PLAS 2026 (Plastic Art Seoul), a sculpture-focused art fair, was held at COEX in Seoul from February 4 to 7, drawing approximately 40,000 visitors. The fair featured 102 galleries, including 91 domestic and 11 international participants, with strong sales centered on mid- to low-priced works. Emerging galleries like Fandom Earth Art Gallery and YK Gallery reported selling over 40 works each, while Gallery T sold all 21 works by artist Jenny Chae. Established mid-tier galleries also saw success, and special exhibitions such as 'NEW CHANCE' and the '11-University Sculpture Special Exhibition' attracted significant interest, with multiple works sold and corporate buyers expressing intent to purchase large-scale sculptures.
This edition of PLAS matters because it demonstrates that a genre-specialized art fair can thrive even in a saturated market, proving sustained demand for sculpture and installation art. The fair's strong sales, particularly for emerging artists, and its ability to attract corporate buyers highlight the growing commercial viability of plastic art. The event's 11-year track record and the successful integration of special exhibitions with VIP spaces suggest that niche fairs can carve out a loyal audience and maintain momentum in a competitive art fair landscape.