Must-See Booths at Frieze Seoul 2026

It’s clear skies ahead for Frieze Seoul 2026, even against the odds of shaky August rains. The mega fair rolled back into its fifth edition at COEX through September 5, and adding to the usual Gangnam crowd is an international influx of collectors, artists, and fairgoers shuffling to get in on the action.

Since first landing in 2021, Frieze Seoul has grown into one of the essential art-world dates in Asia. And along with a record 133 galleries from 30 countries in attendance are a few new moves. Spotlight and Material Practice debut as new curated sections, honing in on overlooked 20th-century artists, and dialogues between craft, contemporary art, and tradition, respectively. Focus, dedicated to younger galleries, sees a return, expanding beyond Asia for the first time.

As for the state of the market this go-around, the jury is still out. But sales so far have shown more energy put towards accessibly priced works, as well as younger artists and collectors, to switch things up.

So, what’s worth seeing? We hit the fair floor to find out. Read on for more on our five must-see booths at Frieze Seoul.

Caption, Booth F7

Yongjae Lee’s “Gaehwa 05” (2026) is among the first eye-catchers spotted down the Focus alley. Presented by Caption, located in Yongsan, Lee mounts a chorus of sepia-toned paintings and Nine Elephants sculptures, reworking images from the Smithsonian Archives — tattooed laborers and vignettes from Kim Gojong’s audience hall. The real work happens in the gaps of history, wary of letting us off resolution so easily. Throughout the fair, you’ll also spot Lee’s work on this year’s Frieze Uniform T-Shirt, created with Stone Island.

CON_, Booth F5

Minhee Kim gets glitchy at Tokyo-based CON_. The presentation, also found in Focus, digs into the complicated fantasy of “ideal” beauty. Drawing from ‘90s media, like manga and advertisements, Kim confronts her unease with these figures and the desire to become them. The perfect “PC” body is swapped for one that’s crystallized and vulnerable to malfunction. The new body of paintings and illustrations probes into our innermost questions of shame and desire, pushing beyond what’s promised when we’re shiny and new.

Mendes Wood DM, Booth B8

Subtle acts of disobedience draw a crowd. “Bomb” (2026) by Eunnam Hong hides menace beneath its codes of luxury and desire. Precious Okoyomon evokes eroticism, shame, and fragility in the shape of a shy, kneeling bear, hand over mouth; while Josi allures with an inky, layered work that invites physical presence through shadowy forms. Repping Brazil (and beyond), the extensive Mendes Wood DM selection feels well-rounded across medium and histories, also featuring Laís Amaral, Lucas Arruda, Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato, Tomie Ohtake, Lygia Pape, Marina Perez Simão, Paulo Nazareth, Paulo Nimer Pjota, Mário Rubinski, Luiz Roque, Paula Siebra, Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, and Kishio Suga.

Unaw Gallery, Booth S13

Gyutae Hwang’s photographs at UNAW Gallery shimmer in the sculpture- and painting-heavy crowd. Part of the new Spotlight section, dedicated to modernist titans outside of the Western canon, the solo presentation collects key works from the ‘60s to the early oughts by the pioneering experimental photographer. Hwang’s career is defined by an exploration of substance that pushed the possibilities of the medium past its traditions. “I suffer from curiosity,” he once said. “Curiosity led me to peer through a loupe, and that brought me all the way here.”

Galerie Kandlhofer, Booth A14

For its first outing at Frieze Seoul, Vienna-based Galerie Kandlhofer brings seven artists to its booth. A pair of Paco Koenig’s oil-on-aluminum works just beyond a sinuous metal bloom by So Young Park warrants its own few minutes of lingering, toeing the borders between life and death. Paulina Aumayr, amongst some of the youngest on view, contributes “Find a penny, pick it up. Who pays for your luck? (2)” (2026), another study of salvation just beyond reach.