Kim Chang-il unveils his collection

Arario Gallery is showcasing its collections under the title "Arario`s Finest" to commemorate its 20th anniversary.

The show is notable because the gallery`s collections are in fact those of Kim Chang-il, president of the Gallery, who is considered one of the world`s top 100 collectors.

Kim was the first Korean ever to make the list of the world`s 100 most powerful collectors, as selected by British magazine Art Review. He is also an artist himself who goes by the name "Ci Kim," although his work is not as well known as his collections.



This show stages about 35 pieces from Kim`s collections by world-renowned artists like Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Keith Haring, Marc Quinn, Neo Rauch and Tracey Emin.



Of the two Arario Galleries in Korea -- one in Cheonan and one in Seoul -- the main venue this time is the Cheonan Gallery. The Cheonan gallery is one of the biggest private galleries in Korea.

The exhibition in Cheonan starts outdoors, where the park between Arario Gallery and Galleria Department Store is filled with interesting sculptures.

A man and woman climb up giant ladders that lean against the buildings around the park. A hot pink Tyrannosaurus is crushing a hot pink car in one corner, a giant monkey ranch is clipping the end of a rolled-up wire in another, and an anatomy model of a human body that stands three stories high, by Hirst, stands at the entrance of the gallery.

This unfamiliar scene with all sorts of sculptures clustered together is enough to stop passers-by.

More masterpieces are inside, like "Fastest Gun in the West" by Sigmar Polke on the first floor. The Polish artist put in all his methods and efforts into the work, Kim explained. Tate Modern Museum in London once borrowed it for an exhibition.

"When it comes to contemporary art, there is no time to hesitate. They`ll be gone if you are not quick enough. A great lot of eyes were on this painting too, but I got it first. People say I am really quick when it comes to auctions. Yup, I was the `fastest gun` there," Kim said with a chuckle.

"Self" by Marc Quinn would be the not-to-be-missed work on the second floor.

It is a model of the artist`s head filled with nine pints of his actual frozen blood. As shocking as it is, the bloody head, first made in 1991, soon became a world-renowned work.

There are currently four editions of it in the world: the first version is in the hands of Steve Cohen, a hedge fund billionaire in New York, the 1996 version is in Dallas Museum of Art, the 2001 version is in Arario Gallery in Korea, and the latest version in National Portrait Gallery in London.

Quinn collects four liters of his own blood during a four to five months period every five years. The sculpture`s face, which is fixed in a silicon-filled-box, gets older in each version as the artist ages. The box has to be kept under minus 10 degrees Celcius in order to prevent the blood from melting.

"Yes, it is extremely difficult to maintain this one, but you need be ready for that much effort for contemporary art," Kim said.

The collector shared some more of his tips for choosing good and investment-worthy artworks, although he admitted that 90 percent of his judgements were done by his instincts.

"You need to pay attention to the details. Although they are done by the same artist, their prices can differ depending on whether they include the artists` signature objects or colors or not. Well-known galleries usually have the good ones, so it is important to visit them often," he added.

Some of Kim`s best collections, however, are still unveiled. Kim promised there will be a time to show everything he has, probably sometime next year.

The exhibition runs through Jan. 10 at Arario Gallery Seoul in Sogyeok-dong, central Seoul and Jan. 24 at Arario Gallery Cheonan in Cheonan cityi, South Chungcheong Province. For more information, call (02) 723-6190, (041) 551-5100 or visit www.arariogallery.com



(claire@heraldm.com)







By Park Min-young