Professor Cha Seungean of Fiber Arts, College of Art & Design, Wins the 2026 Focus Stand Prize at Frieze Seoul N
- 작성처
- Date2026.09.10
- 232
Professor Cha Seungean of Fiber Arts at the College of Art & Design, Ewha Womans University, has won the 2026 Focus Stand Prize at Frieze Seoul, a global contemporary art platform.
Professor Cha Seungean | Woven Leaf-5_Cotton yarn, polyester yarn, dye_194x97cm_2026
Professor Cha Seungean participated in the Focus section of Frieze Seoul 2026 with Seoul-based PIPE Gallery, presenting a solo exhibition titled “0101 Weaving: Recovering Materiality in the Digital Age.” She was selected as the recipient of the Focus Stand Prize after an international jury highly recognized the artistic quality and contemporary significance of the exhibition.
Frieze is an international contemporary art platform that organizes art fairs and exhibitions and publishes art-related works in major cities around the world, including London, New York, Los Angeles, and Seoul. In particular, Frieze Seoul has established itself as a major international art fair connecting the Asian and global art worlds. The 2026 edition recorded its broadest international participation to date, with more than 130 galleries from 30 countries and regions participating and collectors and art professionals from 54 countries and regions attending. It was also regarded as an important platform for promoting exchanges between Korean contemporary art and the international art world, with numerous representatives from major museums and institutions around the world taking part.
The Focus Stand Prize, which Professor Cha Seungean received, is awarded to the outstanding presentation among the Focus section of Frieze Seoul. The Focus section is a program featuring young galleries established within the past 12 years that focus on presenting the work of a particular artist and is regarded as an important platform for introducing emerging artists and experimental currents in contemporary art to the international art world. In 2026, a total of 16 galleries participated, with each gallery presenting a solo exhibition specially conceived for Frieze Seoul.
Installation view of Frieze Seoul | Professor Cha Seungean (center) and representatives of PIPE Gallery
The international jury that judged the winning exhibition praised the presentation by Professor Cha Seungean and PIPE Gallery as “an all-encompassing and holistic presentation that exemplifies the spirit of the Focus Stand Prize.” The jury also stated that “this expansive installation propels a storied medium into new heights,” noting that Professor Cha Seungean’s work, in an increasingly hyper-digital environment, prompts us to recognize once again the complex, interwoven, and tangible material world in which we live.
This award represents not only international recognition of Professor Cha Seungean’s artistic practice, but also a significant achievement demonstrating how traditional media with long histories, such as fiber and weaving, can be expanded into contemporary questions concerning materiality, embodiment, labor, and memory in the digital age.