The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul opened with strong collector turnout and solid first-day sales, despite a turbulent global art market. High-profile attendees included MoMA PS1 director Connie Butler, Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 cocurator Wassan Al-Khudhairi, and Top 200 Collectors Lonti Ebers, Yassmin Ghandehari, and Qiao Zhibing, alongside K-pop stars Lisa (BLACKPINK), RM (BTS), and The8 and Vernon (Seventeen). Major sales included Hauser & Wirth’s $4.5 million sale of Mark Bradford’s triptych "Okay, then I apologize" (2025) and a George Condo painting for $1.2 million, while White Cube, Thaddaeus Ropac, Pace Gallery, and others reported significant transactions. International blue-chip galleries with Seoul spaces are doubling down, presenting top-tier shows of star artists like James Turrell, Antony Gormley, and Lee Bul, with Korea’s private museums also mounting blockbuster exhibitions.
This edition matters because it signals resilience in the Asian art market amid a broader market slowdown, with galleries leveraging Seoul’s growing international appeal and the alignment of Frieze with Seoul Art Week. The strong sales and high-profile attendance underscore Seoul’s emergence as a key hub for the global art market, attracting both established collectors and new audiences, including K-pop celebrities who amplify the fair’s cultural visibility. The convergence of museum exhibitions and fair sales suggests a maturing ecosystem that could sustain long-term growth for the region.