What makes an art scene? There are the artists. There are the gallerists, museum directors and collectors who provide the platforms on which those artists’ work gets shown. There are technicians, shippers, cleaners and security guards, and many more besides. But as well as people there are spaces, spaces where art gets shown, spaces in which ideas get generated, spaces that inspire. Explore the list, chosen by the people who help shape the city’s vibrant art scene.
Gallery Directory
Gwanak-gu
CYLINDER
Founded in 2020 and operating across two spaces in Seoul, CYLINDER negotiates a role as an alternative space and a commercial gallery. It collaborates with a range of domestic and international artists, from Jonghwan Lee to Tristan Pigott
Seongbuk-gu
Gallery Kiche
Established in 2014 and newly relocated to a space in the hilly Seongbuk-dong neighbourhood that overlooks the city, the gallery is committed to fostering long-term collaborations with rising Korean as well as international artists specialising in a range of mediums
O’NewWall
Founded in 2011 with a focus on intervening in cultural issues through art, the gallery collaborates with artists of different generations and cultural backgrounds working in a mix of genres and media
Gangnam-gu
G Gallery
Set in a residential area, the gallery, founded in 2013, represents emerging and midcareer domestic artists who work in a range of mediums, from textile to digital art, including Hannah Woo, Hwang Sueyon and Yehwan Song
Kimreeaa Gallery
Founded in 2008, the gallery represents emerging as well as established artists working with painting and sculpture, from Do You Hwang to Koo Ja Hyun
Lee Eugean Gallery
Formerly a family residence, this multifloor brick building was converted into a gallery in 2011, introducing the works of artists from around the world and running an art club led by artists, designers and architects
oaoa
Founded in 2022, oaoa, short for ‘ordinary art, original art’, is drawn to works that meditate on emotions and the experience of everyday life, mounting shows by emerging and midcareer Korean artists, with a focus on painting
ROY GALLERY & Project Space ROY
Gallery dedicated to a diversity of progressive practices, representing a range of emerging and established artists while running a project space that highlights experimentation and community dialogue
Jongno-gu
A-Lounge
Established in 2016, the gallery is dedicated to helping emerging artists grow both locally and internationally, with a taste for practices that reflect and shape current trends
Arario Gallery
Established in 1989, the gallery has spaces in Seoul, Cheonan and Shanghai and a focus on discovering, incubating and promoting Asian artists internationally, including Don Sunpil and Nalini Malani
ARTSIDE Gallery
Gallery founded in 1999 to connect artists to the international art scene, and since 2023 also running ARTSIDE Temporary, which seeks to broaden the discussion around art and its value
Art Space 3
Contemporary art gallery launched in 2013, with a space that includes remnants of sixteenth-century Joseon dynasty housing found during a recent city-led excavation
Barakat Contemporary
Founded in 2016, the gallery represents prominent artists from around the world who tackle contemporary cultural issues with research-based practices, including Wael Shawky, El Anatsui and Shezad Dawood, among others
Combine Works
Founded in 2021, the gallery works with emerging artists from Korea and abroad, with a focus on nurturing their international growth. As well as organising exhibitions, the space hosts talks, writing workshops and art therapy sessions, and runs its own imprint
drawingRoom
A contemporary art gallery supporting and promoting emerging artists through exhibitions, art fairs and collaborative projects
GALLERY2
Gallery founded in 2007 to work with contemporary Korean artists in a range of mediums, currently operating across spaces in Seoul and Jeju
gallerychosun
Founded in 2004 as an offshoot of one of Korea’s oldest galleries, gallerychosun has been compiling since 2015 an archive that seeks to document and preserve artists’ process
Gallery Hyundai
The longest-running contemporary art gallery in Korea, representing some of the country’s most influential artists, from Ayoung Kim to Lee Ufan, is celebrating its 55th birthday
Hakgojae
With a name derived from the Confucian axiom ‘review the old to learn the new’, Hakgojae is dedicated to connecting history and tradition to contemporary global culture, preserving the roots to Korean modern and contemporary art. Artists include Ryu Kyung Chai and Shin Hak-Chul
Kukje
Founded in 1982 and located in the heart of the Sogyeok neighbourhood, the gallery also runs an outpost in Busan. Famous for promoting Dansaekhwa artists, including the late Park Seo-bo, and bringing in shows by artists ranging from Louise Bourgeois to Jenny Holzer
PAGEROOM8
Established in 2018, this gallery and publishing house supports young Korean artists working in painting, print and water-based mediums
PKM
Founded in 2001, the gallery works with both established and emerging Korean and international artists, including Korea’s Venice artist Koo Jeong A and Dansaekhwa painter Yun Hyong-keun
Yeemock Gallery
Founded in 1976, the gallery discovers, supports and exhibits the work of emerging and established artists
Jung-gu
Gallery Shilla
Forward-looking contemporary art gallery founded in 1992; representing international and Korean artists from conceptual artist Sung Neung Kyung to new media artists Nam June Paik and duo Kimchi and Chips
Gallery SoSo
Housed in a cedarwood space in Paju, the gallery, established in 2007, hosts residencies alongside an exhibition programme, and has as an outpost in Seoul
IAH
Founded in 2022, with a preference for durational curatorial practice and long-term collaborations, the gallery represents emerging and established Korean and international artists whose practices move across mediums and geographies
N/A
Founded in 2018 inside a former hardware store, N/A is a gallery and publishing house that supports experimental and cross-disciplinary practices of young and midcareer artists from Korea and internationally
Sahng-Up Gallery
A gallery dedicated to exploring the social role of Korean contemporary art, operating two spaces, in Euljiro and Yongsan
Space Cadalogs
Gallery and café supporting emerging artists
Mapo-gu
OUTHOUSE
Artist-run gallery founded in 2018, occupying two floors of a neighbourhood building in Mapo-gu
SPACE SO
Founded in 2017, the gallery supports Korean artists who work at home and abroad, identifying emerging artists while collaborating with mor established ones like Koo Bohnchang
Seocho-gu
Vohm Gallery
Founded in 2021, the gallery represents emerging Korean artists who work in the mediums of painting and sculpture
Seodaemun-gu
Innsinn
Gallery and art shop catering to new collectors
Seongbuk-gu
BB&M
Originally an art consultancy, BB&M, launched in 2009, has promoted some of the most internationally acclaimed contemporary Korean artists, including Lee Bul, Minouk Lim and Bae Young-whan
Seongdong-gu
CDA Gallery
Founded in 2021 in the trendy neighbourhood Seongsu, the gallery supports emerging artists, representing, among others, Duri Baek and yyth
Yeongdeungpo-gu
space xx
Located in a basement space just outside the Mullae Artist Village, the gallery collaborates with artists who work in a range of mediums, from painting and sculpture to video and installation
Yongsan-gu
APOproject
Commercial gallery and project space supporting emerging artists, with a newly launched Busan-based artist residency
BHAK
Gallery and art consultancy established in 1993, working with established artists from Lee Ufan to Park Seo-Bo
Galerie ERD
A gallery showcasing contemporary art and design both on- and offsite. It also hosts the House of Finn Juhl, a furniture showroom displaying the work of the late Danish designer
Gallery Kabinett
Gallery showcasing Korean and international contemporary fine arts and crafts since 2016, with a focus on young and emerging artists
Gallery SP
Formerly a print house, the gallery has expanded beyond print-based practices since the 2000s, representing artists working in a range of mediums while running a multidisciplinary cultural venue, Gallery OOOJH
La Heen Gallery
Gallery and arts advisory founded in 2018 to represent emerging artists, while also hosting artist talks, artist-led workshops and an artist residency
P21
Contemporary art gallery established in 2017 seeking to expand the global reach of Korean artists, introduce international artists to a Korean audience and work with artists of the Korean diaspora
Space Willing N Dealing
Former arts consultancy rebranded in 2012 to focus on introducing young Korean artists to the market. In addition to an exhibition programme, the space produces critical essays and runs an educational programme
ThisWeekendRoom
Founded in 2015 and now based in Seoul’s wealthy Hannam-dong, the gallery represents emerging domestic and international artists like Jinhee Kim and Adam Boyd
Whistle
Exhibition space founded in 2017 focusing mainly on Seoul-based emerging artists while also curating group exhibitions with international artists
This features in the ArtReview Korea Supplement, a special publication celebrating contemporary Korean art, supported by Korea Arts Management Service and available with the September 2025 issue of ArtReview
