"Genuine Piece, Negotiable" 900 Million Won Nam June Paik Artwork's Bold Experiment on Danggeun Market

Paik Nam-june 'Literature Is Not a Book' Sales Post by Lee Jun-yeop, Gallery Shilla Seoul Director
Reconsidering the Role of Galleries in Online Markets... Experimenting with New Sales Formats
A Project Continuing Paik Nam-june's Artistic Spirit, with Actual Sales Intentions

On the 24th, a post selling an artwork was uploaded on the online secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market, attracting attention. Photo by Danggeun Market screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] "I was curious whether the artwork would actually sell. So far, there have been no inquiries about purchasing."

On the 24th, a post selling an artwork appeared on the online secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market, attracting attention. The artwork is "Literature is not Book" by the late artist Nam June Paik, with an asking price of 900 million KRW.

Art industry insiders flooded with questions about whether the piece was authentic. According to our investigation, the post was uploaded by Director Lee Junyeop of Gallery Shilla Seoul, and the artwork was confirmed to be genuine.

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 28th, Director Lee explained, "The post is part of a campaign for a new project. The artwork is authentic, and there is a genuine intention to sell it."

He noted that although online sales of artworks have been diversifying recently, the sellers are still galleries rather than the artists themselves. In fact, online platforms lack the rental fees and ancillary costs associated with offline spaces, raising doubts about the role of galleries.

.

Director Lee Jun-yeop of Gallery Shilla Seoul.

Director Lee stated, "Online platforms are also led by established galleries, but I thought a market where artists and buyers trade one-on-one outside of that might open up, and Danggeun Market, which has the most active real-life transaction volume, came to mind as that platform."

Since last year, he has been raising public interest in artworks and exhibitions through unique projects. Especially at the 40th Hwarang Art Fair held last March, he launched a project with the phrase 'Celebrities Prohibited, Enthusiasts Welcome,' openly criticizing celebrity marketing in the art market.

Director Lee plans to expand this project to Frieze, one of the world's top three art fairs opening in Seoul on September 2, and KIAF (Korea International Art Fair), the largest art market in Korea. He aims to introduce not only the artworks and galleries but also new sales methods to major overseas collectors visiting Korea.

He explained, "The artistic spirit of the late Nam June Paik, the protagonist of the posted artwork, was about new attempts through new media. This post is like a performance to introduce artist Nam June Paik in a new way." He added with a smile, "I will wait for inquiries from those interested in purchasing. If the deal is cool-geol (quick transaction without wasting time on price haggling), I am also considering nego (price negotiation or adjustment)."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.