With ‘Art Basel in Basel 2025’ set to open from June 19 to 22 at Messe Basel in Switzerland, Korean galleries are drawing international attention with a strong and diverse presence. This year’s fair features 289 galleries from 42 countries and covers various sectors—including ‘Galleries’, large-scale installations in ‘Unlimited’, citywide public works in ‘Parcours’, and theme-driven presentations in ‘Kabinett’—offering a comprehensive panorama of contemporary art.

The introduction of the Art Basel Awards marks a new milestone. Thirty-six contributors to the art ecosystem—including artists, curators, patrons, and institutional figures—will receive medals during the fair, signaling Art Basel's expanding role as a cultural leader beyond a commercial marketplace.


 
Kukje Gallery: Strategic Juxtaposition of Dansaekhwa and Contemporary Voices

Kukje Gallery offers a curated spectrum of Korean modern and contemporary art that balances tradition and experimentation. Among its key highlights is Écriture No. 230101 (2023), a late work by Dansaekhwa master Park Seo-bo (1931–2023), rendered in burning red over ceramic. This piece fuses his signature repetitive gesture with the material tactility of East Asian aesthetics. Ha Chong-hyun’s new work Conjunction pushes paint from the reverse side of the hemp canvas using his unique back-pressure technique, turning the surface into a dynamic field of tension between materiality and gesture.

The booth also features works by conceptual artist Kim Yong-Ik Paint Consuming Project: Name(兕)–3, sculptor Kim Yun Shin The Song of My Soul, and Moon Sung-sic Just Life, (2024–2025), whose paintings explore the quiet forces of nature and memory. These works collectively embody the sensuous introspection and philosophical depth of Korean contemporary art.

In the Unlimited sector, Kukje Gallery presents the final major installation by Suki Seokyeong Kang (1977–2025), alongside works by Haegue Yang and Jae Eun Choi. Known for combining installation, painting, weaving, and sculptural structures, Kang’s practice draws on traditional forms such as the Korean court dance ‘Chunaengmu’, intersecting gender perspectives and spatial poetics to interrogate the relationship between body and system. This deeply affecting presentation marks one of the artist’s final monumental works.

Internationally, the gallery showcases a concave disc sculpture by Anish Kapoor and a spatial painting installation by Daniel Boyd. Together, these works expand the booth’s thematic scope, engaging with postcolonial discourse and the visual politics of perception.


 
Gallery Hyundai: Solo Booth Showcases Lee Seung-taek’s ‘Non‑Sculpture’ Methodology

Gallery Hyundai will present a solo show of Lee Seung-taek (b. 1932) at Booth G13. Lee is widely regarded as a pioneer of Korean avant-garde art through his development of the ‘Non‑Sculpture’ concept, which ran parallel to European Arte Povera, Conceptual, and Land Art movements in the 1960s–70s.

Lee’s work divides into two main streams: the ‘Immaterial Series’, which makes visible phenomena like wind, smoke, and fire through ephemeral installations and performances, and the ‘Tying Series’, which repurposes everyday objects—such as jars and stones—tied together with ropes to paradoxically explore form and subversion. Approximately 30 sculptural works, including Godret Stone, Tied Jar, and Rope Canvas, will demonstrate his visual paradox strategy, expanding the conceptual boundaries of contemporary sculpture.


 
Tina Kim Gallery: Gender, Identity, and Migration Explored in Dual Sector Participation

Tina Kim Gallery, based in New York and Seoul, will participate in both the Galleries and Unlimited sectors. The Galleries booth highlights crossovers between Dansaekhwa and contemporary art, while the Unlimited sector will feature Suki Seokyeong Kang’s (1977–2025) installation Mat Black Mat 170 x 380. Crafted from dyed reed mats and suspended from the ceiling, the work references traditional Korean court dance while symbolically examining the intersection of space, the body, and societal structures—serving as a poignant testament to Kang's final artistic vision.

The gallery will also exhibit works by Mire Lee, Pacita Abad, Ghada Amer, Maia Ruth Lee, Jennifer Tee, and others, weaving themes of feminism and migration into a multi-layered global discourse.


 
International Presence: Crossing Sectors and Building Networks

Beyond Gallery Hyundai and Tina Kim, other major Korean galleries—Kukje Gallery and PKM Gallery—will participate across various sectors. These galleries, alongside mid-sized spaces like Arario, Gallery Baton, Wooson Gallery, and others, are expanding their global networks through satellite exhibitions, Kabinett projects, and VIP lounge programs. Art Basel has confirmed that Asian gallery participation has grown by over 20% compared to last year, with Korea firmly positioned as a central hub in Asia’s contemporary art landscape.


 
Strategic Curation and Structural Integration: Korean Art as a Global Force

The participation of Korean galleries at Art Basel 2025 transcends mere market entry; it signifies a strategic integration into the global art ecosystem. By intentionally curating across generations, media, and ideologies, Korean galleries present a richer, more complex narrative than a monolithic national style. Lee Seung-taek’s 'Non‑Sculpture' concept, the tactile repetitions of Park Seo-bo and Ha Chong-hyun, Kang's spatial performance, and Tina Kim's international collaborations demonstrate that Korean contemporary art now operates in multiple dimensions. As the fair opens on June 19, Korean galleries are emerging not just as participants, but as protagonists in the global art discourse.

References

Gallery Hyundai: https://www.galleryhyundai.com
Kukje Gallery: https://www.kukjegallery.com
Tina Kim Gallery: https://www.tinakimgallery.com
Art Basel: https://www.artbasel.com