The small Art OnO fair to discover Asian art

ART OnO, an acronym for "Art One and Only" is a new South Korean fair that was held for its third time in Seoul from 3 to 5 April 2026, at SETEC (Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention). It opened a few days after Art Basel Hong Kong - from 27 to 29 March - but with far different numbers (less than forty stands) when compared to the latter and Frieze Seoul. It was founded by JaeMyung Noh, a collector born in 1990, who preferred to focus on a smaller scale in order to approach new collectors and privilege the sale of emerging artists. Fifty per cent of the exhibition space at the fair is not allocated to the commercial side, with 11 small exhibitions disentangling themselves between the three halls. In the booths, a total of 35 exhibitors alternate between galleries and not-for-profit spaces, the stands offer a sampling of some museum collections, while ample space is dedicated to workshops with creative activities and the kids programme.

Among the museums were the Suwon Museum of Art, set up in a South Korean green city, and the Jeonnam Museum of Art, a regional art and cultural centre in Jeollanam-do province. Among the artists presented on its stand is Gwon Seungchan, whose work 'Powerless Landscape' recalls the bloody side of war: the massacre of the National Guidance Alliance in Jangheung.

Exhibitors come from Germany, Romania, Finland, Switzerland and Tanzania, as well as Korea. One of the largest trade stands is occupied by a gallery of Portuguese origin that opened a branch in Seoul in September 2022: Duarte Sequeira. Director Hannah Yun did not mince her words: "We achieved quite good results, although unlike the last two years, we did not manage to close any sales for major artists. We have sold works by almost all artists and the price range is between $15,000 and $30,000'.

Cinta Vidal Drift, 2026, acrilico su legno, 80 x 80 cm

It is not the subjects of Yooyun Yang (1985, Seoul) that are striking, snapshots of everyday life and body fragments, but the way the artist intensifies by blurring, almost to the point of erasing, the expressions on the faces of the people portrayed. Yang works with diluted acrylic colours on Jangji - traditional Korean paper - resulting in multiple layers. Nell Brookfield (born 1994, London) also stands out for his bright colours and bold brushstrokes. Artemin Gallery in Taipei is also notable for the painting of Crystal Lupa, born in California in 1989 and currently based in Taipei. She creates surreal settings that host dreamlike figures. Dark hues alternate with luminous passages. As gallery director Ben Hsiao says: "This is the second edition of Art OnO and the second time we have presented Lupa here. A total of 14 works by Crystal Lupa were exhibited, eight of which were sold to a Korean collector'.

Lazy Mike, stand Art OnO

The PIBI Gallery in Seoul presents the photographer Eun Chun and the ceramic sculptor Geunyoung Hong. The stand design is composed without spatial divisions, allowing the works of the two artists to coexist harmoniously.