Frieze Seoul has revealed the programme for its fifth edition, expanding far beyond the fair itself with a week of public art, film, talks, music and late-night events spread across the city.
Returning to COEX in Gangnam from 2nd–5th September 2026, in partnership with Kiaf SEOUL, this year’s edition will once again bring together more than 125 galleries from over 30 countries, while transforming Seoul into a citywide cultural destination throughout Frieze Week.
One of the headline projects is The Find Seoul, a new public artwork by British artist Ryan Gander as part of Frieze LIVE. Across Seoul’s creative districts, 16,000 specially designed coins will be hidden in galleries, institutions, neighbourhoods and public spaces.
Each collectable coin is embossed with a different piece of wisdom, inviting visitors either to keep it or pass it on. Running from 31 August to 10 September, the project encourages audiences to discover Seoul through chance encounters and unexpected moments of exploration.
Frieze Film also expands this year through a new collaboration with the Busan Biennale. Presented at SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation, the off-site programme will feature moving-image works by Alison Nguyen, Umi Ishihara, Bhenji Rha, Luiz Roque, Moe Satt, Brahim Tall, Tanat Teeradakorn and Natasha Tontey, exploring sound, performance, ritual and political resistance through contemporary film.
Within the fair itself, several major artist commissions will punctuate the exhibition halls. Korean artists Moon Kyungwon & Jeon Joonho will present Mobile Agora, a participatory installation constructed from recycled plastic chairs that invites visitors to gather and discuss environmental issues, including climate change and plastic pollution.
Meanwhile, The Moon Jar Constellation, developed with PBG (Print Bakery), brings together fifteen Korean artists responding to the iconic moon jar, with proceeds once again supporting UNICEF. Participating artists include Chun Kwang Young, Lee Kang So, Eddie Kang and Gwon Osang.
The recipient of the 2026 Frieze Seoul Artist Award, Seoul-based collective Yagwang, will unveil Facade Zone, a site-specific installation that dismantles the architecture of a traditional fair booth to expose its underlying structure. Combining sculptural elements inspired by Korean Buddhist iconography with an evolving lighting system, the commission continues the collective’s exploration of gender, labour, identity and queerness. The award is supported by Bvlgari.
The popular Kiaf Seoul x KAMS x Frieze Seoul Talks programme also returns, bringing together artists, curators and museum leaders from Korea and beyond. Sessions will feature Ayoung Kim, Chan Sook Choi and Christine Sun Kim, alongside conversations on Korean biennales, international museum collections and collaborations between artists and global brands.
Beyond exhibitions, Frieze Week once again extends into Seoul’s neighbourhoods through Neighborhood Nights, with late-night gallery openings and cultural events taking place across Euljiro, Hannam, Cheongdam and Samcheong. The programme culminates with the fourth edition of Frieze Music, supported by BMW.
Patrick Lee, Director of Frieze Seoul, said:
“The program we are presenting this year is built on the belief that a fair should be more than what happens inside its walls – it should be felt across the city it calls home.”
As Frieze Seoul marks its fifth anniversary, the 2026 programme reinforces the fair’s ambition to embed itself within the city’s wider cultural landscape, connecting international visitors with Seoul’s galleries, institutions and creative communities through public art, performance, film and conversation.
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