Since its inception in 2012, JARILAGER Gallery has been the holding company between Choi&Lager, (Cologne/ Seoul) and UNION Gallery (London) with Jari Lager being the director in both ventures. 10 years later, JARILAGER Gallery (Cologne/ Seoul) takes its own form whilst still continuing alongside its sister gallery UNION Gallery in London.
Jari Lager who shares his time between London, Cologne and Seoul and has been closely engaged with international art for three decades, started out with the Lisson Gallery before founding the artist-run space VTO in London’s East End in 1998, followed by Union Gallery from 2003 – initially on Union Street near the Tate Gallery, now located in London’s East-end.
Together with writer and curator Sunhee Choi, he added the Choi&Lager galleries in Cologne (2012) and Seoul (2016) – at a three-storey building in the heart of Jongno, Korea’s longest-standing arts district. That transcontinental reach enabled the promotion of new Korean artists in Europe, and the introduction of international artists to Korea. From 2022, Jari Lager’s activities in Cologne and Seoul will both operate under the JARILAGER Gallery.
JARILAGER Gallery, will continue to be prominently active in three countries, Germany, United Kingdom and South Korea, as well producing off-site exhibitions and participating in international art fairs to give a platform for dialogue and promotion of various artists from numerous cultures.