The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) together with the Korea Arts Management Service (President MOON Young-ho, KAMS), in partnership with more than 230 exhibition institutions across the country will be hosting the 2022 Korea Art Week from Sept 1 (Thur) to Sept 11 (Sun). This year’s event will present a wide variety of programs with the theme of Korea falls for art to reflect keen public interest in art.

To begin with, docent-guided art tours of local galleries and public and private museums will be offered in 20 courses within seven national zones, including Seoul, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang, Gangwon, and Jeju regions. These tours are the most popular among all Korea Art Week programs. As such, in collaboration with YEOMI, a travel YouTube channel, and Gabollae-teo, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)’s travel information subscription service, this year’s tour programs will introduce art museum tour itineraries that can be enjoyed throughout the year. 

In addition, 11 exhibition institutions selected from an open application process, including the Daejeon Museum of Art and the Art Sonje Center, will be running exhibition-linked hands-on events and workshops under the theme of Art and Technology. At the same time, the Seongdong Children’s Cultural Center (Seongdonggu, Seoul) will offer a VR art program for preschool and school children.

To make the Korea Art Week more inclusive for all, diverse events for people with disabilities will be held. For instance, the Asia Culture Center (ACC) and the Suwon Museum of Art (SUMA) will provide sign-language tours. Uiwang Jeongeum School in Uiwang City will run drawing classes for students with developmental disabilities. In addition, the Able Access Art Fair (AAF) will be held at the aT Center on Sept 6 (Tue) and 7 (Wed).  

Major art fairs, including StART Art Fair Seoul[1] and Korea International Art Fair (KIAF)[2] will also begin on Sept 1 (Thur). These events will showcase Korean art to art market experts and collectors from around the world, particularly through special exhibitions of works by CHUNG Seoyoung, OH Min, SUH Do Ho, and other representative Korean artists.

Similarly, in partnership with ArtAsiaPacific, a Hong Kong-based art magazine, the KAMS will publish Extreme Beauty: 12 Korean Artists Today, an English-language book covering 12 Korean artists, to lay the foundation for Korean artists’ foray into the global art scene. At the same time, the KAMA will be running a program where international art experts can visit the studios of 13 major Korean artists, including CHOE U-Ram, YEE Sookyung, and SHIN Meekyoung.

At the same time, approximately 230 exhibition venues across the country, including art museums, galleries, biennales, and art exhibitions, will provide discounted admissions. On top of this, the Visual Arts Market, where anyone can purchase local artworks at reasonable prices, is set to open, and the KAMA Conference[3] will be held as well. More detailed information on events is available at the official website (artweek.kr).

  MCST official said “We hope the Korea Art Week will help people realize that art is an everyday affair that can be enjoyed and appreciated anytime”.