Choi Seung Hyun aka T.O.P., one of South Korea's most popular K-pop icons, collaborated with Sotheby for its recent art auction. The idol curated the art collection and Sotheby named the auction event after his Instagram handle "#TTTOP."
T.O.P. gave his services to the art sale for free, South China Morning Post reported. The auction was held on Oct. 3, Monday, in Hong Kong. For the auction house, working with someone as young as T.O.P. was a way to attract a younger populace who tend to collect what appears beautiful to them, instead of collecting by categories, thought or culture.
With T.O.P. as a partner, the auction generated millions of impressions online, according to CNN. The K-pop idol's Instagram account alone has over five million followers.
"#TTTOP" was a sale of Western and Asian contemporary art from renowned artists, as well as emerging and lesser known talents. It featured 28 works, estimated at around $11.5 million. Part of the sales proceeds will be donated to the Asian Cultural Council.
Included in the Sotheby art collection were 23 works by Keith Haring, an American graffiti sculptor and artist known for his graffiti drawings on the subways and streets of New York. His art pieces which display various distinct visualization of his vocabulary have a total estimate of $580,185 to $773,580.
Another American artist, Jonas Wood had an art work in the collection, which was priced at around $128,930 to $193,395. Wood is known for his works that depict spaces in flat perspective. His art piece in the auction is part of his work "New Plant," which he completed in 2009.
Japanese artist Gokita Tomoo's art piece was likewise featured in the auction. Estimated to be between $48,993 to $58,018, it is a combination of Japanese art design, pop art, Cubism, Surrealism and Neo-Expressionism.
T.O.P. is the rapper of YG Entertainment's hip-hop band, BIGBANG, one of the most successful cultural exports of South Korea. The five-member boy band has sold millions of copies of its albums and in 10 years, is still staying strong and intact.
Here is a look of Sotheby's auction with T.O.P.: