Museums open doors for Korea Art Week

Arts & Design

Published: 12 Oct. 2016, 20:17

Museums open doors for Korea Art Week

“Door” by artist York Hsiao, left, and “Tea Party,” right, by artists Yu Ching Lin and Hsing Yu Wei will be offered by Capital Art Center and Dynasty Gallery Taipei respectively at the Korea International Art Fair 2016, which kicks off today at COEX in southern Seoul. The two galleries are among 11 from Taiwan, this year’s guest country to the KIAF. [KIAF]

In an effort to create synergy between the ongoing art biennial events, art fairs and exhibitions around the country, which tend to be concentrated in autumn, the Culture Ministry and Arts Council Korea have designated the two weeks from Oct. 11 to 23 as Korea Art Week 2016.

During the period, more than 20 major art museums will provide free or discounted admissions. And five markets operated by artists will take place throughout Seoul.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Seoul and Gwacheon branches; Soma Museum of Art at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul; Suwon iPark Museum of Art in Gyeonggi province; Gyeongju Solgeo Art Museum in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province; and Daegu Art Museum in Daegu city will grant visitors free admission during the week.

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art in central Seoul; Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum of the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul; Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Ansan, Gyeonggi province; the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju city will offer a 50 percent discount on tickets until Oct. 23. Among the museums offering 20 to 40 percent discounts are Art Sonje Center in central Seoul; Arario Museum’s Seoul and Jeju branches; and D Museum in central Seoul.

Among the markets operated by artists, the Art Shopping market takes place from Friday until Oct. 23 at Gallery Toast and the neighboring streets in Bangbae-dong, southern Seoul.

As part of the events for the Art Week, the Gallery Weekend Korea 2016 exhibition will be held from today to Sunday at the NEMO space of the Blue Square cultural complex in central Seoul. Admission to the show is free. Twenty galleries including major ones such as Kukje, Hakgojae and Gana Art and emerging ones such as Space BM and Gallery Kong will present 20 artists’ works respectively.

Meanwhile, the nation’s major art market - the Korea International Art Fair, kicks off today at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul. The four-day market features works from 170 galleries in 16 countries including 11 galleries from Taiwan, this year’s guest country.

And three major art biennial events are going on now. The 11th Gwangju Binennale runs through Nov. 6 at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall and other venues in the southwestern city of Gwangju. The 9th Media City Seoul biennial continues until Nov. 20 at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) and its branches around Seoul. The 8th Busan Biennale runs through Nov. 30 at the Busan Museum of Art and at the Kiswire Suyeong factory.

BY MOON SO-YOUNG [symoon@joongang.co.kr]

For more information, visit www.artweek.kr