It’s 10 a.m. on a Saturday and I’m sitting at the bar of Hell Café Music in the Euljiro district of Seoul, just down a narrow alley from the iconic Woo Lae Oak bulgogi restaurant. In front of me is a turntable, an eclectic mix of vinyl—they have been playing Pharoah Sanders’ Love Will Find a Way and Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters—and a large speaker system, though that might just be for show. 

I regularly visit Euljiro. Within just the small cluster of alleys near here are a wealth of galleries championing emerging and student artists such as N/A, Cadalogs, Euljiro OF, Jungganjijeom, Hyeong, YPC Space and Interim, and it’s only a short walk to the more established Doosan Gallery. While in the past small spaces like these came and went at a rapid clip, I hope they continue to exist for some time yet. Focus Asia, the showcase of emerging galleries at Frieze Seoul, is always a highlight, and I hope to see more artists who
have shown at these small galleries at Frieze.   

The area is centered around the Cheonggyecheon stream. Most people can remember a time when it was covered by a freeway, which was eventually removed in 2005. Nearby is the old Sewoon Electronics Building which now houses artist studios, offices, cafés, small shops run by aspiring creatives and a nice rooftop. I remember visiting in my youth and buying bootleg music cassettes here. Alas, it is slated for demolition sometime in the near future. 

The speed of change in Seoul over the past decade is palpable but the city still has a few pockets that have resisted complete gentrification. In the alleys of Euljiro there is a wonderful balance of the old and new, and it is teeming with talented curators, designers and creatives. This is despite the new high-rise buildings that have changed the skyline elsewhere in the city, though the cranes you can see in the neighborhood now seem to augur different times ahead here too.