International Gallery Chairman Lee Hyun-sook Selected as 'Power 100' by UK ArtReview

Gwangju Biennale Foundation CEO Kim Seonjeong and German-based Philosopher Han Byung-chul Included

Chairman Lee Hyun-sook of International Gallery
Photo by International Gallery

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] International Gallery Chairperson Lee Hyun-sook has been selected as one of the '2020 Power 100' by the renowned British contemporary art magazine ArtReview, International Gallery announced.

ArtReview ranked Chairperson Lee Hyun-sook 83rd in the '2020 Power 100' announced on the 3rd. Lee Hyun-sook has been selected for the ArtReview Power 100 for six consecutive years. After first entering at 82nd place in 2015, she ranked 77th in 2016, 79th in 2017, 68th in 2018, and 60th in 2019.

Since 2002, ArtReview has formed a judging panel consisting of artists, curators, and critics to announce the 'Power 100' annually. This year, ArtReview stated that a panel of about 20 art experts and non-experts participated as judges, selecting 100 individuals through comprehensive and in-depth discussions about figures in the global cultural and artistic community, their activities, and influence.

ArtReview cited "outstanding business insight" and "continuous exclusive contracts with renowned domestic and international artists" as the main reasons for selecting Chairperson Lee Hyun-sook.

ArtReview commented, "International Gallery, founded by Chairperson Lee Hyun-sook, serves as the cultural and artistic hub of Seoul. Despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, it consistently showcased solo exhibitions of its exclusive artists. Additionally, the gallery officially reopened the K1 building, which serves as the main building among its three buildings (K1, K2, K3), providing guests with a space under the theme of 'Art Collector's House' where they can enjoy beverages and meals as well as exercise and relaxation. This spring, the media artist unit a'strict of d'strict, a spatial digital experience design company that gained worldwide acclaim with the public media art work 'WAVE' displayed on the large LED screen at COEX Artium, held their first solo exhibition at International Gallery. The domestic and international activities of exclusive artists also continued actively, including Kim Young-na, who held a solo exhibition at the Buk-Seoul Museum of Art; Kim Soo-ja, who presented a site-specific solo exhibition at Banos Konst in southern Sweden; Park Chan-kyung, who participated in the Yokohama Triennale; and Yang Hye-kyu, who has held numerous solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Clark Art Institute in the U.S., the Bath Art Museum in the U.S., Tate St Ives in the U.K., and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Canada. Australian artist Daniel Boyd, who recently signed an exclusive contract with the gallery, also demonstrated his strength by winning four awards at the ACT Architecture Awards hosted by the Australian Institute of Architects," it praised.

Besides Chairperson Lee Hyun-sook, curator and Gwangju Biennale Foundation CEO Kim Sun-jung was ranked 72nd, and Han Byung-chul, a Korean-born philosopher active between Germany and Switzerland and professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, was ranked 62nd.

The Black Lives Matter movement, which advocated for racial equality and justice and caused a global impact, ranked first as the first social movement in the history of the 'Power 100.' Ruangrupa, an artist collective based in Jakarta and appointed as the artistic director of Documenta 15 in 2020, took second place. This year's 'Power 100' consists of 28 artists (teams), 27 gallerists, 23 curators, 15 collectors and philanthropists, 14 scholars, 13 museum directors, and 5 art fair directors. The full ranking can be found on the ArtReview website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.