Category: City Guides

From connoisseur to entrepreneur: Jerry Mao on supporting the Chinese cultural landscape

Mao describes his journey with the UCCA museum as going “from investment to entrepreneurship” To categorize Jerry Mao into boxes such as “philanthropist”, “entrepreneur” or “collector” misses the point of who he is. He operates as all of these at the same time, plus dozens of others like Michelin star restaurateur, luxury retail magnate, sports aficionado, and more. All of these labels make up the Chinese entrepreneur known as “Jerry Mao,” who came to Hong Kong on a work assignment nearly a decade ago, where he was captivated by its towering skyscrapers, bustling neon-lit streets and markets, and unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. But it was a fortuitous visit to the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing that would ignite a passion for art that would alter both the course of his life and the greater art landscape in China. Mao spent a year in Beijing after leaving Hong Kong and often sojourned in Europe, where he was struck by a catalog of a celebrated Chinese artist. He later rediscovered the same artist’s paintings at the UCCA, along with remarkable pieces by emerging and mid-career Chinese artists. During these visits, where he and his daughter would attend art workshops, he also noticed that the UCCA had fewer than ten donors displayed on its walls, unlike the European institutions he had visited. Wishing to express his support for what he considered to be the “best art museum in China,” Mao cold-called the UCCA to inquire about making a donation. This call marked the beginning of a deeper connection with the museum that proved invaluable during a turbulent period in 2017, when the museum was sold by its European founders to a group of investors, including Mao and his business partners. Mao spearheaded the museum’s transformation into the UCCA Group, where he currently serves as the co-chairperson. Among other accolades, the UCCA is now the only contemporary art institution in China to be included in The Art Newspaper’s annual list of “the 100 most popular art museums in the world” for six consecutive years. With the opening of the UCCA Dune in Beidaihe in 2018 and the UCCA Edge in Shanghai in 2021, as well as the architectural regeneration of its flagship Beijing space, the institution now boasts three world-class exhibition spaces. And while UCCA continues to push boundaries and foster innovation, Mao remains an ardent supporter but maintains a distance from all curatorial decisions. He describes his journey with the museum as going “from investment to entrepreneurship.” His vision for its future sounds both humble and ambitious: “It still has a long way to go.” But art is not his only focus. Mao also led the buyout and transformation of Hong Kong’s homegrown luxury brand Shanghai Tang, recognized by the global fashion industry as China’s first luxury brand. Founded in 1994 by the Hong Kong businessman Sir David Tang, KBE, Mao believes that the fashion house has the potential to represent the Chinese aesthetics of our current era and was on the right track to prove this to the world with its return to Milan Men’s Fashion Week earlier this year. Mao’s devotion to enriching and innovating China’s cultural heritage, and his holistic approach to integrating art, culture, design, and fashion into contemporary life, is what sets him apart from other entrepreneurs. His conviction and efforts to “create more beautiful things” may not seem as immediately lucrative to some, but they are what he considers vital for the country and the wider Chinese diaspora to shift from “Made in China” products to “Created in China” labels. Mao emphasizes the importance of innovation and creativity in cultural and lifestyle-related industries. The seven restaurants under his ever-expanding group of holdings are all one-of-a-kind and span various cuisines, rather than being reproducible chains. Most notably, Mao worked with the Da Vittorio family to open the first Asia branch of their acclaimed Italian restaurant in Shanghai, which was awarded two Michelin stars just one year after its opening. It has also been recognized as the best Italian restaurant in the world, according to the “50 Top Italy Guide 2023.” In response to his achievements, Mao says, in his characteristic modesty, that he simply feels that “art deserves respect, as does creativity, and aesthetics should be inclusive and diverse.”

Our panel of experts weighs in on Hong Kong’s comeback

As international collectors and dealers prepare to descend in Hong Kong this month, and as an influx of galleries and auction houses unveil new or expanded spaces there, we caught up with leading insiders representing various sectors of the art business to get their thoughts on the evolution of Hong Kong’s art scene, what visitors should see and do, and much more.

K11 founder Adrian Cheng on cultural-commerce and Jeffrey Deitch collaboration

K11 founder Adrian Cheng on the role of cultural-commerceThe Hong Kong-based collector tells us about K11’s new acquisitions and his collaboration with Jeffrey Deitch The Hong Kong-based entrepreneur and art collector Adrian Cheng founded the K11 art mall group in 2008 with a vision to democratize the museum experience by combining luxury retail with contemporary art, a concept he calls “museum retail.” The permanent collection, on view at K11’s locations across mainland China, combines blue-chip works with examples from younger artists, part of Cheng’s broader efforts to support emerging Chinese talent that includes residency programs and exhibitions in China and abroad. As Cheng begins his first term as the head of the Hong Kong government’s new Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee, The Baer Faxt caught up with the developer to ask him about his thoughts on the city’s past and future. What have been some of the most exciting acquisitions since the founding of K11? What are some recent acquisitions? And what areas of the collection is K11 hoping to expand in the future? The collection reflects our mission and it’s evolved over time. A big focus has always been supporting Chinese artists and we’ve put a huge amount of effort into researching current discourse around contemporary art in China, especially around new technologies and how they influence the younger generation. Some of our early acquisitions included adding works by Cao Fei, Guan Xiao, Ye Funa, Cheng Ran, Zhang Engli and Song Dong to the collection. The pandemic got us thinking about an increased emphasis on our public art program as part of using large-scale public sculptures to create shared value through art, so recent acquisitions align with this. Works such as Elmgreen & Dragset’s Van Gogh’s Ear (2016), Erwin Wurm’s Hot Dog Bus (2018), Yayoi Kusama’s iconic The Moment of Regeneration (2004) and Chiharu Shiota’s installation I Hope… (2021). What are a few highlights of some of the upcoming programs at K11 and your other projects in Hong Kong that new visitors should look out for? A must-see is City As Studio, the most extensive exhibition on the history of street art ever presented in China. It opens during Art Basel Hong Kong and has been curated by the inimitable Jeffrey Deitch, with significant works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, CRASH, Fab 5 Freddy, OSGEMEOS, Keith Haring, Lady Pink and Lee Quiñones. I was saddened to hear of the death of Phyllida Barlow, as we’ll also be hosting the Asia premiere of her playful Untitled: Folly; Baubles (2016-17) at K11 MUSEA. What did you learn from the pandemic lockdown? How did it change your vision for K11? The pandemic highlighted the importance of digital technology in the artworld. We’ve always been looking at ways in which technology is shaping the world around us – our .com/.cn partnership with MoMA PS1 in 2013 is just one example, so it’s nothing new, but the pandemic brought that to the fore. If we want to reach the next generation of artists and creatives we need to understand them, speak their language, and go where they are. It’s early days but it’s spurred us to develop collaborations with creatives across all fields with the aim of carving out a unique space in Web3 to bring our culture of creativity and community-based experiences to life globally. Where do you see the most room for growth in Hong Kong’s art scene? Hong Kong has established itself as a hub for contemporary art in Asia both on the commercial and institutional front but there’s still room for the art scene here to grow and thrive. Part of K11’s mission is to support emerging artists and nurture local talent. We do that through ongoing artist residency programs and partnerships with international organizations like the Royal Academy of Arts. K11 continues to expand its reach in mainland China and bring art into local communities. How does the institution’s expansion bring art into local communities? Through exhibitions, art education, artist residencies, public art projects, and the list goes on. The aim for every city we operate in is to integrate art into everyday life. It’s something we’ve been doing almost since our inception. In 2011, we established K11 Art Village in Wuhan, an artist residency with seven studios and a large exhibition space, which also encourages resident artists to engage with the local community. Later this month, we’re launching a new residency program in collaboration with ArtReview, presented as part of K11’s annual Art Karnival. The partnership seeks to build a meaningful cultural exchange between artists from China and abroad. What inspired your mission to bring contemporary art to wider audiences in China? Being able to foster cross-cultural exchange and dialogue is one of my key motivations. Growing up, I was deeply influenced by my family’s passion for art and culture. I was constantly exposed to new ideas and creative inspiration, which helped to instill a lifelong passion for art. I’m grateful for the opportunities my upbringing afforded me, so I was looking at creating something that would enable me to give back and share my passion for art. People want to be part of a community and we’ve pioneered a cultural-commerce model that breaks down some of the barriers to engaging with art the ‘traditional’ way. From your perspective, what impact has K11 had on Hong Kong’s art market? Since I founded K11 in 2010 Hong Kong has seen a big increase in market-driven activity with more art fairs, commercial galleries and auction house activity. As a result, I believe that non-profit organizations like K11 that give the wider public more opportunities to engage with art, and local artists the opportunities to showcase their work and develop their careers, have become increasingly important.

Art Intelligence Global holds Gerhard Richter’s first show in Hong Kong

When Art Intelligence Global (AIG) made their debut last summer, the art advisory firm established themselves as a truly international player in the business, with dual headquarters in Manhattan and Hong Kong. Led by auction house veterans Amy Cappellazzo, Yuki Terase and new partner Saara Pritchard, AIG is marking Hong Kong’s reopening with the first solo exhibition devoted to Gerhard Richter in the city at their headquarters in Wong Chuk Hang. A decade ago, such a bold commitment to Asia’s art market hub by a newer firm might have seemed like a risky proposition. However, as this year’s auctions have already shown, the appetite for blue-chip contemporary art in the region is expanding, perhaps even more rapidly than before the pandemic. “The Asia art market as a whole continues to mature, and the growth is amazingly dynamic,” Terase tells The Baer Faxt. “We have a collector base here with an average age slightly lower than the West. We are also seeing a migration of collectors from various other categories towards contemporary art. With so much growth in recent years, it’s almost difficult to believe that Richter has never had a solo show in Hong Kong before. “You have to remember that Hong Kong auctions only began offering Western contemporary art in 2016-2017,” Terase explains. “At the time, we were both still working in auctions, and Richter was one of the first Western masters we introduced to Asian audiences.” Cappellazzo adds: “Richter’s dealers gave preference to the United States and Europe. Part of that was indicative of the time—Western art was less popular in Hong Kong 20 years ago. Part of it was probably the lack of a venue, since dealers were less collaborative and Hong Kong lacked a major contemporary art museum until very recently.” In fact, the pair see the opening of major museums as the key factor in taking the city’s art scene to the next level, especially the recently-opened M+ Museum. “Now with Hong Kong fully back to itself, more and more foreign visitors will be able to experience this amazing institution,” Cappellazzo says. “In the long run, the Hong Kong art scene would benefit from a greater degree of non-commercial engagement with the general public.”  Gerhard Richter: Abstrakte Bilder, on view until April 23, 2023 at Art Intelligence Global headquarters, Hong Kong 

The Baer Faxt Podcast catches up with Beeple ahead of his M+ debut

Beeple’s Human One at M+ and the Debut of The Baer Faxt Podcast Ahead of his Hong Kong debut, we caught up with Beeple at his museum in Charleston to discuss the evolution of digital art Just before Josh Baer sat down for an interview with Beeple in November 2021, his work Human One (2021) sold at Christie’s New York for $28.9 million. Part digital video, part kinetic sculpture, Human One is the first dynamically changing hybrid artwork, evolving with the time of day and the passage of months and years. This week, the work is on display in Hong Kong at the recently-opened M+ Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, a wide-reaching compendium of 20th- and 21st-century visual culture akin to the MoMA or the Pompidou. Beeple opened his own museum earlier this month in Charleston, South Carolina, an immersive experience called Beeple Studios that will show work spanning his 25-year career alongside that of other digital artists. For our first-ever episode of The Baer Faxt Podcast, Josh Baer caught up with Beeple in the hours before the opening to talk about his plans for the museum and what’s changed since the sale of Human One. Subscribe today here or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to our debut episode with Beeple.

Los Angeles Art Week 2023

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.17.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#333333″ custom_padding=”6px|||||” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”TWK Lausanne 750|||on|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] los angeles art week 2023 As Frieze Los Angeles celebrates its largest edition to date, and as an influx of galleries work to grow their presence in the city, The Baer Faxt asks: is LA finally a full-fledged art market destination? Our LA Art Week focus takes the temperature of the market, featuring insight from Frieze LA director Christine Messineo, Stacen Berg of Hauser & Wirth, and art dealer James Fuentes. We also catch up with local artist Sayre Gomez, who explains how gentrification and economic disparity is changing the art landscape in LA. And the art dealer Anthony Meier—a Frieze LA committee member and the president of The Art Dealers Association of America—candidly tells us what it takes for galleries to get into an art fair. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” min_height=”279.6px” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;” border_width_all=”0.5px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” background_image=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_4905-2-scaled.jpg” background_position=”top_center” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/is-los-angeles-still-an-artists-city-artist-sayre-gomez-gets-candid-about-the-citys-changing-art-world/” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”margin: auto;” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”75px|20px|75px|20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/la-market-destination-2023″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] The Baer Faxt investigates: is LA finally a market destination? [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Tony_Meier_MV_Portrait_Grunder-August-2022_3_BW-crop-1.jpg” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/what-does-it-take-for-galleries-to-get-into-an-art-fair-anthony-meier-adaa-president-and-frieze-la-2023-committee-member-tells-all” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” min_height=”279.6px” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;” border_width_all=”0.5px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”margin: auto;” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”75px|20px|75px|20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/is-los-angeles-still-an-artists-city-artist-sayre-gomez-gets-candid-about-the-citys-changing-art-world/” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] Is LA still an artist’s city? Artist Sayre Gomez gets candid about the city’s changing scene [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” background_image=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/52693404156_07306ccda0_o-scaled.jpg” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/la-market-destination-2023″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”margin: auto;” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”75px|20px|75px|20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/what-does-it-take-for-galleries-to-get-into-an-art-fair-anthony-meier-adaa-president-and-frieze-la-2023-committee-member-tells-all” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] What does it take for galleries to get into an art fair? Anthony Meier, ADAA president and Frieze LA committee member, tells all [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ disabled_on=”off|on|on” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Untitled-8.jpg” alt=”artist Sayre Gomez” title_text=”Untitled-8″ url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/is-los-angeles-still-an-artists-city-artist-sayre-gomez-gets-candid-about-the-citys-changing-art-world/” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”15px|20px|25px|20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/is-los-angeles-still-an-artists-city-artist-sayre-gomez-gets-candid-about-the-citys-changing-art-world/” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] Is LA still an artist’s city? Artist Sayre Gomez gets candid about the city’s changing scene [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/52693404156_07306ccda0_o-scaled.jpg” title_text=”Frieze, 2023. Photo by James Jackman / CK.” url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/la-market-destination-2023″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”15px|20px|25px|20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/la-market-destination-2023″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] The Baer Faxt investigates: is LA finally a market destination? [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Tony_Meier_MV_Portrait_Grunder-August-2022_3_BW-crop-1.jpg” alt=”KWBILeadership@kwrealtybigisland.com” title_text=”Tony_Meier_MV_Portrait_(Grunder August 2022)_(3_(BW crop)” url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/what-does-it-take-for-galleries-to-get-into-an-art-fair-anthony-meier-adaa-president-and-frieze-la-2023-committee-member-tells-all” _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”TWK Lausanne 750||||||||” text_text_color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#333333″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”15px|20px||20px|false|false” link_option_url=”https:http://new.thebaerfaxt.com/what-does-it-take-for-galleries-to-get-into-an-art-fair-anthony-meier-adaa-president-and-frieze-la-2023-committee-member-tells-all” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”] What does it take for galleries to get into an art fair? Anthony Meier, ADAA president and Frieze LA committee member, tells all [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

CITY GUIDE | Paris+ Gallery Map

Paris has quietly been revving up its art market importance for the last few years, particularly through its robust gallery network

Artists You Should Already Know

Anicka Yi Anicka Yi (b. 1971) Born in Seoul and raised in the U.S., Anicka Yi frequently collaborates with scientists to create sculpture incorporating cutting-edge technology, scents, and references to biology, completing a residency at MIT in 2015. Her meditations on microbial life often cut into the relationship between odors, misogyny, and racism. Yi reached international familiarity with her inclusion in the 2017 Whitney Biennial and the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019. She is represented by 47 Canal and Gladstone Gallery, which presented a solo exhibition of her work in Seoul in June. Yi also received a retrospective, titled “Metaspore,” this summer at Milan’s Pirelli Hangarbicocca, and also just released a TED talk. Haegue Yang Haegue Yang (b. 1971) Considered to be one of Korea’s contemporary breakout stars, Yang’s experiential environments incorporate recontextualizations of the everyday while capturing the ineffable. Her works are strange yet accessible, familiar yet intangible. Her work has rolled into international consciousness through the 2009 Venice Biennale, 2012 Documenta, and 2014 Taipei Biennial; and since she’s picked up representation with Kurimanzutto, Kukje, Greene Naftali, and Barbara Wien. Currently, she has shows at Kukje in Busan, the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, and SFMoMA, and will be included in the upcoming Singapore Biennial (Oct. 16). Suki Seokyeong Kang Suki Seokyeong Kang (b. 1977) Kang combines painting, sculpture, and architecture in her performance-based practice that’s both deeply personal and draws from traditional Korean dance and musical notation. At Art Basel 2018, she was awarded the Baloise Art Prize, and in the same year, presented her first U.S. museum performance and installation, “Black Mat Oriole” at the ICA in Philadelphia. In 2019, she had a solo exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art and showed her geometric construction, “Grandmother Tower,” at the 58th Venice Biennale. She is represented by Tina Kim, Kukje, and Pace. Ha Chong-Hyun Ha Chong-Hyun (b. 1935) A Dansaekhwa leader, Ha’s works are familiarly registered by his meditative gesture of pushing thick paint through plain hemp canvas from the backside. His Conjunction series ties both minimalist aesthetics and political commentary as the works’ meditative production are rendered in materials acquired from U.S. rations following the Korean War. Ha is represented by Kukje, the organizer behind an official collateral survey at this year’s Venice Biennale, as well as Almine Rech and Blum & Poe. Park Seo-Bo Park Seo-Bo (b. 1931) Credited as the father of the Dansaekhwa movement, Park’s use of repeated strokes reflects a meditative practice, making room for deep introspection by emptying the mind. He first began his signature Écriture series of paintings in the 1960s, laying the groundwork for Dansaekhwa. Last spring, the Pompidou Center announced a major acquisition of his work, and he himself just opened his Gizi Foundation as an artist incubator, partnering with the Gwangju Biennial for a $100,000 prize. He is represented by Kukje, Tina Kim, White Cube, and Perrotin galleries. Lee Kang-So Lee Kang-So (b. 1943) An iconic figure in the Korean art world working since the 1970s, Lee Kang-So is known for his abstract works that reflect the Korean philosophy of “pungryu,” or harmony between all things in the flow of nature, a practice separating himself apart from other painters of his generation. Since his MoMA PS1 residency in 1991-92, he has had nearly 30 solo exhibitions internationally. Recently, Hyundai staged a retrospective of his work as a collateral event to the Venice Biennale in 2019 and the solo exhibition, “From a Dream,” to coincide with last year’s Kiaf Seoul. Lee Bul Lee Bul (b. 1964) Lee Bul works mainly in large-scale sculptural installations, often accompanied by performances. She uses metallic, futuristic constructions as a mirror for the aspirations and failures of contemporary society, especially critiquing misogyny and politics surrounding women’s bodies. For Lee Bul, technological obsessions tend to reveal the human desire to escape or modify the body in pursuit of immortality. She was included in the 1999 Venice Biennale and was honored with major solo exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris in 2015 and at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2021. Lehman Maupin is showing her work at Frieze Seoul. Lee Ufan Lee Ufan (b. 1936) Lee Ufan’s practice focuses not on creating something new, but revealing the hidden nature of the existing world. In his long-running “Relatum” series, he examines the relationship between art object, viewer, and space by placing large stones in relation to mirrors, iron plates, or monochrome canvases. His signature paintings, though seemingly simple rows of individual strokes, require meditative breathing to achieve the effect of smooth, consistent gestures. In April, Lee Ufan opened a museum dedicated to his art in the old quarter of Arles across three floors of the Hôtel Vernon, his third museum alongside those in Naoshima, Japan, and Busan, South Korea. Elsewhere in Arles, his “Requiem” of 13 “Relatum” stone installations at the Alyscamps Roman necropolis runs through Sept. 30. He is included in the group exhibition, “On my way to the museum,” at the Busan Museum through Oct. 16, and in Tokyo, a retrospective of his work opened this month to commemorate the National Art Center’s 15th anniversary. He is jointly represented by Pace and Lisson galleries. Minjung Kim Minjung Kim (b. 1962) Kim is known for her delicate ink paintings that layer dozens if not hundreds of sheets of traditional mulberry Hanji paper. She often twists the paper or burns its edges to create a natural, jagged surface. Her work has featured in over 50 solo exhibitions since 1991 and in the Gwangju Biennale in 2004 and 2018. She is represented by Hyundai and Volker Diehl, and in 2021 the Hill Art Foundation presented her first career survey. Simon de Pury, too, just tapped Kim to submit a work of her choosing for inclusion in his inaugural online exhibition and auction.