Art Busan 2025: Redefining Asia’s Contemporary Art Landscape from Busan
By Art Busan
*Presented by Art Busan
Installation view at Art Busan, 2023. Courtesy Art Busan.
Building on over a decade of momentum, Art Busan 2025 strengthens its role as Asia Pacific’s premier springtime art fair, forging new pathways in contemporary art across the region and beyond. Held from May 8 to 11 at BEXCO in the coastal city of Busan, this year’s edition features 109 galleries from 17 countries, under a renewed curatorial structure that emphasizes regional connectivity, experimentation, and global engagement.
A Distinctive Structure with International Reach
The fair’s signature sections reflect its curatorial clarity:
• MAIN hosts premier galleries from Korea and abroad,
• FUTURE highlights emerging voices from young galleries,
• CONNECT explores spatial and conceptual boundaries through curated projects.
These are enriched by CONVERSATIONS, a series of talks with international institutions, and Busan Art Week, a citywide initiative linking the fair to the broader urban context.
Set against the dynamic backdrop of Busan—a city where cultural energy meets coastal beauty—Art Busan uniquely offers collectors and art enthusiasts an immersive experience beyond the fairgrounds.
Installation view at Art Busan, 2023. Courtesy Art Busan.
A Global Roster with Local Depth
In 2025, Art Busan welcomes renowned galleries including MASSIMODECARLO, Esther Schipper, Société, Tang Contemporary Art, and Whitestone, alongside Korea’s most influential names like Kukje Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Arario Gallery, Johyun Gallery and PKM. Notably, this year marks the Korean debut of Tokyo’s Kotaro Nukaga, signaling growing cross-cultural engagement within East Asia’s art scene.
Esther Schipper returns to Art Busan for the first time since relocating to a new space in Seoul’s Hannam-dong, while Galerie CANADA (New York) and Gaetano Pesce Studio (New York) reflect a broader trend of international galleries strategically deepening their presence in Asia through Korea. The fair thus offers a distinctive vantage point for navigating shifting regional currents.
FUTURE & ART ACCENT: Cultivating New Voices
The FUTURE section features 19 galleries under four years old, with solo and duo presentations of rising artists such as Jaehong Ahn, Jeffrey Chong Wang, and Michael Rikio Ming Hee Ho. The ART ACCENT program, co-hosted with Hongti Art Center, will award one participating artist a solo booth at Art Busan 2026, reinforcing the fair’s long-term investment in talent.
A new FUTURE ART AWARD, supported by Hana Financial Group, will present KRW 10 million to an outstanding artist from this section, further supporting early-career development.
Installation view at Art Busan, 2024. Courtesy Art Busan.
CONNECT: Rethinking Space, Context, and Form
Curated by Wonseok Koh (Director, Line Cultural Foundation), CONNECT explores the theme “Territory and Boundaries.” Eleven projects examine materiality, identity, and spatial engagement through diverse media.
Through CONNECT, Art Busan positions itself at the forefront of experimental practice in the region, presenting site-specific and cross-disciplinary projects that challenge conventional fair formats.
A major highlight is Fragmented World, Living Entities, co-produced with institutions including the Sharjah Biennial and TKG+, featuring artists such as Alexander Ugay, Hou I-Ting, and Kim Sang-don.
Art Busan also expands beyond its venue with a large-scale outdoor installation at DOMOHEON, a historic site in Namcheon-dong. Here, acclaimed sculptor Chung Hyun presents The Standing Man, created from reclaimed railroad materials—marking the fair’s first off-site sculptural commission.
Installation view of CONVERSATIONS at Art Busan, 2024. Courtesy Art Busan.
CONVERSATIONS: Cross-Regional Dialogue
The CONVERSATIONS program consists of eight sessions co-organized with institutions such as Tokyo Gendai, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (Moscow), Supper Club (Hong Kong), and OAR Museum of Contemporary Art. Topics span institutional responsibility, artistic identity, and spatial curating.
A highlight session, “Art in Motion: People and Platforms Across Asia,” features Eri Takane (Tokyo Gendai), Willem Molesworth (Supper Club & PHD Group), Seokho Jeong (Art Busan), and Fabien Pacory (CCI France Chine), moderated by Vivienne Chow (Artnet / The Asia Pivot). Together, they explore how galleries, collectors, and cultural platforms are forming new collaborative networks across Asia.
Other talks include dialogues between architect Hyunjoon Yoo and artist Etsu Egami, a conversation between curators from Hamburger Bahnhof and Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, and sculptor Chung Hyun with curator Bo Bae Lee (Seoul Museum of Art), addressing site-specificity and public sculpture.
Art Busan × Tokyo Gendai: A New Regional Partnership
One of the most significant developments this year is Art Busan’s new partnership with Tokyo Gendai, a rising contemporary art fair in Japan. Signed in March 2025 as a two-year agreement, this collaboration marks a new chapter in cross-border institutional and curatorial exchange.
In September 2025, Art Busan will present up to 10 Korean galleries at the 3rd edition of Tokyo Gendai, alongside a special exhibition co-curated with the Tokyo team. A co-hosted VIP reception and public talk will further promote engagement with Japan-based and international audiences. It will be a great opportunities for western collectors visiting Seoul during Frieze Seoul to plan for a two weeks art trip in Seoul and Tokyo.
This collaboration also offers Western collectors visiting Seoul during Frieze a compelling opportunity to extend their journey into Tokyo, fostering a two-week art immersion across East Asia.
In May 2026, the partnership will be reciprocated in Busan with a curated exhibition of Japanese artists and galleries, developed under Art Busan’s curatorial direction. Co-hosted networking events and institutional dialogues will accompany the presentation. Supported by Korea’s Overseas Fair Support Program, the partnership aims to foster sustainable market and cultural exchanges throughout East Asia.
Looking Ahead
Founded in 2012 to support the art ecosystem of Busan and the wider Gyeongsang region, Art Busan has grown into a pivotal art fair in the Asia Pacific calendar. With an expanding international footprint and a deep commitment to local culture, Art Busan redefines what a regional fair can be—not just a marketplace, but a platform for experimentation, connection, and critical reflection.
In 2025, Art Busan extends an invitation to the world—not only to experience Asia’s vibrant contemporary art landscape but to discover the future of art itself, shaped from Busan’s scenic shores.
For more information, visit www.artbusan.com
