Kiaf SEOUL 2026 Opens in September, Adopting Creative Director System with Jeong Gu-ho

Kiaf, Korea's largest-scale art fair, celebrates its 25th anniversary and will be held at COEX in Seoul from September 2 to 6. Kiaf has appointed designer Jeong Gu-ho as its creative director for the first time and opens under the theme of 'Coexistence' with the participation of 175 galleries from 18 countries.

This year's Kiaf marks the first introduction of a creative director system. Creative Director Jeong Gu-ho will oversee branding, spatial design, and special exhibition planning, reconfiguring the exhibition flow and spatial design with a focus on the visitor experience. Through this, Kiaf aims to enhance its exhibition planning and completion while establishing a new direction that responds to the changing environment of global art fairs.

The list of new participants includes numerous international galleries. Fifteen overseas galleries, including Nino Mier Gallery (New York), Jacob Arthur Gallery (LA), Anna Nova Gallery (St. Petersburg), and JD Malat Gallery (London), are listed for the first time. Domestically, five galleries joining for the first time include Gallery Heseed, Headvi Gallery, Karin, Horiatspace, and CDA, which have focused on discovering emerging artists.

Fifteen galleries will participate in the solo booths, which spotlight a single artist. Domestic participants include Kim Seo-yeon (Doing Art), Kim Nam-pyo (Horiatspace), Joseph Choi (Yoon Gallery), Kwak Nam-shin (Phil Gallery), and Cha Hye-lim (Phi Gallery). International participants include Ilia Fedotov-Fedorov (Anna Nova Gallery), Wang Ziping (Gallery Maguo), and Henrik Uldalen (JD Malat Gallery) will showcase their work.

Kiaf PLUS, which began to introduce emerging artists and galleries, has now established itself as a representative section showcasing new trends and experimental attempts in contemporary art. Eight domestic galleries, including Azulejo and Gallery Graph, and 11 international galleries, including Joyman Gallery, Sarah Kracour, Tsutaya Books, and YOD Tokyo, will participate.

Special exhibitions realizing this year's theme consist of 'HUMAL' and 'VIRTUAL VITAL,' an extension into augmented reality (AR). It is an occasion to reflect on human instinct, sensibility, and vitality in an era where artificial intelligence and algorithms are reshaping life. Creative Director Jeong Gu-ho stated, "Through these two exhibitions, we wanted to propose an experience of discovering a balance of senses that remains unshaken between technology and humans."

The content for this Kiaf is organized under the theme of 'Coexistence.' Special exhibitions, artist support programs, talks, and classic performances are prepared.

The introduction of the creative director system and the expansion of new gallery participation are expected to serve as an opportunity to elevate the planning standards of domestic art fairs. This is expected to increase visits from domestic and international collectors and art lovers to Seoul, adding vitality to the Korean art market as a whole.