Check in and check out the Asia Hotel Art Fair

Artist KUN's KunCat is currently being exhibited at COEX, southern Seoul. The display is part of the Asia Hotel Art Fair, which runs through Sunday. [ASIA HOTEL ART FAIR]

The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has temporarily transformed into a gallery for the 19th Asia Hotel Art Fair (AHAF) Seoul.

The annual art fair checked in at the five star hotel in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, with over 3,000 works by 350 artists. Sixty-two galleries from Korea, Hong Kong, France and elsewhere are participating. The artworks are displayed in 97 guestrooms across four floors, allowing visitors to take their time to carefully inspect paintings and sculptures propped up on beds and bathroom counters. The hotel lobby and the club lounge on the 26th floor also feature works.

Special exhibitions spotlight collections of works by theme.

The Architecture Special Exhibition, for example, hosts drawings and paintings by 11 of Korea’s leading architects including Seung H-Sang.

The Figure Special Exhibition presents toys made by artists like Coolrain, while the Young Artist Special Exhibition features works by 12 art students from Korean universities. Talks with artists KUN and Sung Young-rok are also scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

The AHAF is also hosting events just outside of the hotel, at the COEX convention center. One sight to behold is the 5-meter-high (16.4 feet) blow-up installation of KUN’s KunCat being exhibited inside the Starfield COEX mall.

The Media Art Special Exhibition hosted by AHAF and Art Asia, a relatively new fair that focuses on interactive art, at COEX features works incorporating augmented reality technology and more. Participants include Joon Moon, a video artist and the son of President Moon Jae-in.

Tickets for AHAF are 15,000 won ($12.30) and include entry to Art Asia. Both art shows run through Sunday and have works available for purchase.

BY KIM EUN-JIN [kim.eunjin1@joongang.co.kr]