15,000 Apply to Buy 496 SNU Artworks

The College of Fine Arts of Seoul National University sold artworks for a surprising price of 600,000 won. Exhibits from the “600,000 won Exhibition” were sold at an 8-hour-long drawing on Monday.

The college had expected the drawing to take two hours, but it continued from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. because as many as 75,000 applications were made for 496 pieces and the organizers chose 5 winners including reserves.

The dean of the college, Kwon Young-geol, and president of the alumni association, Kim Bong-gu, took turns in drawing, with four officers from Gwanak Police Station sitting as attendants. The whole process was recorded to prevent any unfair procedures.

The fact that all four officers had applied for the drawing engendered a controversy, but they said they did not know they would be working as attendants and pledged they would give up their right even if they won the drawing.

The number of applications varied from 1 to over 1,000 depending on the fame of artists and the type of pieces, but applications were made for each and every piece.

The alumni association held the exhibit from October 12 to 21 except for Sunday. Out of 30,000 visitors, about 15,000 applied to buy paintings.

peacechaos@donga.com