Seoul Auction will hold its largest auction block in 17 years as a breakthrough for the sluggish art market. The two-day auction from Nov. 24 to 25 will feature artworks valued at 29 billion won ($20 million) in total.
The first auction event, “Evening Sale: Eternal Emotion,” on Nov. 24 will put 26 masterpieces by modern and contemporary artists up for sale, with combined starting prices totaling 27 billion won. It is the first time Seoul Auction has held a dedicated auction for masterpieces.
“Although the market remains challenging, we are beginning to see signs of a rebound. To help lift the mood, we have prepared a special auction,” Joung Tae-hee, head of the Auction Business Team at Seoul Auction, told The Korea Herald on Thursday.
The centerpiece is the painting “Bouquet de Fleurs” (Bouquet of Flowers), which carries a starting price of 9.4 billion won and was created in 1937 -- 22 years after Chagall’s marriage to his lifelong muse Bella.
The painting embodies a gravity-defying love, depicting a couple embracing midair with a bouquet and rendered in deep blue hues. A total of four paintings by Chagall, including “Paysage de Paris” (Landscape of Paris) from his late years, will go on the block.
Works by leading Korean masters such as Kim Whan-ki’s “15-VI-69 #71 I,” created in 1969 during his New York period, will be on sale. The work reflects the artist’s pivotal moment before he perfected his signature all-over dot paintings. Lee U-fan’s “With Winds” series, featuring his sweeping and rhythmic brushwork in gray hues, is also part of the block.
The “Contemporary Day” sale on the following day will feature 64 lots targeting younger collectors with works by Nicolas Party, Kasing Lung, Lee Kang-so and others, as well as luxury items such as a Louis Vuitton art bag created in collaboration with Japanese artist Kusama Yayoi.
The works for sale in the two-day auction can be seen in a preview exhibition at Seoul Auction’s headquarters in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul.
Separately, the auction house opened the third edition of its art and furniture exhibition “Art & Furniture: When the House Reads,” running through Nov. 30. It is centered on the works of furniture designer Bahk Jong-sun, whose creations were featured in the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite.”
Bahk's furniture features subtle simplicity with clean and straight lines, which he said are inspired by bone structure.
“Using curves in craft or furniture can be like adding too much seasoning to food -- you should use them only when they’re truly needed,” Bahk told The Korea Herald on Thursday at the exhibition.
“What really fascinates me is observing bones. They become thick, then taper at the center, then thicken again -- why is the middle part so slender? That structure is incredible to me."
Works by Edward Gormley, David Hockney and Choi Wook-kyung are on view along with Bahk’s furniture designs.
Visitors to the exhibition at Seoul Auction's headquarters will also find a curated list of books recommended by participating artists, art collectors and entertainers who are deeply engaged with the arts.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
