In most parts of the world, in-person art fairs returned in more-or-less full scale, particularly in the second half of 2022. Art fans and collectors also seized the chance to visit global art events in person, in the mode of “revenge travel,” especially around the rare June alignment of the Venice Biennale, Art Basel, and documenta fifteen in Europe. By September, galleries and collectors were back to busy itineraries, traveling to places including Seoul, Sydney, and New York; then London and Paris in October; perhaps Tokyo, Kyoto, or Abu Dhabi in November; and Miami in December. Many fairs had success in sales, including in Asian destinations that are one step behind in reopening borders.
Seoul Searching
In search for the next hotspot was announced in May 2021. For many galleries, but not all, Seoul did not disappoint. The pairing of Frieze Seoul and Kiaf (9/2–5), held on separate floors at Coex, altogether featured around 360 galleries and received more than 70,000 visitors, including K-pop celebrities and young collectors who were passionate to learn and buy. A small section of Frieze Masters sported big-ticket items such as Pablo Picasso’s (1937), with an estimated worth of KRW 60 billion (USD 42 million), brought by Acquavella Galleries of New York. While most of the fair’s offerings did not bypass the million-dollar line, global blue-chip galleries brought leading names such as George Condo, with his 2022 paintings of distorted figures, and , selling for USD 2.8 million and USD 1.5 million at Hauser & Wirth and Sprüth Magers, respectively.
