Eco-cultural art facility designed by modern artists up for auction

SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- An eco-cultural art education facility designed by a group of modern artists will be put up for auction next week, with its presumed value ranging from 3 to 4 billion won (US$2.5 to 3.3 million), a local auction house said Tuesday.

The Nonbat Art School in the Heyri Art Village in Paju, north of Seoul, will be put up for auction on June 17 at an auction hosted by Seoul Auction in Seoul.

Centered around the theme of culture and ecology, the edifice was designed by seven modern artists, including Choi Jung-hwa, Park Ki-won, Kang Un and Lee Mi-gyung.

Housing two indoor galleries and built along a mountain slope, the three-story building with a basement was built over a course of a year from 2009. It hosted courses in art and other ecology-themed areas. It also houses lodging spaces as well.

The announcement came as a surprise to art world observers, as real-estate properties are seldom dealt, if ever, in art auctions, although construction of particular artistic values, such as the Dalki Theme Park in Paju, have been sold via auctions in the past.

Other pieces up for sale on June 17 include "Dialogue," a 2015 work from modern day master Lee Ufan, and Park Su-geun's 1963 piece "On the Road," which will be made available for the first time in South Korea.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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