ArtShow Busan, the port city’s largest art fair, will kick off on Friday at Bexco, showcasing more than 4,000 works of art by international artists represented by prestigious galleries.

The art fair, in its third year, is attempting to cement its status as a notable art market in Asia by presenting the works of high-profile artists including Nam June Paik, Lee U-fan, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Julian Opie. Last year, 35,000 people visited the fair and sales reached 5.1 billion won ($4.9 million).

A total of 162 Korean and foreign galleries will participate in the 2014 edition of the event, including Kukje Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Gana Art, U.S.-based Gabriel Bryer Fine Art, Germany-based Choi and Lager and Japan-based Gallery Yamaki. 

Organizers said about 65 percent of the foreign galleries that presented their works in the previous art fair returned this year while 89 percent of Korean galleries will display their pieces.

ArtShow Busan expects to boost sales by exhibiting works by acclaimed artists in the Korean and international art scenes.

Kukje Gallery will devote a booth to British artist Julian Opie, famous for his simplified images of walking pedestrians depicted in vivid colors. Gana Art will show artworks by modern and contemporary Korean artists including Kim Whan-ki and Chang Uc-chin along with photographs by renowned artists such as Hiroshi Sugimoto and Thomas Struth.

Geumsan Gallery will present works by Busan-born Park Seung-mo, known for creative sculptures made of metal wire.

A variety of programs will also be held to fan an artistic atmosphere.

Works by 13 young artists who were honored with the Bexco Young Artist Awards will be shown in a separate exhibition. The awards provide young Korean and foreign artists with financial support and a chance to exhibit their works during the art fair. Local artists based in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province will be introduced at the Busan Bank-funded exhibition Art Accent.

Art experts will provide guided tours, explaining artworks and assessing their investment value. The Specialist Tour Program will be available to visitors who hold VIP entrance tickets and make reservations in advance.

For more information, call (051) 740-3532 or visit www.artshowbusan.com.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)