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Saturday, July 25, 2026 · No. 205
Region

Art News from Asia-Pacific

18 stories across Contemporary, Seoul, Art Fair, and Tokyo. Latest: Thaddaeus Ropac Presents Lee Kang So Exhibition at LOTTE Museum of Art for Frieze Seoul.

Thaddaeus Ropac Presents Lee Kang So Exhibition at LOTTE Museum of Art for Frieze Seoul

Thaddaeus Ropac Presents Lee Kang So Exhibition at LOTTE Museum of Art for Frieze Seoul

Thaddaeus Ropac presents 'Emergence and Dissolution', a major exhibition of Korean artist Lee Kang So at the LOTTE Museum of Art in Seoul, coinciding with Frieze Seoul.

ExhibitionContemporarySeoulKorean Contemporary Art
M+ to Present Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus Exhibition in September 2026

M+ to Present Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus Exhibition in September 2026

M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, will open "Herzog & de Meuron: In Focus" on September 12, 2026, running through January 2027.

ExhibitionArchitectureHong KongContemporary
M+ Museum in Hong Kong Sets Standard Ticket at HKD 190, Extends Summer Hours

M+ Museum in Hong Kong Sets Standard Ticket at HKD 190, Extends Summer Hours

On January 2, 2026, M+, Asia's first global museum of visual culture in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, announced its standard ticket price of HKD 190 and concessions at HKD 100.

ContemporaryHong KongTicket PricingMembership
Mori Yoshiko, Founding Chairperson of Mori Art Museum, Dies at 85

Mori Yoshiko, Founding Chairperson of Mori Art Museum, Dies at 85

Mori Yoshiko, Chairperson Emerita of the Mori Art Museum, died of pneumonia on December 23, 2025, at 9:27 a.m. She was 85. The Mori Art Museum announced the news on January 6, 2026, noting that the funeral was private per her wishes.

TributeContemporaryTokyoObituary
Mori Art Museum Chairperson Emerita Mori Yoshiko Awarded Honorary OBE

Mori Art Museum Chairperson Emerita Mori Yoshiko Awarded Honorary OBE

Mori Yoshiko, Chairperson Emerita of the Mori Art Museum and a director of the Mori Building Company, received an Honorary OBE from King Charles III on November 6, 2025, at the British Embassy in Tokyo.

AwardHonorary OBEMori Art MuseumTokyo
Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large for North America

Tate Appoints Daisy Desrosiers as Britton Family Curator at Large for North America

On July 15, 2026, Tate announced the appointment of Daisy Desrosiers as the Britton Family Curator at Large, North America. Based in the United States, Desrosiers will focus on developing North American art in Tate’s collection through new research and acquisitions.

AppointmentContemporaryModernNorth America

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Kunsthaus Zürich to Open 'Evergreens' Exhibition Featuring Monet, Picasso, Warhol on September 11, 2026

Kunsthaus Zürich to Open 'Evergreens' Exhibition Featuring Monet, Picasso, Warhol on September 11, 2026

Kunsthaus Zürich will present 'Evergreens. Selected Works from the Collection' from September 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027, offering a fresh juxtaposition of masterpieces from its holdings.

ExhibitionContemporaryModernPost-War
Frieze Seoul LIVE Programme to Feature Performances by Yagwang, Chang Younghae
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Seoul LIVE Programme to Feature Performances by Yagwang, Chang Younghae

Frieze has partnered with Seoul's Art Sonje Center to present the LIVE programme for its Seoul fair, showcasing female, queer, and intersectional artists. The programme includes performances by Yagwang and Chang Younghae, among 11 Korean artists.

FairArt FairContemporaryPerformance
Frieze Seoul's Fifth Edition Announces New Curated Sections and Expanded Programme
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Seoul's Fifth Edition Announces New Curated Sections and Expanded Programme

The fifth edition of Frieze Seoul will once again connect the global art world to Asia, with new curated sections and an expanded programme. The fair continues to build on its role as a platform for international galleries and artists, fostering dialogue between Asian and Western art scenes.

FairArt FairContemporaryAsia
Frieze Seoul's Fifth Edition to Feature Expanded Programme, New Curated Sections
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Seoul's Fifth Edition to Feature Expanded Programme, New Curated Sections

Frieze announced the fifth edition of its Seoul fair, which will once again connect the global art world to Asia with new curated sections and an expanded programme. The fair, which has been held annually since 2022, aims to strengthen ties between international and Asian art scenes.

FairArt FairAsiaContemporary
Frieze Announces Fifth Edition of Asian Fair with Expanded Programme
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Announces Fifth Edition of Asian Fair with Expanded Programme

Frieze has announced the fifth edition of its art fair dedicated to connecting the global art world to Asia, featuring new curated sections and an expanded programme.

FairArt FairContemporaryAsia
Frieze Seoul 2025 Announces Fifth Edition With 125+ Galleries, New Curated Sections
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Seoul 2025 Announces Fifth Edition With 125+ Galleries, New Curated Sections

On July 16, 2026, Frieze announced details of the fifth edition of Frieze Seoul, to be held September 2–5, 2026, at COEX in Gangnam. More than 125 galleries from 30 countries will participate, with over 70% based in the Asia-Pacific region and more than 50 operating permanent spaces in Seoul.

FairArt FairContemporarySeoul
Frieze Seoul Fifth Edition Connects Global Art World to Asia, Adds Curated Section
FairSeoulJul 16

Frieze Seoul Fifth Edition Connects Global Art World to Asia, Adds Curated Section

The fifth edition of Frieze Seoul will feature a new curated section by Wonseok Koh, foregrounding underrepresented modern artists across 12 solo shows.

FairArt FairContemporarySeoul
Ron Mueck Exhibition at Mori Art Museum Surpasses 200,000 Visitors

Ron Mueck Exhibition at Mori Art Museum Surpasses 200,000 Visitors

On July 14, 2026, the Mori Art Museum announced that its ongoing Ron Mueck exhibition surpassed 200,000 visitors as of July 9, 2026. Co-organized with the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, the show marks the artist's first major solo presentation in Japan in 18 years.

Contemporary ArtExhibitionTokyoSculpture
Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul Presents Alex Katz Studies Exhibition Through August 1

Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul Presents Alex Katz Studies Exhibition Through August 1

Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul opened 'By Sooyoung Choi Studies', a solo exhibition of Alex Katz featuring small-scale studies painted from the 1990s to the present, running until August 1.

ExhibitionContemporarySeoulPainting
Christie's Hong Kong Spring Sales Total HKD 958M / USD 124M

Christie's Hong Kong Spring Sales Total HKD 958M / USD 124M

Christie's Hong Kong 2026 spring luxury week live auctions achieved a combined total of HKD 958 million (USD 124 million), the auction house announced.

Auction ResultLuxuryHong KongJewelry
Lisson Gallery Announces Hiroshi Sugimoto's 'Extinction' Exhibition at National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Lisson Gallery Announces Hiroshi Sugimoto's 'Extinction' Exhibition at National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, opened 'Hiroshi Sugimoto: Extinction' on July 14, 2026, running through September 13, 2026. The exhibition features approximately 60 gelatin silver photographs drawn from 13 of Sugimoto's series, spanning from the late 1970s to the present.

ExhibitionContemporaryPhotographyTokyo
Bonhams to Offer Jane Birkin's Personal Hermès Birkin Bag in July Sale

Bonhams to Offer Jane Birkin's Personal Hermès Birkin Bag in July Sale

Bonhams will offer Jane Birkin's own Hermès Birkin bag in its Designer Handbags and Fashion sale on 20 July at Bonhams Knightsbridge. The bag, estimated at £15,000–20,000, was originally purchased by the current owners at a 2014 charity auction benefiting Anno's Africa.

Auction ResultContemporaryLondonFashion