After signing up and logging in at Hankyung.com, you can conveniently view more photo articles at ‘Junglim-dong Photo Studio.’ The atmosphere of the third year of the ‘KIAF-Prize Seoul’ was generally calm. The opening of the Prize for VIPs at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul on the 4th didn’t bring any news of the sale of multi-billion won works. The influence of the art market downturn was evident. However, the atmosphere surrounding Korean artists and galleries was as heated as ever. Collectors who used to skip KIAF after visiting the Prize started returning to KIAF. Domestic and international art industry insiders have felt the recently strengthened ‘power of Korean art.’ Praise poured in for domestic gallery exhibitions. The sales performance of major overseas galleries at the Prize was lower than usual. The popular series of ‘Pumpkin’ works by Yayoi Kusama, which used to sell on the first day of major art fairs, failed to find buyers.