Artday auction offers artistic feast

Artday, a subsidiary of the Herald Media group, is opening its fourth art auction next week.

It will roll out a total of 105 art works by acclaimed Korean artists, ranging from up-and-coming figures such as Mari Kim to renowned artists like Hwang Yeom-soo, Kim Chang-yeol and Cheon Gyeong-ja.

Celebrated Chinese artists Chen Ruo Bing and Yin Jun’s works are also on the block.

This year’s notable items include artist Kim Whan-ki’s 1968 abstract painting, which was created during his stay in New York. The piece, called “Untitled,” shows Kim’s foray into creating abstract art while trying to stray from Korea-related themes as much as possible. 

For flower lovers, artists Kim In-seung and Hwang Yeom-su’s paintings, both of which are of roses, should be the ones to check out.

As usual, the auction is approachable for both first-timers and experienced collectors as prices are expected to start from around 200,000 won, going up to more than 55 million won ($48,000). The upcoming event will be an opportunity for art aficionados to buy works and make investments at the same time, the organizers said.

Those interested can view the works at the preview exhibition which run both in Seoul and Busan, before making their bids. The Seoul show runs from April 13 to 19 at Gallery DOS in Samcheong-dong, while the Busan show will run from April 21 to 26 at the Lotte Gallery at Lotte Department Store’s Seomyeon branch.

The auction will start at 5 p.m. on April 26, with a piece sold every minute.

Artday is seen to have set a new example for high-quality online auctions by introducing major works by established artists.

For more information on the auction, call (02) 3210-2255, or visit www.artday.co.kr.

By Claire Lee  (dyc@heraldcorp.com)