A trip to South Korea offered the opportunity to discover the vibrant, art scene in Seoul through highlighting the contribution of women and gender non-conforming artists. The trip focussed on exclusive visits to artists’ studios to meet with the creators directly, as well as behind-the-scenes visits to some of Seoul’s art institutions. This included an archival tour of the National Museum of Korea’s storage facility and a white glove tour of some objets d’art. Discovering the history of Seoul through a private tour to the Huwon Secret Garden and Changdeokgung Palace contextualised the contemporary arts scene within the social and historical background of Korea, whose complex socio-political history continues to influence artists today.
The patrons also had the opportunity to visit the Gwangju Biennale. Established in 1994, it is Asia’s oldest biennale of contemporary art. The Biennale Hall is the exhibition’s pivotal venue, bringing together the numerous narrative threads of the art fair’s theme.