SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - South Korea opened a monthlong art festival Tuesday, linking major biennales and airport exhibitions in a nationwide push to promote Korean art at home and abroad.
The 2026 Korea Art Festival will run through Sept. 30 across the country, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said.
This year's program brings together four biennales: the Gwangju Biennale, Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale, Busan Biennale and Jeju Biennale.
Two major art fairs, Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul, are also part of the festival, along with 96 museums across the country.
The ministry said the festival is designed to give the public easier access to art while connecting exhibitions with regional travel and international promotion.
The participating museums include 35 public and 61 private institutions, with exhibitions ranging from retrospectives to shows by emerging artists and regional art programs.
All exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Seoul, Gwacheon, Deoksugung and Cheongju branches will be free through Sunday.
The festival also includes regional art travel programs that take visitors to museums, biennales and artists' studios with curators and guides.
The programs will be held in five regions, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Gyeongsang and Jeju, though reservations have already closed.
Airports will also be used as exhibition spaces. From July to November, Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae international airports are showing 29 media and installation works by 16 emerging and mid-career Korean artists.
The ministry is also running "Dive into Korean Art," a program bringing 15 overseas curators, editors and other art professionals to Korea from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6.
Participants will visit studios of nine emerging Korean artists, major art institutions and the Gwangju and Busan biennales.
Discounted tickets for major events were offered ahead of the festival, with more than 13,000 people receiving benefits as of Aug. 26.
Discount tickets for Kiaf Seoul, Frieze Seoul, Gwangju Biennale, Busan Biennale and Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale have sold out.
Jeju Biennale tickets remain available through Naver at a 50 percent discount, priced at 4,000 won.
Korail is also offering a Busan-linked travel package combining a 50 percent discount on Seoul-to-Busan train tickets, a 30 percent discount on Busan Biennale admission and a 20,000 won voucher for stores at Busan Station.
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said the festival is intended to make Korean art more accessible to the public and introduce it to overseas audiences.
AJP Takeaways
The 2026 Korea Art Festival runs nationwide from Sept. 1 to 30.
The festival links four biennales, Kiaf Seoul, Frieze Seoul and 96 museums.
Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae airports are hosting special exhibitions.
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