Hwarang Art Festival Marks 50th Anniversary with Record 169 Galleries Participating

Opening at COEX Halls C and D from April 8
Special Exhibitions for Emerging Artists and Archival Retrospectives
Largest-Ever Scale and Overseas Expansion Strategy Linked with Chicago

The Hwarang Art Festival, the longest-running art fair in Korea, will be held on the largest scale ever to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Korea Gallery Association. On March 17, the Korea Gallery Association announced at a press conference held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, that the '2026 Hwarang Art Festival' will be held from April 8 to 12 at COEX Halls C and D.

Seonghoon Lee, Chairman of the Korea Gallery Association, is giving a greeting at the press conference for the '2026 Gallery Art Festival' held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 17th. Photo by Yonhap News

This year's Hwarang Art Festival will feature participation from 169 domestic galleries, marking the largest number in its history. As the representative art fair that reflects the trends of the art market in the first half of the year, the association explained that it has not only expanded in scale but also enriched the density of its programs this year.

At the venue, major galleries will have booths alongside solo booths, a special exhibition for emerging artists titled 'Zoom-In Edition 7,' art talks, and docent programs. The plan is to go beyond a simple sales event by simultaneously fostering new artists, broadening the collector base, and enhancing the visitor experience.

In particular, this year will feature a special exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Korea Gallery Association. The association plans to present an exhibition that reviews the changes in Korea's gallery sector and the art market over the past 50 years, featuring interviews with former presidents, key records, and an archive related to the Hwarang Art Festival. An archiving book summarizing the association's 50-year history will also be published.

On the 17th, at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim Jeongsuk, Public Relations Director of the Korea Gallery Association, announced the event programs at the press conference for the '2026 Hwarang Art Festival'. Photo by Yonhap News.

In recent years, the Hwarang Art Festival has evolved from a sales-focused event into a platform that showcases both the trends and issues of Korea's art market. This year as well, the strategy is to attract not only art enthusiasts but also new visitors by strengthening special exhibitions highlighting emerging artists, talk programs, and visitor convenience services.

The association is also pursuing overseas expansion. It plans to participate in EXPO CHICAGO 2026, to be held at Navy Pier in Chicago, USA, from April 9 to 12, introducing Korean galleries and artists there. Through this, the association aims to help its member galleries enter overseas markets and expand the international connections of Korean art.

During the Q&A session at the press conference, the reasoning behind entering the Chicago market was also discussed. Choi Jiwhan, Secretary General of the Korea Gallery Association, explained that the association had considered holding its own exhibition overseas, but securing customers and effective publicity were significant challenges. As a result, rather than organizing an independent exhibition, the association chose to participate in a well-known main fair, ultimately selecting Chicago. He added that the preparation period of just over a year also influenced this decision.

Participants are appreciating artworks at the '2025 Hwarang Art Festival VIP Preview' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The association views participation in Chicago not as a one-off event but as the starting point of an ongoing overseas project. The association explained that it aims to link the overseas promotion of Korean art, local network building, and artist promotion in a mid- to long-term way, ensuring that these efforts do not end as a one-time event.

This year's Hwarang Art Festival has expanded in scale, symbolism, programming, and overseas reach. Marking its 50th anniversary, the event is expected not only to look back on the past but also to showcase the future direction of Korea's art market.

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