For Eythos, Frieze proves art fair logistics is an art form all its own

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For Eythos, Frieze proves art fair logistics is an art form all its own

Published: 11 Sep. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 12 Sep. 2025, 16:54

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

[Interview]

Founder of Eythos Lewis Cheng [EYTHOS]

Art exists to be seen. But before it can be admired on the walls of a fair or gallery, it has to be moved.

There was a time, decades ago, when artist Kim Tschang-yeul’s paintings of waterdrops were rolled up and carried in the suitcase of an apprentice traveling from his Paris studio to Seoul. As Kim became one of Korea’s most celebrated and valuable contemporary artists, that casual process gave way to something far more complex and meticulous.

With more than 300 international art fairs taking place each year, an artwork like Kim’s today can travel as much as a busy CEO — crossing continents, passing through airports and ports, moving by truck and plane in moisture-proof crates, then resting in specialized storage facilities under the care of professional art handlers.

An aerial view of Frieze Seoul 2025, which ran at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, from Sept. 3 to 6 [JOONGANG ILBO]

The result of that unseen choreography was on full display ahead of last week’s Frieze and Kiaf Seoul fairs, where thousands of blue-chip artworks by artists including Kim, Adolph Gottlieb, Mark Bradford, Antony Gormley, Ugo Rondinone and Takashi Murakami converged at Coex convention center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. The two fairs collectively drew nearly 300 galleries from over 30 different countries.

Crates of masterpieces arrived in waves as gallerists argued over which pieces to hang and strategized how best to sell them. Teams of art handlers uncrated, installed and secured the works amid the prefair frenzy. By the time the doors opened on Sept. 3, the chaos had vanished, replaced by pristine walls lined with art ready for sale.

Behind that transformation are art logistics companies, hired by galleries, collectors and the fairs themselves to manage transportation, storage and installation.

Eythos, with offices in Seoul and Hong Kong, is one of the newest players. Founded just last year, it debuted at Frieze Seoul 2024 as the fair’s official logistics partner, serving 13 galleries. This year, it expanded to 36, including heavyweights like Gagosian, Thaddaeus Ropac and Massimo De Carlo, overseeing the movement of some 550 artworks across Frieze and Kiaf. The company was also appointed as the sole on-site storage manager, responsible for all the artwork stored at Coex for the fair.

An Eythos employee is working at Frieze Seoul 2024 [EYTHOS]

For founder Lewis Cheng, art logistics in the 21st century is no longer just about moving objects. It is about sustainability, safety and technology — priorities he says are driven largely by collectors.

“Collectors are becoming more purposeful and intentional,” Cheng told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an interview at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District on Sept. 4. “They’re asking questions that weren’t as common 10 years ago: Where did the artwork come from? What’s its condition? How is it stored? Who moved it? Is it still in a crate?”

Cheng, who grew up in his family’s global artificial Christmas tree business, saw an opportunity to bring operational expertise to an industry where efficiency, transparency and accountability lagged.

Eythos now offers in-house services, ranging from crate-making and framing to certified art handling and climate-controlled storage, tailored to specific mediums. Clients can track deliveries in real time and even calculate the carbon footprint of a shipment.

“I’m trying to use every technology available to improve transparency, accuracy and speed,” Cheng added.

“It’s an exciting time to be building this business.”

Gagosian gallery's booth at Frieze Seoul 2025, which ran at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, from Sept. 3 to 6 [GAGOSIAN]

Logistics is only part of his mission. A collector himself for nearly a decade, Cheng views his company as a steward not only of objects but also of the entire ecosystem surrounding them.

In founding Eythos, “I wanted to build something more efficient and transparent — a company respected in the industry but also respectful of the art, the artists, the people who entrust their works to us and everyone behind the scenes,” he said. “From art handlers to conservators, each plays a vital role in keeping the ecosystem alive. My goal is to create a system that values transparency but also respect and appreciation for everyone involved.”

Below is Korea JoongAng Daily's interview with Cheng. Excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

Founder of Eythos Lewis Cheng speaks to the Korea JoongAng Daily at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 4. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Q. What initially motivated you to start branding Eythos as a specialized art logistics company?

A. I am an art collector myself, and I come from a manufacturing background — my family’s business produces artificial Christmas trees. We make the kind that folds out like an upside-down umbrella, with lights already attached. You just take it out of the box, plug it in and it’s ready to go. Our company manages about 15,000 employees worldwide. That experience shaped how I think about operations. In manufacturing, efficiency, accuracy and transparency are essential, and I can’t help but see ways to bring that same mindset into art logistics.

From my perspective, traditional logistics partners are often geographically fragmented. Information moves too slowly, there are too many parties involved and it's not always clear who is taking responsibility during handoffs. If I ask a question, it sometimes takes days to get an answer.

On the storage side, I’ve noticed similar inefficiencies. Many storage facilities lump everything together — so a delicate work on paper might be kept in the same area as an iron sculpture, all packed away in crates. I once had an artwork stored in a crate for just six months, and when I opened it again, it had already developed mold.

That’s not how museums store their collections, so why should collectors have to settle for it?

Visitors at Frieze Seoul 2025 view artwork at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

Some critics argue that the expanding art fair circuit creates unsustainable pressure, both environmentally — due to excessive packaging, frequent international airfreight and more — and logistically, as short turnaround times strain handlers and shippers, increasing the risk of damage. How do you respond?

The biggest challenge in art logistics is planning — what needs to be moved when and where — and whether it actually needs to be moved.

With so many art fairs, gallery openings and collectors acquiring art, it becomes an optimization problem. If we can plan earlier, we can find the most optimal routes and the most optimal ways of shipping that can actually bring costs down, and potentially bring the carbon footprint down as well. But because galleries are working in such a high-speed environment, planning in advance often is a challenge. A lot of things end up happening last-minute.

The other thing is, do things actually need to move? Imagine some 400 artworks coming from all over the world for an auction. They then need to go to the auction house, and from the auction house to the collectors. Depending on the works, they also need to get framed, cleaned and restored.

Our facilities in Hong Kong and Seoul offer not only art storage and logistics services, but also a range of additional benefits. You can get it framed, cleaned and restored, all done in-house. The idea for me isn't a one-stop shop, but that you don't need to move the artwork around and can lower the potential for physical damage because it's not moving as much, and lower the carbon footprint.

A visitor to Frieze Seoul 2025 view artwork at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

Eythos recently acquired Daegu-based art service company Art Bridge. What are your expectations and goals following this acquisition?

We're very proud to have acquired Art Bridge two months ago. The reason for acquiring Art Bridge is that they have a very established network in Daegu and Busan.

And as we increase our footprint in Korea, we want to ensure that we build deeper relationships not only with clients but the people who operate in the area. Through our research and understanding of how things work here, we trust Art Bridge as a partner. And so as we deepen the talks, it made sense to combine the two companies. So we're essentially sharing everything that we've built in Eythos — including the technology systems, the processes — and then take over the Busan and Daegu operating environment as well, so that everything is completely seamless and consistent in the Eythos way. Clients should not feel the difference but feel the Eythos standard now.

How does an art logistics company highlight the behind-the-scenes work in the art industry?

In Asia, there is no art handling association that sets professional standards in the same way as those in Europe. So I want to create one here to ensure art handling is certified. At our company, we employ about 50 art handlers across our two locations, developing an education program for art handlers in which we certify them according to their skill level. We also train handlers in specialized modules, such as handling ceramics, electronic art or works on paper. These require additional expertise, and once trained, handlers become certified in those areas, too.

Also art handlers, conservators and registrars also work tirelessly before a fair opens, but their contributions often go unseen. Tonight we’re hosting a party we’re calling the Shadows Party. It’s dedicated to the people who work behind the scenes — a way to celebrate them and highlight their craft.

Ultimately, what I want to build is a renewed focus on the importance of everything that happens behind the scenes to make art fairs and exhibitions possible. Through that, I hope to attract even more talented people to join our company.

Visitors to Frieze Seoul 2025 view artwork at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 3. [NEWS1]

As an art enthusiast yourself, what do you find most rewarding about your work?

Art logistics presents an operational opportunity for me, as I come from a similar background. I’m excited to streamline and rethink everything, bringing this traditional industry up to 2025 standards. Today, the usage of technology for transparency and finding the best people I can grab from the industry — people who can be extensions of my vision and help me build this into something bigger than what I imagined from the very beginning. Doing that, and putting appreciation back into the trade and into the people who work behind the scenes, together creates a new opportunity that I think is refreshing for a lot of people who work with me. And so, it’s only been 12 months, but I’m very excited to be building exactly this exactly now.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]