South Korean Art Scene Adapts Amid COVID-19 Closures and Market Disruptions
The art industry in South Korea experienced significant interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Ministry of Culture shutting down public museums in late February and private galleries following suit in March. However, smaller establishments such as Lehmann Maupin, One and J. Gallery, and Space Willing N Dealing continued to operate, featuring exhibitions by artists like Erwin Wurm, Seeun Kim, and Noh-wan Park. Digital innovations emerged, including VR experiences at Jason Haam Gallery and Barakat Contemporary. As the number of cases stabilized, venues reopened with solo exhibitions from Hwayeon Nam, Sen Chung, Park Youngsook, Bek Hyunjin, and Tobias Rehberger, although public programs were still on hold. In March, domestic auctions at Seoul Auction and K Auction recorded sell-through rates of 60% and 67%. This article first appeared online on 1 April 2020.
Key facts
- South Korea's public art museums closed in late February 2020 due to COVID-19 and had not reopened by the time of writing.
- Private museums and large commercial galleries in Seoul also closed in March, creating a desolate cultural landscape.
- Smaller spaces like Lehmann Maupin, One and J. Gallery, and Space Willing N Dealing remained open with exhibitions.
- Digital initiatives included VR experiences at Jason Haam Gallery and Barakat Contemporary, and YouTube walkthroughs by the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
- As cases leveled off, venues reopened with solo shows by artists such as Hwayeon Nam, Sen Chung, Park Youngsook, Bek Hyunjin, and Tobias Rehberger.
- Group exhibitions were held at Ilmin Museum of Art and Kumho Museum of Art, with masks required and public programs suspended.
- Market disruptions included poor sales from virtual fair booths after Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central HK cancellations, and Art Busan's postponement to November.
- Domestic auctions at Seoul Auction and K Auction achieved sell-through rates of 60% and 67% in March, with traditional market drivers potentially expanded to include disaster and distancing.
Entities
Artists
- Erwin Wurm
- Kichang Choi
- Seeun Kim
- Noh-wan Park
- Sikyung Sung
- Heemin Chung
- Heejoon Lee
- Charles Ritchie
- Peles Empire
- Hwayeon Nam
- Sen Chung
- Park Youngsook
- Bek Hyunjin
- Tobias Rehberger
Institutions
- Ministry of Culture
- Lehmann Maupin
- One and J. Gallery
- Space Willing N Dealing
- Jason Haam Gallery
- Barakat Contemporary
- National Museum of Contemporary Art
- Art Sonje Center
- OCI Museum of Art
- Arario Gallery
- P21 Gallery
- Gallery Baton
- Ilmin Museum of Art
- Kumho Museum of Art
- Art Basel Hong Kong
- Art Central HK
- Art Busan
- Seoul Auction
- K Auction
- Artreview
Locations
- South Korea
- Seoul
- Hong Kong