In the past few years, Europe has seen a rising interest in Korean culture, from film and fashion to fine art. Korean galleries have responded with curiosity and ambition, seeking genuine exchange rather than simple export. Among the pioneers is Ji-Sun Park of ARIA Gallery, who moved to Germany while maintaining her space in Daejeon. Now in her fourth consecutive year at the Discovery Art Fair in Frankfurt, Park has become a familiar and respected figure, establishing a dedicated following both in Germany and back home. Through her persistence and vision, she has helped open a cultural pathway that others are now walking. This year, the result is clear: a remarkable representation of Korean galleries that reflects not only artistic vitality but also a growing mutual desire for connection and understanding.
ARIA Gallery
ARIA Gallery, Artretain
PS Center and ARIA Gallery: Expanding Horizons
PS Center, a young yet ambitious space from Seoul’s Euljiro district, brought together an impressive selection of contemporary artists: Yunyoung Kim, Jinyeong Yeon, Jiyoung Kwon, and Gun Hee Lee, who presented poignant hanji paper collages in his first exhibition outside Korea. The gallery’s curatorial focus reflects Seoul’s energetic scene, where experimentation meets sensitivity to material and form.
Meanwhile, ARIA Gallery, led by Ji-Sun Park, returned for its fourth consecutive year in Frankfurt with a strong and diverse lineup: Jung Chul, Lee Duri, Brian Kims, Jeon Hyung Joo, Daniel Shin, Kim Sun, and Ahn Ha Jung, the latter featured in the Discover a Talent program. Based in Daejeon and increasingly active in Germany, ARIA Gallery continues to cultivate lasting connections between the two art scenes through quality, consistency, and vision.
PS Centar
Artertain, Naeil, and Gallery O: Conversations Across Media
Artertain Gallery embodies the spirit of connection that defines this year’s Korean participation. With its new German chapter, Artertain_G in Düsseldorf, the gallery is actively building a dialogue between East and West. Its Frankfurt presentation featured a constellation of artists, from Jin Kim and Sooyoung Han to Roman Klonek, a Polish-born printmaker based in Germany, forming a conversation about memory, perception, and renewal.
Gallery Naeil of Seoul contributed thoughtful works by Min-Joo Lee, Jong-Gou Lee, Chang-Soo Lee, and Uwe Jonas, blending perspectives from Korea and Germany.
Gallery O, meanwhile, offered an elegant display by Kheejoo Cho, So Jin Yoon, and Jeong A Lee, whose subtle compositions emphasized craft and texture.
Across these booths, one could sense a shared sensibility, contemplative, tactile, and deeply human, transcending borders through artistic form.
Naeil Gallery
Naeil Gallery
A Dialogue in Materials and Meanings
Across all five galleries, the works presented at Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt spanned paper, clay, embroidery, textile, painting, drawing, and mixed media. The influence of Asian traditions was evident, in precision, symbolism, and respect for material, yet each artist infused it with the pulse of contemporary life. This dialogue between tradition and innovation lent the fair a distinctive freshness, offering European visitors a chance to see Korean art not as a trend, but as a mature and evolving voice in the global conversation. The quality and diversity of the work spoke for themselves: thoughtful, beautifully made, and resonant.
It was refreshing and inspiring to see these Korean positions gathered in one place, contributing depth and energy to the fair’s international character. We look forward to welcoming Korean galleries and artists again at the Discovery Art Fair, their presence enriches not only the event, but the wider exchange of cultures that art continues to make possible.