvas priced in the region of $10 million; Gray Gallery opted for works by Alex Katz, Joan Mitchell, and Andy Warhol, priced between $1 million and $5 million. A $3.5 million Jeff Koons sculpture, Gazing Ball (Centaur and Lapith Maiden) (2013) is on view alongside a $2.2 million Renoir painting at Robilant + Voena.
By the end of opening day, Pace sold a 1954 Alexander Calder sculpture, which reportedly had an asking price of $2 million, as well as a 2023 painting by Yoshitomo Nara, whose ceramics and drawings are featured in a solo show at the gallery’s Seoul space. The gallery also sold works by Lee Kun-Yong, Joel Shapiro, and Robert Nava, ranged between $150,000 and $250,000. Stephen Friedman sold paintings by Yooyun Yang ($15,000) and Sarah Ball (£85,000).
Paris-based Jocelyn Wolff and Berlin-based Meyer Riegger collaborated on a shared booth, with a solo presentation of Miriam Cahn. Thomas Riegger told Artnet News that the two galleries hoped to join forces to promote Cahn’s art given that museum clients in Asia have shown strong interests in the Swiss artist’s work. Works on show included paintings and drawings priced between $10,000 and $200,000, and the galleries sold around five works to private collections in South Korea on VIP day.
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