Frieze CEO Simon Fox, Frieze Seoul Director Patrick Lee discuss direction of Frieze Seoul
Remarking on the recent buyback of Frieze by the longtime Hollywood dealmaker Ari Emanuel, Frieze CEO Simon Fox highlighted Emanuel's commitment to Frieze art fairs with a particular support for its Seoul edition.
“Ari Emanuel loves Seoul and came for the opening edition (in 2022) and is very supportive of Frieze in general and Frieze Seoul in particular. As an art collector and art lover, he loves Frieze so much,” Fox told a group of reporters during a roundtable interview Thursday during Frieze Seoul.
Emanuel’s purchase of the global art fair, which marks his second purchase, was announced in May.
The fourth edition of Frieze Seoul opened at Coex in southern Seoul on Wednesday, together with Seoul-based international art fair Kiaf Seoul. Frieze Seoul, which featured 120 galleries from around the world, closed Saturday,
Endeavor, an entertainment conglomerate, under Emanuel's leadership, first acquired a majority stake in Frieze in 2016 and took full ownership in 2023. The company later moved to sell the fair as part of a portfolio review ahead of its takeover by private equity firm Silver Lake.
Emanuel stepped down as Endeavor CEO when the deal closed in March 2025, then returned weeks later to purchase Frieze through a newly formed events company backed by a consortium of investors, along with the tennis tournaments the Miami Open and Madrid Open.
Fox expressed confidence in Frieze Seoul, mentioning strong sales on the first day and the record-breaking price of a piece sold at Frieze Seoul. Mark Bradford’s triptych painting was purchased by an Asian private art collector for $4.5 million at Hauser & Wirth at the VIP opening Wednesday.
“Frieze London has been going for (almost) 23 years. I would not like to say it is the highest sale we have ever had at any Frieze, but it is a very significant sale,” Fox said. “It is very special to me to see the incredible energy and enthusiasm for art in the fair and across the whole city.”
He added that the fourth edition of the fair had a strong turnout of VIP visitors, including first lady Kim Hea Kyung, who visited galleries at Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul on Wednesday.
Regarding the increase in the proportion of Asian galleries this year, Fox said it was what he and his team wanted to happen to reflect the regional character.
Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, added that Frieze Seoul is open to exploring the great galleries from Asia for the next editions.
“It needs to have its identity and character (for Frieze Seoul),” Lee said. “For ‘Focus Asia,’ it was a choice to help younger galleries’ programs, and it is incredibly popular. Galleries from this sector have graduated into the main gallery sector (of the fair), which is a fantastic thing. We will continue to visit countries and galleries, trying to show them that Frieze Seoul is a good option.”
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
