The local art industry rejoiced when the Korean Galleries Association announced a long-term partnership on a global art fair with the internationally renown Frieze art fair.
The Korea International Art Fair (KIAF), which is run by the Korean Galleries Association, was already the nation’s first and longest running art fair for 20 years. Running both KIAF Seoul and the inaugural Frieze Seoul at the same time and in the same place to kick off Korea Art Week brought about numerous advantages as well as challenges – namely the logistics of handling two enormous art fairs at once.
How it was done
Kiaf Seoul was held from September 2-6 at Coex’s first floor throughout its Halls A & B, while just a couple floors above Frieze Seoul ran from September 2-5. In total there were 350 galleries from around the world that exhibited their works as well as over 70,000 collectors and visitors that came to see them. 
As the top venue for all exhibitions and congresses in Seoul, Coex boasts over 36,000 ㎡ of exhibition space and a floor area of 460,000 ㎡. This space is spread out over four exhibition halls – two on the 1st floor and two on the 3rd floor. Each set of two can be interconnected to create one massive space. In this case, KIAF took over the two halls on the 1st floor (A & B), while Frieze took two halls on the 3rd floor (C&D).
Adjacent to each floor’s exhibition halls are the Auditorium and two wings of Conference Rooms – all abuzz with the many talks, forums, and panels attended by the many art industry professionals gathered in attendance.
Why it works
This convenient set-up is one that is great for everyone – organizers, planners, exhibitors, and visitors.
Local organizers such as the Korean Galleries Association can attract global exhibitions such as Frieze with the promise of boosting attendance and attention by launching together with concurrent local fairs all in one location (such as KIAF Seoul 2022).
From a planning perspective, it makes it easier to have both events running at one venue instead of multiple ones throughout the city. And although close together, the clear separation of the two events on different floors makes it possible for each event to be managed separately and uniquely.
Exhibitors and visitors can double their business opportunities in one venue over one period of time. And of course visitors are thrilled to see the scale of their event double by having two large international fairs at once, which makes it more attractive for those considering attending.
For more information on Coex’s venue layout and operations, the website has a a whole host of resources including:
- Venue Guide
- Event Guidelines
- Exhibition Hall Operational Regulations
- Coex Entrance and Venue Levels Map
https://www.coexcenter.com/resources/
Contact Coex for more information about planning your next event in Seoul.
