- On September 4, the “Night of the Artists”’ event, part of the “Korea Art Festival,” brought together over 200 key figures from the domestic and international art world, along with corporate sponsors

- Minister YU In Chon: “We will provide comprehensive support for the global expansion of Korean art and artists”

On September 4 at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST), in collaboration with LG Electronics[1], hosted the “Night of the Artists[2]”. This event, run as part of the “Korea Art Festival,” aimed to nurture exchange between the domestic and international art communities. Minister YU In Chon attended, engaging with leading figures in the art world and representatives of various corporate sponsors, reaffirming his ministry’s active support for extending the global reach of Korean art and artists.

Prominent international museum directors, art fair executives, and journalists demonstrate a strong interest in Korean art

The “Night of the Artists” was strategically scheduled to coincide with major international art events such as the Gwangju and Busan Biennales, and the Kiaf-Seoul and Frieze Seoul art fairs. These events attract a concentrated presence of influential figures from the global art scene, such as museum directors, curators, and art enthusiasts. Aligning with the “Korea Art Festival” would also strategically promote Korean art and artists to this international audience.

Over 200 participants gathered for the event, including emerging and established Korean artists, representatives of domestic museums, galleries, biennales, art fairs, and sponsors, as well as international museum directors, curators, art media, and enthusiasts. Among the distinguished attendees were Mariët Westermann, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, Jean-François Bélisle, Director of the National Gallery of Canada, Simon Fox, CEO of Frieze, and Ben Eastham, Editor of e-Flux Criticism, an art criticism magazine. Their presence underscored the strong global interest in Korean art.

The event also showcased special editions of major international art magazines with in-depth features on Korean art, like Art Newspaper, ArtAsiaPacific, ArtReview, and Frieze Magazine. Additionally, copies of “Korean Art 1900-2020,” the MMCA’s comprehensive 120 year-overview of modern and contemporary Korean art, were distributed, along with the MMCA’s Korean art exhibition catalogs, to introduce attendees to the history of Korean art.

The Minister Stressed the Importance of Cultural and Art Sponsorship, Commits to Full Support for Korean Artists' Global Ventures

Prior to the event, Minister YU met with key figures from cultural and art sponsoring companies, including YOON Young Dal, Chairman/CEO at Crown-Haitai Holdings, KOO Ja Yeol, Chairman of Board of Directors at LS Holdings Company, KIM Hee Geun, Chairman of Byucksan Engineering, and CHO Joo Wan, CEO of LG Electronics. He emphasized how vital this support was and urged companies to continue fostering collaboration and growth between art and business.

He remarked, “As global interest in Korean art continues to grow, there are still many talented and promising artists who have yet to gain international recognition. I hope this event provides an opportunity for global art professionals to discover and connect with Korean artists, forging meaningful networks. The MCST remains committed to promoting Korean art on the world stage and will continue to provide holistic support to help our artists succeed internationally.”