Icons from the Renaissance to the 20th Century: Frieze Masters at Frieze Seoul 2024

Frieze Masters returns to Frieze Seoul 2024 and brings a unique perspective on art history. Steered by Nathan Clements-Gillespie (Director, Frieze Masters), this year's section sees the return of outstanding renaissance manuscripts, 20th-century European and American icons and a greater emphasis on revolutionary Asian art. Highlights include solos by women artists, sculptures made by East Asian masters and diverse interpretations of the monochrome genre across the continent, from Japan to India.  

Minimalist Painting: from Korean Dansaekhwa to American Abstraction

Japanese and Korean monochrome paintings, Mono-ha and Dansaekhwa, come into conversation at Tokyo Gallery+BTAP’s stand. The stand will show works by Yoshio Sekine (1922-1985), Kishio Suga (1944-) and Park Seo-Bo (1931-2023), as well as those who continue their legacy. (Tokyo Gallery+BTAP, Tokyo, Beijing, Frieze Masters section)  

Hakgojae Gallery will present works by seven masters of modern and contemporary Korean art including pioneers of abstraction Kim Whanki (1913-1974), Ryu Kyung Chai (1920-1995) and Chung Chang-Sup (1927-2011).

Working in a similar period, Sohan Qadri (1932-2011) developed his own modernist vocabulary – rendered in vibrant colors, with a tactile dimensionality. DAG gallery brings a special showing of previously unseen abstract works. Steeped in sacred iconography particular to the Indian artist who eventually found his home in Copenhagen, the ink and dye works represent the artist’s minimalist approach. (DAG, New Delhi, Mumbai, New York, Frieze Masters section) 

 ACA Galleries's Masters stand surveys the arc of American Abstraction from the 1930s to the 1980s, featuring paintings and works on paper by prominent artists including Ilya Bolotowsky (1907-1981), Gertrude and Balcomb Greene (1904-1956, (1904–1990)), Grace Hartigan (1922-2008), Sam Francis (1923-1994), Rolph Scarlett (1889–1984), Willem de Kooning (1904-1997), Norman Bluhm (1921-1999), Franz Kline (1910-1962), Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and Theodoros Stamos (1922-1997).

Solos by Ground-Breaking Women Artists 

Myungmi Lee (1950-) was one of the few female artists working in Korea's male-centered experimental art scene of the 1970s. When austere monochrome painting became the predominant trend during that period, Lee's work offered a bold departure with her use of vivid primary colors. 'Game', the title of Lee’s first solo show in 1977 and her solo stand at this year’s Frieze Seoul, reflects the idea of 'play' which has remained a crucial element in her work. Challenging the notion of perfect art, 'Game' was a harbinger of postmodernism's unconventional colour and freedom of thought. (Wooson Gallery, Daegu, Seoul, Frieze Masters section) 

Galerie Mitterrand presents a solo show by the French-American artist, feminist and social activist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002). Known as one of the few female artists working with monumental sculpture, de Saint Phalle started creating her iconic 'Nana' sculptures in the mid-1960s, in response to the pressures of domestic life as daughter, mother. This presentation will include key works from this early period, as well as sculptures through to the 1990s.

A central installation at Axel Vervoordt Art & Antiques’ stand is dedicated to Meissen porcelain works by multidisciplinary artist Kimsooja (1957-). The strikingly white sculptures reference her earlier bottari-themed works, including the 1997 performance where she spent eleven days travelling across Korea on a truck loaded with bottaris, fabric bundles used for occasions that involved movements, from marriage to funeral, from migration to exile. Her exhibition titled To Breathe – Constellation at the Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection in Paris is on view until the 23rd of September. (Axel Vervoordt Art & Antiques, Wijnegem, Antwerp, Hong Kong, Frieze Masters section)  

Illuminated Manuscripts to Experimental Sculpture

Les Enluminures brings its speciality of manuscripts and miniatures from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as rings and jewelry from the same periods. (Les Enluminures, Paris, Chicago, New York, Frieze Masters section) 

For its Frieze Masters presentation, Gana Art showcases the aesthetic experiments of three masters of Korean art: Choi Jongtae (1932-), Chang Ucchin (1917-1990) and Oh Sufan (1946-). Known for his works that balanced spiritual motifs and Western painting styles, Chang Ucchin was an influential figure in modern Korean art since the 1930s. This presentation places his sculptures in dialogue with those of his mentor, Choi Jongtae and his mentee, Oh Sufan, to trace three generations of influence and creativity.  (Gana Art, Seoul, Los Angeles, Frieze Masters section) 

Sculpture from East Asia is further showcased by Mizoe Art Gallery and Asia Art Center, respectively bringing works of Tomonori Toyofuku (1925-2019) and Ju Ming (1938-2023). While Toyofuku found a quiet expression through mahogany and bronze, Ju Ming’s plump, copper Taichi sculptures are dynamic in their abstracted movements. (Mizoe Art Gallery, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Asia Art Center, Taipei City, Beijing, Frieze Masters section)  

Further Information

Frieze Seoul, COEX, 4 – 7 September 2024.  

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A dedicated online Frieze Viewing Room opens in the week before the fair, offering audiences a first look at the presentations and the ability to engage with the fair remotely.  

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