The collaborative fair, “Study × PLAS : Asia Art Fair,” has been organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, and aims to foster vibrant exchange across the art markets of Japan, Korea, and the wider Asian region.
The art fair will feature several key components, including “Study × PLAS : Galleries,” showcasing approximately 80 galleries and organizations from eight regions across Asia, and “Study × PLAS : Selections,” a special collaboration program with participating artists from the festival as well as a variety of other cultural organizations. In addition, a symposium and a creative business contest will be held concurrently.
Coinciding with Osaka’s famous “Tenjin Matsuri” taking place the same week, this will be an unmissable cultural moment for the city.
This fair serves not only as a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, but also as an international art event aimed at fostering forward-looking cultural and artistic exchange, while contributing to the growth of the creative economy across Asia.
Junwon Shin, Director of the Fair and Representative of SEOUL PLAS, stated,
“This exhibition in Osaka goes beyond a simple overseas expansion. We hope it will become a symbolic platform where Japan and Korea can share sensibilities and aesthetic experiences through art.” He added, “We aim to generate a new current within the art market.”
“Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025” is an art festival that explores the relationship between art, people, and society. With the theme of “Social Impact,” the festival aims to revitalize the economy through culture and the arts while highlighting pressing social issues. Since 2022, three editions have been held in Osaka as part of an ongoing effort to examine these themes in anticipation of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. In the year of the Expo, the festival will feature 93 artist groups from 24 countries and regions (as of June 8), serving as a cultural bridge between the Expo and the wider Osaka–Kansai area.
Festival venues will extend both within and beyond the Expo site on Yumeshima Island, covering key cultural locations across Osaka. These include the Osaka Culturarium at Tempozan (designed by Tadao Ando), the Umekita area, the Nishinari and Semba districts, the city of Matsubara, the National Museum of Ethnology in Expo ’70 Commemorative Park, and the Osaka International Convention Center (designed by Kisho Kurokawa), which will host “Study × PLAS: Asia Art Fair.”
Supported and endorsed by 18 embassies and consulates, the festival also features collaborative art projects with international institutions such as those representing Germany, South Korea, and the European Union (EU)—creating opportunities for new global dialogue and discovery.
By leveraging the platform of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai—which involves 158 countries and regions and 9 international organizations—the festival will showcase Kansai’s vibrant cultural and artistic expressions to the world, contributing to economic revitalization and the visualization of social issues through the power of the arts.
