The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) together with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (President KIM Tae Hoon, KCDF) held the 2022 Craft Trend Fair at COEX C Hall (Seoul) from December 8 (Thur) to December 11 (Sun). The Craft Trend Fair is the largest crafts festival and exposition specialized in crafts in Korea and serves as a bridge between consumers and the crafts community. This year's fair features 330 groups, including craft artists, galleries, workshops, and institutions. The venue is divided into different zones that have been curated in conjunction with Artistic Director Teo Yang: the Main Exhibition, Gallery Zone, Brand Zone, New Wave Zone, University Zone, and KCDF Project Zone.

The theme of the Main Exhibition is “Today's Questions, Craft Answers” which illustrates how craft artists search for the answers to many modern-day questions and issues, and aims to garner social  support for the significance and raison d'être of contemporary crafts. Crafts creatively uphold tradition, convey a sense of human sensibility, and contribute to discovering novel uses for new sustainable materials and technology. Such attributes of crafts are highlighted in the works of 42 artist groups in the Main Exhibition as they come up with questions and answers to three issues we face today - uniform lives, loss of humanity, and destruction of nature and the environment.

Accomplished artworks from galleries and arts and culture institutions are exhibited and sold in the Gallery Zone, while highly marketable artworks from public companies and workshops are showcased in the Brand Zone; the New Wave Zone features unique and creative artworks by talented craft artists; the University Zone exhibits creative artworks by pre- and post- graduate students; and the KCDF Project Zone highlights the many successful protects KCDF has carried out thus far.

 Enhanced Affiliated Programs Including Online Pre-show, Overseas Promotions, Real-time Purchasing, and Expert Docent Services

There were more affiliated programs in the fair this year, including the online pre-show, overseas promotions, real-time purchasing, expert docent services, and discovering new artists. The many artworks featured in the fair have been on display on the official homepage and official Instagram account from June this year, and an online rendition of the Main Exhibition (Viewing Room) is provided online for viewers who are unable to visit in person.

A professional overseas promotions officer has been appointed to advertise the Craft Trend Fair to about 500 overseas institutions and media outlets related to crafts across Europe, the Americas, and Asia to sell the artworks as well as arrange future cooperation. Twelve experts in the crafts field were provided with docent services over the course of the event (December 9 to 11) to guide the viewers in enjoying the exhibition from a wider perspective. Artworks were evaluated on-site to select the best artists and artworks and award them with a certificate and cash reward as a part of the initiative for discovering new artists.

The fair invited the public from December 9 (Fri) to December 11 (Sun). For more information on the 2022 Craft Trend Fair, please visit the official homepage (https://www.kcdf.kr/craftrendfair) and Instagram account (@crafttrendfair).