The Korean Cultural Centre UK Presents ‘K-Digital Encounter: Frieze London 2025’
Each autumn, Frieze London stands as one of the world’s leading art fairs, drawing collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts from around the globe. Taking place in Regent’s Park alongside a range of citywide events under the Frieze in the City programme, it has long been a central platform for international artistic exchange. Celebrating the Freize London week, the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) presents ‘K-Digital Encounter: Freize London 2025’, a series of special events that introduce Korea’s art and cultural heritage to a global network of art professionals.
As part of the Frieze VIP programme, the KCCUK features a 30-minute guided tour of the ongoing special exhibition Strolling Through Korean Gardens (16-17 Oct), co-organised by KCCUK and the Korea Heritage Service. Led by our curator, the tour offers insights into the aesthetics and philosophy of traditional Korean gardens. Through immersive video works based on detailed architectural surveys of historical garden sites, visitors can experience the seasonal rhythms and subtle beauty of Korea’s natural landscape.
In addition, guests are invited to participate in a Korean tea ceremony and tasting (16-17 Oct), designed to engage multiple senses, sight, sound, and taste, while deepening their understanding of the Korean garden and culture. As they enjoy the tea, participants will encounter the concept of chagyeong (borrowed scenery), an essential principle in Korean garden design that integrates the surrounding landscape into the garden’s composition.
Aligned with the international spirit of Frieze London, the KCCUK also announced the selected artists for the upcoming 2025 New Generation Art Exhibition (27 Nov 2025 – 27 Feb 2026). Over 160 emerging Korean artists applied to this year’s open call, from which eight were selected by art professionals from major UK art institutions for their creativity and experimental vision. The programme aims to support young Korean artists based in the UK and to foster contemporary art exchange between Korea and the UK. Timed to coincide with Frieze London, this year’s announcement provides an international platform for introducing the next generation of Korean artistic voices.
As part of the K-Art Lab programme during Frieze London, the KCCUK will also showcase a special digital art project exploring the intersection of technology, heritage, and contemporary artistic expression. Commemorating the upcoming APEC Summit to be held in Gyeongju this November, the centre presents a series of immersive VR experiences inspired by Korea’s most iconic cultural heritage sites.
Titled One is All, All is One, the first work reimagines the Seokguram Grotto through digital interpretation, while One Moon, A Thousand Rivers offers a meditative journey inspired by the Pensive Bodhisattva. Both experiences invite audiences to transcend time and space, engaging with Korea’s philosophical and aesthetic heritage through the lens of cutting-edge technology. People can embody the K-Art Lab’s vision of ‘recontextualising art through digital innovation,’ highlighting how tradition and technology can converge to create new forms of artistic experience.
In collaboration with LG Electronics, the KCCUK also presents a new media art project celebrating the legacy of the late master of Korean abstract painting, Se Ok Suh. Iconic works, including Wayfarer, Joyful Rain, Person, and Cycle, are transformed into dynamic digital animations, where the brushstrokes and flowing lines were brought vividly to life through motion and light. These animated reinterpretations sensitively capture the vitality and spirituality inherent in Seo’s art, allowing viewers to feel the living rhythm of his ink and gesture. It also holds profound significance that Seo’s art was reinterpreted by artist Do Ho Suh and architect Eul Ho Seo. Complementing the installation, a short documentary film about the artist’s life and philosophy will be screened in the KCCUK lobby, offering visitors a deeper appreciation of Seo’s contribution to modern Korean art and aesthetics.
Together, these projects continue to demonstrate the KCCUK’s commitment to bridging Korea’s artistic heritage with contemporary creativity — and to sharing the depth, harmony, and innovation of Korean art with audiences around the world.
Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, said, “In this golden age of Korean Culture, we must take the lead in shaping a creative cultural industry that bridges Korea’s rich traditions with its future—through the fusion of art and cutting-edge technology. Imagination, which allows dreams to unfold freely, is the driving force behind our growth. By uniting the captivating aesthetics of K-Culture with the power of digital technology, we will pave the way for a brighter future for the cultural industries, creating new connections between culture, science, and education.
For more details about the ‘K-Digital Encounter: Frieze London 2025’, please visit https://kccuk.org.uk