Beyond the Object: What Gives Art Its Meaning?

This week, three developments in Seoul, New York and London point toward a shared question in contemporary art: where does meaning actually reside? In the material itself, in the passage of time, or in the context in which an artwork is encountered? ### Frieze Seoul: Materiality Takes Centre Stage Frieze Seoul 2026 closed on 5 September with a notable new emphasis on material practice. Its dedicated **Material Practice** section brought ceramics, textiles, glass, metal, wood and Korean *hanji* into direct dialogue with contemporary art and design. Across Seoul, this interest in material and sensory experience was echoed by exhibitions such as Koo Jeong A’s survey at Leeum Museum, where scent, magnetism, architecture and other barely perceptible forces shape the viewer’s encounter with the work. The broader significance is clear: materials are no longer treated simply as supports or techniques. Increasingly, they are part of the conceptual language of the artwork itself. **Editorial question:** *When does material become meaning?* ### Alfredo Jaar: When Time Changes an Artwork Opening in New York on 10 September, Alfredo Jaar’s *A Logo for America* revisits his 1987 Times Square intervention questioning the use of the word “America” as a synonym for the United States. Nearly four decades later, the work returns in a very different historical context, accompanied by a new publication and book launch. Its renewed relevance demonstrates how artworks can accumulate meaning over time. A work may remain physically unchanged while political, cultural and social circumstances radically alter how it is perceived. **Editorial question:** *Can an artwork become more contemporary with age?* ### Frieze Sculpture: Art Beyond the Gallery Frieze Sculpture 2026 opens in Regent’s Park, London, on 16 September. Curated by Fatoş Üstek, the exhibition places works by eleven international artists throughout the park and remains freely accessible for seven weeks. By removing sculpture from the gallery environment and placing it within public space, the exhibition changes the conditions of viewing. Visitors may encounter the works deliberately, accidentally or simply as part of everyday movement through the city. The context becomes part of the experience, raising a broader question about how location, accessibility and surrounding space influence interpretation. **Editorial question:** *What happens to art when no gallery door separates it from everyday life?* ### The Broader Picture These three developments suggest that contemporary art is increasingly defined not only by what an artwork depicts, but by the conditions surrounding it. In Seoul, **material** carries meaning. In Jaar’s work, **time** reshapes meaning. In Regent’s Park, **context** transforms meaning. The artwork remains central, but its significance is no longer contained entirely within the object itself. Meaning emerges through relationships: between matter and idea, past and present, artwork and environment. That shift continues to expand the way contemporary art is made, curated and experienced. **AGC Art Radar** presents a selective view of the exhibitions, events and ideas shaping contemporary artistic practice today.