Lee Young-joo of Pace Gallery Seoul says the gallery has worked to build a lasting place for Korean art by giving artists broader historical context and stronger institutional ties. She pushed Pace to open in Seoul after seeing Korea’s growing art appetite and the gap in its infrastructure. Her recent projects include presenting Lee Kun-yong, pairing Kim Whanki with Adolph Gottlieb, and showing Park Young-sook’s moon jar-inspired forms.
Installation view of the "Park Young Sook: When Form Meets Gesture" exhibition at Pace Gallery Seoul / Courtesy of Pace Gallery
For the first two years after joining Pace Gallery, Lee Young-joo found herself constantly shuttling between Seoul and Hong Kong.
In 2015, the blue-chip New York gallery was looking toward Hong Kong, not Seoul. The Asian art market was expanding rapidly and the world’s major dealers were following the money into China and Hong Kong.
Lee was brought in as a senior director to help with Pace’s growing Hong Kong operation, where she watched the city’s art world gradually transform.
