Gallery- Hopping

Cheongdam-dong's Gallery Street

Until fairly recently, the areas around Insa-dong and sagan-dong pretty much held a monopoly on numbers of art galleries per square foot. Art spaces such as Kukje Gallery, Gallery Seon and Kwanhoon Gallery, among several others, represented the Korean art scene rather well. However, the two areas have been challenged and augmented in recent years by the area south of the river known as Cheongdam-dong. Taking in the area from the Galleria Department Store to the Cheongdam Catholic Cathedral, strolling from gallery to gallery and stopping off for lunch and coffee makes for a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Upon first hearing the name Gallery Street, I pictured a straight section of street lined with gallery after gallery. When I arrived at and walked through the area, however, I discovered that this is far from the truth. Some bigger, more prominently named galleries occupy places along the main drag, but tucked in among the side streets are many smaller and less well-known galleries.


New World
I am a fan of traveling in Seoul by bus, and so I took one as fas as the Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong. Going left and then straight across the street, I started my walk feeling like I was crossing into a new world. The transformation is quite sudden, from small inexpensive shops and cafes in Apgujeong across from the Galleria to totally high-end designer stores lining the street here. Mized in between the armanis and Jil Sanders are some very attractive buildings housing art galleries, boutigues and restaurants. Just past the Coach store on the right is the PKM Trinity Building, with its colorful glass doors and swirl-designed windows. The ground floor is occupied by the store 10 Corso Como, a colorful, artsy and expensive design shop and bookstore. Toward the back is a very chic wine restaurant. In the basement is the PKM Trinity Gallery, a well known space, but unfortunately one that was not open when I was there.
Back out on the main drag, I passed designer shop after designer shop but noticed there were quite a few pieces of street art as well, in the form of sculptures and statues all along the sidewalks on both sides of the street.

Nature Poem Building and Opera Gallery

Just before you come to the SK gas station on the right, cross the street and go left.
Go right at the first small road, and in front of you, you will see the Nature Poem Building. This structure houses three floors of small galleries, boutiques, furniture shops and more. From Pyo Gallery South in the basement and Gallery So on the second floor to the Michael Schulz Gallery on the third floor, there is much of interest all in one place. In the basement, but still with street views, is a cozy and quiet Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I stopped off for lunch at Pattaya, a Thai restaurant just opposite the Coffee Bean.

Also in the Nature Poem Building, but with its own entrance from the main street, is the famous Opera Gallery. What is so attractive about this space is its glass wall windows, making it possible to view works of art from the street as well. The gallery organizes, as do most others, new exhibitions every six to eight weeks.

Coming out the side entrance of the Nature Peom Building, I turned left and then left again. This lane has quite a few small restaurants and the feel of a local neighborhood, albeit an expensive one. Cafes, boutiques, japanese restaurants, traditional Korean restaurants with outdoor seating, and hanok are not in short supply. I remember eating at a restaurant called HoMyeonDang Noodle Bar a few years ago. It is still there, and it now hs a cafein the front and the same Asian fusion-style restaurant toward the back, with alfresco dining and valet parking.

UNC Gallery and More

Across from the hanok traditional Korean restaurant is the UNC Gallery, a smal place showing contemporary works of art. The curator, In Ga-hee, very kindly confirmed the expansion of the art world from Sagan-dong here into Cheongdam-dong. Indeed, UNC has a galery in each neighborhood. As I turned left out of UNC and headed across from the Cheongdam Elementary school, there were three more galleries to visit: Yoo Art Space, with its loft space inside; Gallery Em; and Gallery Won in the building right next door.
Walking past the UNC Gallery again, I came out onto the main street, crossed over and went up a small lane to the right at the Jil Sander shop. After taking the first left, I saw the CAIS Gallery on my left. It is also a small space, but it has a nice covered courtyard in front and a fusion restaurant opposite named MUVI. It seemed quite reasonably priced for the area, especially the lunch set menu.

I walked back out to the main street and turned right, as there was one more gallery I was in search of. After the next main intersection and on the left side of the street, I looked for the Juno Hair building, in the basement of which is the Columns Art Gallery. They were between exhibitions when I visited, but I learned that they show many Korean artists who are well known both at home and abroad.

This section of Gallery Street leading up to Cheongdam Catholic Cathedral really does not have many art spaces. It used to, but one curator told me most chose to moce into the Nature Poem uilding.

When you head to Cheongdam-dong, wear a good pair of shoes and enjoy going from gallery to gallery. It was nice walking in and out of these pleasant, white, airy rooms viewing the quirky, unique works of art that make up the contemporary art scene in Seoul. Cheongdam is a very chic, expensive part of town, yet you can view all this art for only a smile, an annyeonghaseyo upon entering and a gamsahamnida upon leaving! Enjoy!





PKM Trinity Place http://www.pkmgaleery.com/
Gallery UNC http://www.uncgallery.com/
Gallery Em http://www.galleryem.co.kr/

Article written by Una Corless Wilson, Seoul Travel & culture magazine Issue No.72

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