Giving Voice

Gallery Director

Bo Young Song

Founded in 1982 and with three spaces in Seoul and an outpost in Busan, Kukje Gallery has been instrumental in South Korea’s art scene. Founded by Hyun-Sook Lee (who has been named on ArtReview’s Power 100 list) and now run by her daughter-in-law and managing director Bo Young Song, it’s a female-helmed institution. ‘Women are very powerful in the Korean art scene,’ Song asserts. ‘Not to generalise, but I think the women working in our art industry are tough and gutsy, and I think this community allows for healthy competition and a sense of camaraderie.’

Since its founding, Kukje has played a fundamental role in introducing the international world to Korea’s art history and contemporary art production. ‘Korea has historically been, and is still perceived as, a very closed-off community. Given our unique geopolitical situation and modern colonial history, I literally translates to ‘international’ — Mrs Lee’s vision from the outset was to ensure a smooth dialogue between Korea and the rest of the world,’ says Song.