BigBang member’s debut as curator sparks criticism

Rapper T.O.P of the K-pop idol group BigBang poses in front of Korean artist Paik Nam-june’s project “Fat Boy” (1997). / Courtesy of Gary So @ Mad Carrot Production
By Kim Jae-heun

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