Frieze Seoul 2026 kicked off its VIP day on Wednesday, September 2nd, at COEX. Now in its fifth edition, the fair is known for drawing a mix of collectors, curators, institutional leaders, and stylish VIPs, largely from across the Asia Pacific region. This year was no exception, with K-pop stars The8 from the band Seventeen and Annie and Bailey from AllDay Project, singer Woodz, models Hye-jin Han and Yano Shiho, and actors Ji-won Uhm, Dasom, So-Hee Han, and Si-young Lee.
Adding to the initial excitement were several six-and seven-figure transactions, led by Thaddaeus Ropac’s sale of Adrian Ghenie’s Figure with Funerary Stele (2026), for €1.1 million ($1.28 million).
“It’s fantastic to see how Seoul Art Week has matured across the city, with the impressive institutional developments and the calibre of museum exhibitions,” said gallery founder Thaddaeus Ropac. “It’s been a strong start to the fair with swift sales, largely to collectors based in Korea, but also spanning Asia—Malaysia, China, Hong Kong—and a few to European and American collectors.”
Dealers also reported active institutional buying, particularly from Asia. Gagosian placed significant works from its solo presentation of Damien Hirst with notable collections for undisclosed prices, including an important museum in Asia, while Sprüth Magers sold Cyprien Gaillard’s Life in the cracks (Part 2) (2025) for $200,000 to an institutional collection in Asia. David Zwirner also placed a new painting by Lucas Arruda with a museum in the region for an undisclosed price.
Check back for our full sales report after the fair concludes. In the meantime, these are the leading sales reported on the opening day of Frieze Seoul 2026.
- In addition to the leading transaction of Figure with Funerary Stele (2026) by Ghenie, Thaddaeus Ropac sold the artist’s Study for “The Roman Road” 2 (2026) for €110,000 ($127,000). It also sold Antony Gormley’s HOLD (2024) for £750,000 ($1 million), David Salle’s Blue Trunks (2025) for $220,000, Martha Jungwirth’s Untitled (Berggasse 19) (2025) for €170,000 ($197,000), and Alex Katz’s Study for Emma (2015) for $150,000.
- Gallery Hyundai sold multiple works from its dual presentation of Kim Tschang-yeul and Seung-taek Lee. Works by Kim were priced between $180,000 and $1.1 million apiece, while works by Lee were priced between $170,000 and $700,000 apiece.
- Kukje Gallery sold Ha Chong-Hyun’s Post-Conjunction 21-512 (2021) for $253,000–$303,600 and Park Seo-Bo’s Ecriture No. 220611 (2022) for $250,000–$300,000. The gallery also sold Kibong Rhee’s The Mystery Tour (2026) for $120,000–$144,000, and Suki Seokyeong Kang’s Mat #24-10 (2023–24) for $100,000–$120,000.
- White Cube sold Gerhard Richter’s Fuji for €625,000 ($724,000), as well as Park Seo-Bo’s Ecriture No.221121 for $300,000 and Ecriture No. 070909 for $190,000. Additional sales included Antony Gormley’s SMALL CLAIM for £250,000 ($337,000), Klára Hosnedlová’s The Observer for $175,000, Tesfaye Urgessa’s Fiber of grace (Schutz) 2 for £120,000 ($162,000), Alia Ahmad’s Finood 5 (branches of a tree) for $120,000, and Ibrahim Mahama’s Coffin for head of state for €85,000 ($98,000).
- Hauser & Wirth placed works by Louise Bourgeois, Lorna Simpson, Jenny Holzer, Jeffrey Gibson, and Angel Otero for between $185,000 and $600,000 apiece.
- Pace Gallery reported multiple sales from across its program, including Lee Ufan’s With Winds (1987) and David Hockney’s Life (2012) for undisclosed prices. Priced sales included Anicka Yi’s HLKR£Kþ§†MLJ (2026) for $225,000, Marina Perez Simão’s Untitled (2021) for $220,000, Robert Longo’s Study of White Horse Head (2026) for $90,000, and Lauren Quin’s Morning Fold (2026) for $90,000.
- In addition to the Gaillard sale, Sprüth Magers sold Rosemarie Trockel’s Climate Box (2023) for $270,000, and Salvo’s Apamea (2001) for $215,000. Additional sales included Arthur Jafa’s Mike and Big (2024) for $85,000 and Gala Porras-Kim’s A terminal escape from the place that binds us (2025) for $80,000.
- Lehmann Maupin sold Calida Rawles’s Feel Our Blues That Go Back And Black (2026) for $200,000–$300,000 to a prominent Asian foundation. The gallery also reported sales of three works by Kim Yun Shin for $30,000–$80,000 each and two works by Guimi You for a combined $30,000–$80,000. The gallery said it placed a significant number of works from its solo presentation of Do Ho Suh for undisclosed prices, with the majority acquired by Asian clients.
- Gana Art sold Edmund de Waal’s clouds over the river become rain (2026) for $175,000 and Choi Jongtae’s Face (1987) for ₩100 million ($73,000).
- In addition to the Arruda sale, David Zwirner reported transactions including a 1942 painting by Giorgio Morandi, a 1983 painting by Alice Neel, a 2010 painting by Luc Tuymans, a 1976 wall-mounted bronze-wire sculpture by Ruth Asawa, a 2026 painting by Dana Schutz, a 2017 painting by Michaël Borremans, and a new work by Walter Price. Prices were not disclosed.
- David Kordansky Gallery sold nine paintings from its solo presentation of Chase Hall, representing the majority of its booth. Prices were not disclosed.
