Announcing Further Expansion of Our Seoul Gallery

Pace is pleased to detail an expansion of its arts complex in Le Beige Building in Seoul, located in the Hannam-dong neighborhood. This follows the gallery’s 2021 move to the second and third floors of the building—designed by Golden Lion-winning architect Minsuk Cho, who is also responsible for the new renovations. Pace is ushering in a new period of growth in Seoul with its recent inauguration of a new 1,500-square-foot ground floor exhibition space and its upcoming opening of an outdoor courtyard and tea house on the occasion of the first edition of Frieze Seoul in September. Pace has operated in Seoul since 2017, and it was among the first international galleries to establish a permanent space in the Korean capital. This latest expansion of Pace’s outpost in Seoul, a fixture of the local arts scene led by Vice President Youngjoo Lee, supports its robust international contemporary program and builds on its strong presence in Asia.

The new ground floor exhibition space forming part of Pace’s Seoul complex is specially equipped for experiential, immersive, and interactive artworks—and it will host an exhibition by the art collective teamLab during Frieze Seoul. The opening of this space in March 2022 reflects the strength of the gallery’s digital arts program and its commitment to supporting the advanced studio practices of its artists. Visitors engage with new, boundary-pushing works in this space, delving into the sensorial possibilities of contemporary art. Designed by Cho, the recently opened ground floor gallery space features blackout curtains, a moving wall, and speaker ports near its ceilings, all of which serve the needs of multimedia artists. Wired for works produced internationally, the exhibition space has showcased group exhibitions dedicated to Light and Space artists and intergenerational Korean artists this year. Beyond the first floor, Adrian Ghenie will present an exhibition in the main gallery space during the run of Frieze Seoul this fall.

A new outdoor courtyard situated in the heart of Pace’s complex in Seoul will host presentations of sculptures and installations, offering a novel context for viewing three-dimensional artworks. In the courtyard, shade plants native to Korea will surround a platform on which artworks will be exhibited. Anchoring all the spaces within the complex, the courtyard will serve as a central space for gathering, fostering a meditative environment for contemplating the sculptural works on view. Presentations in the outdoor sculpture courtyard will showcase the varied scales and wide range of materials utilized by artists within the gallery’s program.

A new tea house—located at the rear of Pace’s complex in Seoul, adjacent to the outdoor courtyard—will offer locally produced teas and Korean-tea infused cocktails. Featuring sleek, contemporary design forged from locally sourced materials, the tea house will have communal wooden tables, an expansive bar made of broken concrete, a stone floor, roping on the ceiling, and built-in shelves. A wall of windows and glass doors facing the outdoor sculpture courtyard will cultivate a cohesive indoor-outdoor environment.

A rotating display of prints, editions, and titles from Pace Publishing, the gallery’s imprint, will be on view in the tea house and available for purchase. Among the offerings on sale upon the opening of this new space will be a Korean translation of Ghenie's recent book, titled The Hooligans, from Pace Publishing. Heralding a new chapter in the imprint’s 60-year history as one of the foremost producers of art books and art historical texts, the opening of the tea house will see existing and future Pace Publishing titles translated into Korean, bringing original scholarship, boundary-pushing essays, illuminating interviews, and inspired design to new audiences.

Over the coming months, Pace’s expanded Seoul complex will also host new live art performances and musical acts commissioned and produced as part of the Pace Live program, a platform for multidisciplinary in-person and virtual events launched in 2019. Pace Live is a key component of the gallery’s program, foregrounding the voices of today’s creative luminaries and highlighting the far-reaching impact of Pace’s artists. Having debuted in New York, Pace Live made its London premiere in 2021 and launched at Pace’s recently opened Los Angeles gallery in 2022. Over the past two years, Pace Live has adapted a new hybrid model designed to serve a post-COVID world by bringing live conversations, musical and choreographed performances, screenings, and other offerings to the gallery’s global audience through its digital channels, highly produced films, and homegrown editorial content.

Youngjoo Lee, Vice President of Pace in Seoul, says:
“An important part of Pace’s ethos in Seoul—since its opening in the city in 2017—has been nurturing relationships with the local arts community, and the gallery’s effort to present work by Korean artists has supported this aim. With the arrival of Frieze and the opening of Pace’s expanded complex, Seoul has become an international art hub. The gallery’s ongoing commitment to and interest in the city has contributed to the growth of its vibrant cultural scene.”

Marc Glimcher, CEO and President of Pace Gallery, says:
“Our latest expansion in Seoul presents exciting new opportunities for our program in Asia, where we’ve operated permanent spaces for more than a decade. Under the direction of Youngjoo Lee, our Seoul gallery has mounted hugely successful exhibitions dedicated to Alexander Calder, Mary Corse, Sam Gilliam, Joel Shapiro, and other major figures. The opening of our new ground floor gallery space in Seoul reflects our commitment to supporting the advanced studio practices of our contemporary artists, introducing their innovative works to audiences in the Korean capital and encouraging visitors to our expanded complex to truly experience and immerse themselves in art. The new tea house will spotlight works of a more intimate scale as well as Korean translations of legacy titles and recent books from Pace Publishing. We look forward to deepening our relationship with the Seoul arts community as our presence in the city continues to grow.”

Further information about the opening, and full details on the tea house, will be released in the coming weeks.