Frieze has awarded the 2025 Frieze Seoul Artist Award to Yagwang, a Seoul-based collective founded in 2021 by Terri Kim and In Jeon. This marks the first time a collective has won the prize, which is presented annually to an emerging or midcareer Korean artist. Yagwang works across sculpture, video, installation, and performance, addressing gender, human rights, and labor in relation to queerness and identity. The group will present a new sculptural installation, "Facade Zone" (2026), at Frieze Seoul, running September 2–5 at COEX.
The award is significant because it recognizes a collective rather than an individual artist, signaling a shift in how the art world values collaborative practice. Yagwang’s win also highlights the growing international visibility of Korean contemporary art, supported by a jury that includes prominent figures from Frieze, SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation, Ilmin Museum of Art, and independent curators. The prize provides a platform for Yagwang’s critical exploration of gender, identity, and labor, bringing their work to a global audience at one of Asia’s leading art fairs.