PhillipsX is pleased to be returning to The Songwon Art Center in the heart of the historic Samcheong district in Seoul, South Korea August 30 - September 8 during Frieze 2024 to present Azure horizons: a journey through blue an exhibition which will explore the multifaceted beauty and symbolism of Azure - not only, the most richly layered tone of blue, but also the highest valued pigment used in painting throughout the history of art.

In this monochromatic yet richly layered exhibition, sophistication meets elegance in works that exude chic minimalism and timeless grace. Bold brushstrokes and dynamic forms bring together works by a variety of international and Korean contemporary artists including George Condo, Nicolas Party, Devon DeJardin, Minku Kim, Nicolas Party, Ugo Rondinone, Salvo, Lee Ufan, Liu Yin, and Flora Yukhnovich and amongst others carry a sense of gravitas and permanence, while simultaneously inviting the viewer to look beyond the confines of traditional horizon lines and soar into the expansiveness that is the serene and enigmatic world of blue.

Highlighting the exhibition is Nicolas Party's Tree with snow which has been created alongside other trees in full bloom and in the depths of winter. Party selects soft pastel as his favoured medium—a somewhat unusual choice for a contemporary artist which accounts for the majority of his output, including the present work—allowing him to articulate his artistic vision with grace and precision. Inspired by Party’s childhood explorations in Switzerland and its close relationship to the art historical canon, trees are a recurring theme in the artist’s oeuvre.

Also among the top highlights in the exhibition is Ugo Rondinone's work vierundzwanzigsterjunizweitausendundfünfzehn, meaning ‘June 24th, 2015’, which refers to the precise date of its creation, all written in one word to challenge the meaning and significance of language at the same time. The work belongs to the artist’s cloud painting series which he started in 2008. Its rectangular field transforms into cloud-like undulations to create a sharp contrast between the vaporous trompe l’oeiland depict immeasurable space while also exuding a contrary sense of finiteness.

Alongside this exhibition will also be a preview of highlights from the upcoming November Modern & Contemporary Art Auctions in Hong Kong in which works by 20th Century masters including Sanyu and Pierre Soulages will be on view.