Songwon Art Center in Seoul. Image courtesy of Songwon Art Center.
Mid-August brings with it a familiar feeling in the art world. The leisurely days of summer wind down and the community wakes up to its calendar of auctions, exhibitions, and events. As we look ahead to the travels, parties, and creative insights that come along with another art season, it’s important to remember that summer isn’t over just yet — there’s still one more place to visit. A place where Phillips will present a compelling exhibition alongside the latest outpost of Frieze in one of the world’s fastest-growing creative hotspots.
Of course, that place is Seoul.
A rising global cultural capital for the better part of 40 years, Seoul’s hosting of Frieze last year sent waves of excitement crashing throughout the art world. Phillips will be on the ground this September coinciding with both Frieze and KIAF Seoul to present Briefly Gorgeous (1–9 September at Songwon Art Center). Sponsored in part by Hanwha Life and co-curated by Joan Tucker, the exhibition showcases dynamic interplay between fearless new voices (Susan Chen, Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, Yoora Lee, Se Oh, Kaifan Wang, and Ho Jae Kim to name a few) and such art historical titans as Hernan Bas, Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Scott Kahn, and Lauren Quin.
This last trip of the summer offers a moment to widen one’s scope and explore Seoul during its most artistic activation. It’s a chance to journey from the booths of Frieze and KIAF to the electrifying space of Briefly Gorgeous and the city’s world-class galleries and museums — all while discovering traditional and contemporary Korean cuisine, an eclectic mix of architecture unlike anywhere else in the world, and the unique connection of Seoul’s unprecedented technological innovation. In short, this September, Seoul invites you to discover what it means to be curious about the world.
If all this has you scrambling to dial your concierge for last minute accommodations or recommendations, worry not — our Korean team gave us all the tips for an art lover’s visit to the cultural hub on the Han.
WHERE TO FIND US
The Songwon Art Center is near the Samcheong neighborhood — the arts district of Seoul. The striking building was renovated in 2012 under the design of Cho Min-Seok. Korea’s leading architect, Cho Min-Seok won the Golden Lion Award and was the commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at the 2014 Venice Biennale.
Songwon Art Center interior. Image courtesy of Songwon Art Center.
So esteemed is the Songwon Art Center’s design that in 2013 it was awarded the 31st Seoul Metropolitan Government Architecture Award and won the Milan Archmarathon. In the years since, its artful design has given it a reputation as a must-see for architecture lovers visiting Seoul. Easily accessible for the art set, the building is located near major galleries and institutions, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Kukje Gallery, and Gallery Hyundai.
Join us on 5 September for pre-Frieze cocktails and on 7 September for an artist talk and party hosted by Jerry Gogosian.
WHERE TO STAY
Sophia Choi, Associate Specialist and Head of Online Sales at Phillips Hong Kong, points out that when visiting Seoul, one may regret not staying at one of the traditional hanoks in the city. An experience truly unique to Seoul, she recommends AnGilSaGa — a boutique project curated by proprietor Yong-seok Kang to preserve the beauty and dignity of historic hanoks. Located near the Songwon Art Center and designed as a traditional “Scholar’s House,” the space combines time-honored and modern elements with such amenities as a central open-air pool, a tearoom, and contemporary technology systems, making it the perfect place to relax and reconnect with nature after long art-filled days.
Choi highlights that further magnificent hanoks can be found on the stayfolio platform and the team also suggests Bonum 1957 Hanok Stay and Hotel, or if you’re feeling particularly luxe, the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.
WHERE TO DINE
Yeonah Lim, Phillips’ Associate Regional Representative for Korea, recommends Onjium, her favorite restaurant near the gallery, where Chef Cho Eun-hee serves a contemporary interpretation of traditional Korean dishes in a distinctly designed concrete and metal dining room.
As one of just three female Chefs to hold a star in the Michelin guide to South Korea, Cho Eun-hee trained in the royal cuisine of the Joseon dynasty (a cuisine designated as an intangible cultural asset in Korea) yet is equally influenced by the fare of Korean Buddhist temples. An artisanal approach to fermented pastes forms the foundation of her craft, with doenjang (soybean paste), gochujang (red pepper paste), and ganjang (soybean sauce) each carefully fermented and aged in-house. Lim notes that Onjium will serve special courses in the style of the Goryeo dynasty during Frieze week.
Elsewhere in the neighborhood the team recommends the traditional long noodle soup at Hwangsaengga Kalguksu, the beef tartare at Buchon Yukhoe, and Sophia Choi specifically recommends stopping by Anam “for a warm bowl of rice and soup — a Korean staple!”
WHERE TO REFRESH
When you need respite from long afternoons exploring galleries and booths, step out into the city for countless comforting shops near Songwon Art Center. The team recommends drinks at Cafe Onion or the Osulloc Tea House in Bukchon and the popular soft milk ice cream at Baekmidang. When it comes to coffee, art lovers are in luck as Terra Rosa — one of the most renowned Korean coffee shops, originally founded on the peninsula’s eastern coast — has an outpost in the MMCA. Be sure to stop by for a restorative break when visiting the museum.
WHERE TO EXPLORE
There’s much else to explore during Frieze week in Seoul, with the team suggesting solo shows by Korean artists, including Haegue Yang at the Seoul Hanok location of Kukje Gallery, Lee Bul at Gallery BB&M, and Jung Yeondoo at the MMCA. More broadly, the Korea Furniture Museum is a perennial favorite and the MMCA presents Game Society, an exhibition that explores the influence of video games on contemporary visual culture.
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, consider a day trip to the city of Yongin, just one hour from Seoul by shuttle, to discover one of the largest retrospectives to date of the painter Kim Whanki at Hoam Museum of Art. The recently renovated museum, which was founded in 1982 with the collection of Samsung Group founder Byung-chul Lee, features a sculpture-filled traditional Korean garden and is a cultural cornerstone of South Korea.
Discover More from Briefly Gorgeous >
Exhibition /
Briefly Gorgeous
1–9 September
Songwon Art Center
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