BIG BANG’S T.O.P. TALKS ABOUT HIS PASSION FOR ART IN CNN STYLE INTERVIEW
BIG BANG member T.O.P. sat down for an interview with CNN Style to discuss his upcoming Sotheby’s charity auction #TTTOP in Hong Kong in which he will participate as a curator. The CNN Style article described the idol-actor as “a passionate art collector.”
Allkpop reported that for the interview, T.O.P. introduced the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lee Ufan, and more, proving his deep love for art.
The article from CNN Style also mentioned that a contemporary Asian art specialist at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Yuki Terase, depicts T.O.P.’s tastes as “eclectic” and identifies “Infantry” by the late American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and a commissioned work by the idol’s friend, Japanese artist Kohei Nawa, as auction highlights.
Terase says, “It reflects and represents what young Asian collectors are starting to collect. They do not collect according to categories, culture, or schools of thought, they just collect what appeals to them aesthetically. So, it is very personal. T.O.P. is not bound by any books or series of how the collection should be.”
In the interview, Choi Seung Hyun, T.O.P.’s real name explained, “My life is often very exciting as I live both as the musician T.O.P. from BIGBANG and as multiple characters through my acting. When my mind is tired from such a life, I find healing and consolation through the immense beauty of art and am always newly inspired. When I see designs or paintings that gratify me, and when I see something good or an unimagined kind of beauty in art, I feel a certain envy which stimulates me even more.”
He further said, “The auction combined the works of Asian and Western artists, and though there are many celebrated artists’masterpieces, I wonder what it will be like if they are mixed with the works of up and coming artists’ ‘young’ tastes.”
“I am very proud to see all the pieces that I carefully curated for over a year gathered in one place but I am also nervous at the thought of sharing the happiness and the other whirlwind of emotions I felt with so many people,” he ended.
Source: Koreaportal.com
BIG BANG MEMBER’S DEBUT AS CURATOR SPARKS CRITICISM
T.O.P, a rapper in the K-pop boy band BigBang, made his international debut as a guest curator at Sotheby’s evening auction of Western and Asian contemporary art in Hong Kong, Monday, but drew criticism from some experts.
The 29-year old musician is well-known for his hobby of collecting designer furniture and contemporary artwork, which led him to work on art-related projects recently, including serving as co-curator of the contemporary Asian art exhibition, “The Eye Zone,” at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum in 2015 and loaning part of his collection to Yang Haegue’s exhibition at the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art the same year.
However, debuting as a solo curator at Sotheby’s is at a different level and some experts questioned his credentials to do the job at one of the world’s largest brokers of fine and decorative art with a collection worth 12.8 billion won ($11.6 million) total.
As part of his year-long collaboration with the British auction house, T.O.P appeared at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Autumn Sale Series 2016, representing and celebrating young Asian collectors seeking art across cultural boundaries.
“A curator is someone who proposes a certain point of view, certain ideas and raises certain questions,” said renowned curator Till Fellrath, who is a co-founder of the multidisciplinary curatorial platform Art Reoriented based in Munich and New York, in an interview with The Korea Times. “Think of a story teller. When you tell a story, you have to be in command of your language and you have to be able to create a narrative that engages people who are going to read your text. I think a curator does the exactly same thing.”
Sam Bardaouil, the other co-founder of Art Reoriented and an independent curator himself, agreed that becoming a curator requires in depth study in arts and long-term experience in the field, plus long hours of endeavor on the spot before the show.
However, he criticized that many curators in the field are not taking the job serious and some are chosen superficially.
“Being a curator is really hard work. You need to study and read a lot and think a lot before you comment about it. A lot of curators are also quite easy and superficial. It is really bad actually. You need to really know and think and be sure what you are saying,” said Bardaouil.
In the early press conference held at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul on Sept. 19, T.O.P said Sotheby’s plan to donate a large portion of the auction’s profit to support young artists through the Asian Cultural Council made him decided to participate.
“This is not an ordinary commercial auction. This auction supports Asian artists,” he said. “Since my childhood, I’ve liked artwork pursuing minimalism with philosophy or pieces with a unique visual quality. I think art is something that is not so difficult. I hope young people find more interest in art through my debut as an art curator.”
Sotheby’s reason behind hiring a popular K-pop idol as a curator in Hong Kong to attract attention and revive its Asian market is another point to note. Sotheby in Korea closed down 20 years ago, after it established the bureau in the country 30 years ago. Now, they are seeking a chance in the Korean market through the auction with the Korean rapper in Hong Kong.
Patti Wong, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, said this is the first time that the auction house has selected an Asian celebrity as a curator and it shows well how Sotheby has been successfully adapting to new trends and changes since it was established in 1744. Wong added that T.O.P’s strength as a curator lies in that he is a young collector and he can gather artwork from various cultures, different times and made with unique materials.
In the past, Sotheby has hired famous pop stars Elton John and David Bowie as curators, who have loaned their personal art pieces for the auction, but T.O.P presented works of his choice with the help of auction house experts.
Among the 28 artworks introduced, many of the works were by popular artists such as Andy Warhol, George Condo and Rudolf Stingel in the Western section, and works by Kim Whan-ki, Paik Nam-june and Park Seo-bo in the Asian section.
The late painter Kim Whan-ki is the rapper’s grandmother’s uncle. T.O.P explained he included Kim’s work because of his admiration for the painter as an artist; not because the painter was an elderly relative.
T.O.P said he had a difficult time asking the artists and collectors to put their works, which he selected carefully to introduce at this auction, up for sale. But his popularity as a K-pop idol worked to his advantage in garnering keen attention and interest from well-known artists and collectors. The leading piece in the Western section, “Infantry” (1983) by Jean-Michel Basquiat, is particularly notable, as it was submitted by internationally renowned Japanese art collector Yusaku Maezawa, who is an old collector friend of T.O.P.
“T.O.P is a good friend and we enjoy collecting together. When I learned about this auction, I wanted to be a part of it,” said Maezawa, who is also an I.T. guru in Japan.
Bardaouil agreed that a celebrity can use his popularity to debut as a curator in the art scene and maybe that can help develop the industry in terms of promoting events or collaborating with other artists. Still, he insisted that it is best for people to do what they do best as it would be problematic for him to start singing or rapping.
“I think people will be very upset if I am working as a curator and then I compete in the Olympics on Germany’s swimming team. I think this is the same analogy, really,” said Bardaouil “When you do something for a very long time in your life, you just know what you are doing.”
Source: Koreatimes
BIG BANG’S T.O.P CURATED ART COLLECTION SELLS FOR $17M US
BIG BANG member T.O.P has debuted as an international curator today and holds his first solo auction in Hong Kong with an impressive total sales of approximately 17 million US dollars.
T.O.P curated and introduced several pieces of Western and Asian Contemporary arts at tonight’s Sotheby auction in Hong Kong showcasing his knowledge and passion in arts. Although successful, T.O.P debuting as curator draws criticisms from curator experts.
Choi Seung Hyun, better known by his stage name T.O.P, is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean K-Pop group Big Bang and has also participated in various dramas and films, such as I Am Sam (2007), Iris (2009), Nineteen (2009), 71: Into the Fire (2010), Commitment (2013) and Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014). Jeff Benjamin of Billboard K-Town columnist noted that T.O.P is well known for his low-bass timbre rapping.
He had this to share, “I think people will be very upset if I am working as a curator and then I compete in the Olympics in Germany’s swimming team. I think this is the same analogy, really,”
“I think when you do something for a very long time in your life, you’d just know what you are doing.
“Being a curator is really hard work and you need to study and read a lot and think a lot before you comment about it. A lot of curators are also quite easy and superficial, but it is really bad actually. You need to really know and think and be sure what you are saying.
“I think when you do something for a very long time in your life, you’d just know what you are doing.
“Being a curator is really hard work and you need to study and read a lot and think a lot before you comment about it. A lot of curators are also quite easy and superficial, but it is really bad actually. You need to really know and think and be sure what you are saying.
Source: Koogle.tv
CNN: CELEBRITY SALE: K-POP STAR T.O.P ADDS MILLENNIAL APPEAL TO RECORD SOTHEBY’S AUCTION
Korean Pop star T.O.P teamed up with Sotheby’s to curate an art auction entitled #TTTOP. The entire 28 works on offer sold for $17.4 million on 3 October 2016, well above pre-sale estimates of around $11.5 million. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Asian Cultural Council.
Sotheby’s and T.O.P spent over a year selecting and curating the 28 artworks.
Some of the pieces were made specifically for this auction by T.O.P’s artist friends, such as Takashi Murakami and Nawa Kohei.
A Sotheby’s auction guest-curated by Korean pop star T.O.P. pulled in $17.4 million (HKD$136 million) on October 3, exceeding pre-sale high estimates and setting multiple auction records.
‘Infantry’, a 1983 painting by the late American artist Jean Basquiat, was the evening’s top lot out of the collection of 28 Asian and Western contemporary artworks, realizing $5.98 million.
Ahead of the auction, CNN Style interviewed T.O.P during an exhibition preview in Seoul, South Korea.
A commissioned work by Japanese artist Kohei Nawa also sold for $72,115 ($562,500 HKD), seven times the high-estimate projected by Sotheby’s.
Seven of the top 10 works sold to private Asian buyers whose names were not disclosed.
The success of the evening was largely thanks to its unlikely star, K-pop icon T.O.P of South Korean boy band Big Bang. An avid art collector, T.O.P curated the auction and helped Sotheby’s reach a younger demographic with hype-generating posts to his 5.8 million Instagram followers.
The auction highlighted the spending power of millennials in Asia, as well as the power of celebrity-endorsed social media, especially when it comes to art.
In China alone, the consumption rate of people between the ages of 18 and 30 is growing at 14% a year, according to the Boston Consulting Group, double that of those age 35 and older.
The importance of drawing in young collectors in Asia is not lost on Yuki Terase, a contemporary Asian art specialist at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
“As much of 40 percent of new clients that transact with us for the first time in Asia are young collectors (those being under 40 years old),” Terase says. “So it’s a very significant phenomenon that we witness in Asia that is truly notable and influences the entire art world.”
Sotheby’s and T.O.P spent over a year selecting and curating the 28 artworks.Some of the pieces were made specifically for this auction by T.O.P’s artist friends, such as Takashi Murakami and Nawa Kohei.
Sotheby’s and T.O.P spent over a year selecting and curating the 28 artworks.Some of the pieces were made specifically for this auction by T.O.P’s artist friends, such as Takashi Murakami and Nawa Kohei.
The year 1983 saw some of the most productive and successful days in Basquiat’s artistic career. This work embodies a limited yet acidic palette of primary colors and his signature yellow.
Rudolf Stingel’s work often makes an appearance on T.O.P’s Instagram feed. In this piece the artist used gold-plated copper and marked it with individual words, initials, and phrases.
South Korean post-war artist Seobo is well known for his abstract art but is most famous for his Ecriture series, which he began in the 1970s. Sotheby’s says the work presents freedom in both calligraphic brushstrokes and in one’s mind.
Lee once said “when I passively accept external winds, an even greater world is opened.” This oil painting is the largest work from the South Korean artist’s Winds series, which he produced between 1982 and 1986.
The auction includes a collection of 23 works by American graffiti artist and sculptor, Keith Haring, all of which display a variety of his unique visual vocabulary.
Haring first rose to prominence in the early 1980s with graffiti drawings he made on the streets and subways of New York. His bulky lines and angular figures can still found on some New York City walls today.
The 23-piece lot includes a limited edition coloring book that was included with the catalog from an exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York in 1982. The book invites his fans to fill in the blanks with him, as he once filled in the blank walls of the New York subway.
This work, by Japanese artist Gokita Tomoo, is a mixture of pop art, Surrealism, Cubism, Neo-Expressionism and Japanese graphic design.
American artist Wood is well-known for his paintings, drawings and prints that depict spaces with a flat perspective. This piece is part of the artist’s “New Plant” series, which he completed in 2009.
American artist Auerbach works across painting, artists’ books, photography and sculpture. This woven canvas is an early example of her iconic “weave” paintings.
Widely considered the greatest living painter, Richter’s work over his fifty-year career has earned him international acclaim.
Chung lives and works in Seoul and has exhibited internationally since the late 1960s. He is one of the foremost Korean “Dansaekhwa” (“Monochrome”) artists, a group that emerged when the Republic of Korea was still under a military dictatorship.
Haled as the “Father of Video Art”, Paik Nam June fled Korea during the civil war and moved to Japan, where he studied art history and music. He eventually settled in New York in the mid 1960s and became the first artist in the world to embrace new technology.
Lee once said “when I passively accept external winds, an even greater world is opened.” This oil painting is the largest work from the South Korean artist’s Winds series, which he produced between 1982 and 1986.
Source: CNN
$6 MILLION BASQUIAT LEADS KOREAN POP STAR T.O.P.’S CURATED SOTHEBY’S SALE
It was a big night at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
South Korean pop star T.O.P. with Nam June Paik, Fat Boy. Courtesy of Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
It was a big night at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 3, where the curated auction from South Korean pop star Choi Seung Hyun, known as T.O.P., brought in 135,700 HKD ($17.5 million). The house took a gamble with its first curatorial collaboration with a young private collection, but it would seem that the musical superstar’s taste translated to auction success.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Infantry led the pack at the “#TTTOP” sale, bringing in $6 million on an estimate of $3.87 million–5.16 million. This is far less than his auction record, of course. According to the artnet Price Database, Basquiat’s top price at auction is $57.28 million achieved this May at Christie’s New York for an untitled 1982 painting.
Related: Sotheby’s Nabs South Korean Boy Band Star to Curate Hong Kong Sale
Related: Sotheby’s Nabs South Korean Boy Band Star to Curate Hong Kong Sale
Of the 25 lots that found buyers, the vast majority surpassed their high estimates, and only three works (by Andy Warhol, George Condo, and Sigmar Polke) went unsold. A portion of the sale’s proceeds are being donated to the Asian Cultural Council, which provides grants to artists and scholars.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Infantry (1982), which brought in $6 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s “#TTOP” sale. Courtesy of Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
A member of South Korean musical sensation Big Bang, whose decade-long career led the Hollywood Reporter to declare them “the biggest boy band in the world,” T.O.P. is also, as he says, “an eclectic collector.”
“I am not biased (or concentrated) to only collect one specific artist’s works, but always seeking to find new artists from many countries,” T.O.P. told artnet News in an email, listing Mark Grotjahn, Rudolf Stingel, Mark Bradford, and Gerhard Richter as among his favorites.
I select works simply by their ‘beauty’, how much of a new concept it consists, how much of beauty it expresses, and how convincing it is for me,” the singer added. “An art work should always be new and beautiful.”
With that in mind, T.O.P. set about curating the auction with the goal of amassing “a never-before-attempted combination of artworks from differing eras, genres and cultures—a rare juxtaposition of contrasting styles and messages,” he explained in a statement, noting that he feels a responsibility to bring more arts and culture to the young people of Asia. “I sought works of relatively unknown, talented artists to feature alongside masterpieces by blue-chip artists, from both Asia and the West.”
Naoki Tomita, View (T.O.P.). The painting went for $29,000 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s “#TTOP” sale. Courtesy of Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
To that end, T.O.P. commissioned Naoki Tomita, a young Japanese painter who finished his master’s at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2015, to create an oil painting based on one of the singer’s Instagram posts. The auction house described the resulting painting, View (T.O.P.), as “a twice-reconstructed outlook of an ordinary city street, first through the lens of T.O.P’s smartphone, then via Tomita’s singular and accomplished painterly expression.”
To that end, T.O.P. commissioned Naoki Tomita, a young Japanese painter who finished his master’s at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2015, to create an oil painting based on one of the singer’s Instagram posts. The auction house described the resulting painting, View (T.O.P.), as “a twice-reconstructed outlook of an ordinary city street, first through the lens of T.O.P’s smartphone, then via Tomita’s singular and accomplished painterly expression.”
The painting sold for $29,000, compared to a high estimate of $10,300. Other top lots on the night included an untitled Stingel ($2 million), Richter’s Abstraktes Bild ($1.56 million), and Lee Ufan‘s With Winds ($1.4 million). Nam June Paik’s Fat Boy, a 1997 sculpture of vintage TV cabinets and monitors, sold for $552,000.
Yuki Terase, a contemporary Asian art specialist at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, told CNN that the artistic range represented in the sale is reflective of how young collectors in Asia think about their acquisitions. “They don’t collect according to categories, culture, or schools of thought, they just collect what appeals to them aesthetically. So, it’s very personal. T.O.P. is not bound by any books or series of how the collection should be.”
“As an actor and musician, my job is to be observant, sensitive to sounds and sights,” T.O.P. added. “I realized that the same is true of curating: my goal is to create a new experience for audiences, for them to feel something different.”
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