Frieze Seoul 2023

Booth M17

COEX, Seoul, South Korea

At Frieze Seoul 2023, Robilant+Voena will exhibit a sweeping range of artworks from across Western art history, in three main sections: Italian Old Masters, Italian and European 20^th-century pioneers, and hand-selected contemporary artists. In the last group are artists who engage with the great traditions of art history from centuries gone by, with two outstanding works by Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons forming the centepiece of the booth.

The historical journey begins in the early fifteenth century with gold-ground religious works by Alvaro Pirez d’Evora and the Master of Sant’Ivo. These stunning examples of Gothic devotional works depict the Madonna and Child and evoke the mystery of the divine while demonstrating the great craftsmanship of the era.

Reflecting another significant moment in Italian art history, our display includes works by the master of Venetian view-painting in the eighteenth century, Canaletto. These paintings are important examples of his precise and alluring depictions of Venice at the height of its power, and were prized by collectors in his lifetime and beyond.

Our selection of modern artworks begins with a exploration of works on paper by the most significant artists, including drawings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Giorgio Morandi, Wassily Kandinksij, and a layered work by Cy Twombly – all showing the varied uses of paper in the oeuvres of these prominent artists. These works are joined by a dreamlike painting by Marc Chagall and an important still life painting by Picasso.

In the twentieth century, Italian artists continued to innovate especially in the post-war era, with works by Lucio Fontana – the founder of Spatialism – and later artists such as Enrico Castellani and Agostino Bonalumi further demonstrating the spatial experiments that were pioneered in Italy during this time. An embroidery by Alighiero Boetti is an exemplary illustration of this important series in the artist’s oeuvre.

Bringing the display to its contemporary climax, Robilant+Voena presents works by three internationally-acclaimed artists from the twenty-first century, each of whom create unique works that pay homage to the Classical and Old Master tradition. A monumental sculpture by Jeff Koons takes inspiration from the Parthenon frieze in Athens, while a bust by Barry X Ball offers a disturbing interpretation of a work by the Rococo sculptor Corradini. These monochrome sculptures are juxtaposed by a colourful three-metre-tall butterfly work by Damien Hirst. Alluding to Gothic stained glass windows, the piece echoes the religiosity of the gold-ground paintings from the fifteenth-century, bringing the display full circle with a contemporary twist.

For more information about artworks, please contact us at enquire@robilantvoena.com.