With more than 60 events per year, there is no clear model for how to successfully launch another art fair in South Korea. The newest addition to the roster, Art OnO in Seoul, took a mixed approach.
Founded by 33-year-old art collector JaeMyung Noh, the three-day event had a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries and used an ambitious but straightforward way to connect the capital’s gallery scene, bringing fairgoers to many of the sights of the city were drawn. most prominent contemporary art spaces.
Art OnO took place from April 19 to 21 at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC) center in the Gangnam district, under the on-the-nose ethos of “young and fresh, but stylish.” The theme reflects Noh’s vision to combine contemporary vibrancy with classical reverence in an intimate setting of three rooms, with stalls adjacent to informal places such as a gourmet hot dog restaurant, a luxury soft-serve parlor and an artisanal coffee shop where visitors could relax. .
