Korea Galleries Art Fair: Double the Success

The Korea Galleries Art Fair returned to Coex in Seoul from February 11th to 14th, 2011, after three years of being held in the southern city of Busan. The 2011 fair saw a 43% increase in sales over the previous years' event, despite a decline in the number of participating galleries.

The Korea Galleries Art Fair is dedicated entirely to the works up-and-coming Korean artists, with established artists showing smaller works for promotion. The fair's domestic focus is seen as an asset for promoting the local art economy. Its relocation to Busan was done to promote the art market in the southern region, but it has returned to Seoul following repeated requests from its exhibitors.

The Galleries Association of Korea co-organized the fair with Coex’s exhibition organizing team as their partner. Partnering with Coex allowed the Galleries Association to focus on bringing in higher quality exhibitors and attendees, while Coex handled management and marketing. Coex targeted VIP buyers with high purchasing power by highlighting the quality of the exhibitors in its campaigns. It also incorporated social media marketing, a first for the Galleries Art Fair. The increase in art sales following this campaign totaled 1.52 billion won.

The Korea Galleries Art Fair’s stunning 2011 success has led to the organizers’ decision to remain at Coex for 2012.

This article was written with the help of JoongAng Daily.