Showcasing underrepresented LGBTQ+ artwork in Seoul by Frieze
In September 2021, Seoul played host to Frieze Seoul, an art fair that brought together over 120 galleries from nearly 30 countries, showcasing contemporary art presentations. This year's event featured distinct program components such as Frieze Live, Frieze Film, and a collaboration with the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) for the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale.
The Seoul Mediacity Biennale, a prestigious contemporary media art biennale, and Frieze Seoul shared a thematic synergy. The Seoul Museum of Art served as a venue and collaborator for the biennale, elevating the presence of Korean and international media art. The partnership aimed to integrate experimental media art showcased at the Biennale with Frieze Seoul’s contemporary art platform.
Frieze Live, a platform for live art and performance, focused on female and genderqueer practitioners this year, exploring themes of identity, embodiment, and belonging. Eleven artists and collectives were featured in related events for Frieze Live, with additional performances taking place at Kukje Gallery, (Together)(Together) in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and Dosan Park in Sinsa-dong.
Frieze Film, another dedicated section focused on experimental and contemporary cinema related to the art fair’s theme, also formed part of the event’s programming. Although specific dates or schedules for Frieze Live and Frieze Film in 2021 were not directly listed, the overall emphasis was on integrating contemporary art, performance, media art, and film within the broader fair context in Seoul during 2021.
The exhibition "off-site 2: Eleven Episodes" took place at Art Sonje Center from Aug. 26 to Oct. 26, featuring artists such as Yagwang, Chang Yeong-hae, Hah Ji-min, Kwak So-jin, Ru Kim, and others.
Frieze Seoul's Director, Patrick Lee, stated that the program speaks to the depth and breadth of Korea's contemporary art landscape. The art fair's main events highlighted topics exploring queer identity, the intersection of queer Asian identity and digital memory, the evolving role of foundations in supporting the arts, and the challenges faced by emerging galleries in a rapidly shifting landscape.
Discussion topics were held at Coex from Sept. 4 to 6, organized by Frieze, Kiaf, and Korea Arts Management Service. The collaboration also curated a series of screenings and talks on the museum's rooftop, open to the public from Sept. 2 to 4.
Frieze Week, a series of art events, took place in Seoul this fall, with Frieze Seoul running from September 3 to 6 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The program welcomed global perspectives that challenge and expand ways of seeing, further enriching Seoul's vibrant art scene.
The collaboration between the Seoul Mediacity Biennale and Frieze Seoul aimed to integrate experimental media art, a component of the Biennale, with Frieze Seoul’s contemporary art platform, creating a synergy that delved into themes of identity, embodiment, and belonging, particularly focusing on female and genderqueer practitioners. In the realm of health-and-wellness and lifestyle, theoff-site 2: Eleven Episodes exhibition, featuring artists like Yagwang and Kwak So-jin, showcased at Art Sonje Center, addressed issues related to sexual-health and self-expression, thereby complementing the fashion-and-beauty aspect of Seoul's vibrant art scene during Frieze Week in September 2021.
