Seoul Auction is holding a two-week "Auction Show" bringing together around 1,000 works under one roof. The initiative aims to lower the threshold of art auctions by offering a diverse visual feast, ranging from Kim Whanki's works being unveiled in Korea for the first time to Pokémon cards. Seoul Auction announced on the 2nd that it will host the "2026 AUCTION SHOW" at the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center from the 11th to the 24th. Over the course of two weeks, the event will feature 12 auctions, 8 exhibitions and brand pop-ups, and various lecture programs.

The centerpiece is the Evening Sale, scheduled for 5:00 PM on the 23rd. It will feature 34 works valued at approximately 19 billion KRW. Kim Whanki’s blue dot painting “30-XI-71 #212” (1971) will be revealed publicly in Korea for the first time. The long 152 cm canvas is filled with blue dots, with yellow and red dots forming bands to create rhythm. The lower estimate is 2.8 billion KRW. Seoul Auction explained that they successfully persuaded a long-term collector to put the piece up for auction. Damien Hirst’s “The Importance of Elsewhere-The Kingdom of Heaven” (2006) is a 292 cm-tall painting constructed with real butterflies. Amidst the stained-glass-like splendor reminiscent of a cathedral, it reveals the finiteness of life, with a lower estimate of 2.4 billion KRW. Alex Katz’s “Split 7 (Tarajia)” (2014), which places a portrait and a beach landscape side by side, enters the auction market for the first time with a lower estimate of 1.2 billion KRW. Additionally, Lee Ufan’s “From Point” (1977) carries a lower estimate of 1.25 billion KRW, and Yayoi Kusama’s “Flowers (1)” (1997) is expected to fetch between 900 million and 1.6 billion KRW.

The Contemporary Day Sale on the 24th features 73 lots valued at around 4.1 billion KRW. Works such as Woo Kuk-won’s “Hester” (2023), inspired by the novel The Scarlet Letter, and Lee Kang-so’s “From an Island - 99064” (1999), which depicts ducks with minimalist brushstrokes, will go under the hammer with lower estimates of 110 million KRW and 60 million KRW, respectively.

Apart from the auctions, a “MODERN” exhibition will showcase modern masterworks from home and abroad with a total value exceeding 50 billion KRW, according to Seoul Auction. Pablo Picasso’s “Portrait” (1971) is a painting executed around his nineties, capturing a profile nose and a front-facing eye on a single face. Marc Chagall’s “The Black Moon” (1968–1971) blends a deep blue backdrop with a village and floating human and animal figures. Kim Whanki’s “Untitled” is reportedly a portrait of his nephew, Seo Geun-young. Dressed in a sailor suit designed by the artist himself, the piece was long kept by the bereaved family of Yun Hyong-keun. Iconic works by masters such as Park Soo-keun (famous for “Laundress”) and Lee Jung-seob (famous for “Bull”) will also be presented together.

A solo exhibition by American artist Devon DeJardin will showcase new paintings, drawings, and collaborative print works featuring SEVENTEEN member The8's cover art. Meanwhile, the Pokémon card exhibition, which commands a dedicated and passionate following, will display 100 cards from the Van Gogh Museum collaboration and a 5-piece set interpreting Munch’s “The Scream,” alongside private sales.

The Auction Show combines previews displaying auction entries in advance, exhibitions, private sales conducted via individual negotiations, brand pop-ups, and cultural events. Much like an art fair anchored by galleries, the auction house aims to create a marketplace where art appreciation and trading happen simultaneously. By broadening auction items to include posters, prints, crafts, and jewelry, and setting starting bids at 0 KRW or 10,000 KRW for select works, the event encourages newcomers to make their first art purchases.

The backdrop of the event also stems from an art market recovery that has fallen short of expectations. Yun Hyun-sik, head of Seoul Auction's Overseas Strategy Team, noted during a press briefing that while the art market hit a low in 2024 and entered a recovery phase early this year, economic uncertainties have recently slowed down the pace of recovery once again. With many collectors who flowed in during the boom period having since left, the primary goal of the event is to attract a fresh customer base and broaden the market's foundation.

Seoul Auction plans to use this event as a test bed and potentially expand it in the future through partnerships with multiple firms, while exploring larger venues such as COEX or Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). Admission tickets are 22,000 KRW and allow for re-entry throughout the event period.

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