Choi Myoung Young, Conditional Planes 23-12, 2023

Valuation Summary 📝

To ensure the competitiveness of the investment, we conducted a thorough verification of the purchase price by analyzing recent gallery transactions and auction results. Our analysis confirmed that the price offered, inclusive of all associated fees, is highly competitive. To estimate the potential ROI, we used the average annual price increase of his paintings from the 2020s and 1990s over the past six years. For our conservative scenario, we assumed the value of the painting would grow at the rate of Swiss inflation, reflecting a defensive approach. In the balanced scenario, we assume a 100% probability of achieving an 11.5% annual return over the next 3 years (based on the average annual return over the past six years for similar sized works created in the 2000s). The potential return over the next three years, under the balanced, is further enhanced by the 24% discount at which this beautiful work is offered compared to the current gallery price for paintings of that size (120 x 120 cm) created in the 2000s. In the ambitious scenario, we assume a 30% probability of achieving a 21.8% annual return over the next three years (based on the average annual return over the past six years for similar sized works created in the 1990s). These similar sized paintings from the “Conditional Plans” series created in the 1990s, currently command prices approximately 36% higher in the primary market than those made in the 2000s. It is reasonable to expect that the prices of paintings from the 2000s will eventually catch up to those from earlier years.

Exit Options at Maturity 🚪

We will manage the exit strategy in collaboration with our expert M&A Arts on behalf of our investors, ensuring the best possible outcome based on market conditions at the time. Depending on the prevailing market situation, the painting will be sold to a private collector or offered at an auction for contemporary art. An auction is considered if the price has developed to the point where the minimum bid matches the market value and there is high demand for works by the artist. Both options are carefully considered, and we will choose the one that maximizes the return for our investors.

Why Invest in This Category? 🎨

For centuries, art was collected for its cultural, emotional, intellectual, political, and economic value. Investing in a mid-career artist offers a mix of financial potential and personal satisfaction, making it an appealing option for both new and seasoned collectors.

Why Invest in This Asset? 💎

Choi Myoung-Young is a leading figure in the Dansaekhwa movement and contemporary Korean art. Dansaekhwa, which translates as “monochrome painting,” was formalized in the 1970s as Korean artists redefined abstract painting in response to a turbulent socio-political environment. Born in Haeju, Hwanghae-do, in 1941, Myoung Young defected to South Korea during the Korean War and grew up in Gunsan and Incheon. In 1957, he began studying art at Incheon National School of Education under master artist Chung Sanghwa, then entered Hongik University College of Fine Arts in 1960 to study painting.

After graduating in 1964, Myoung Young joined notable art groups, including the Origin Society (1963–1993), Korean Avant-Garde Association (A.G., 1970–1973), and École de Seoul (1975–1999), and participated in the Paris Biennale (1967) and São Paulo Biennale (1969), establishing his position as an emerging artist. Since the mid-1970s, Myoung Young has persistently explored using his body and the relationship between the canvas plane and the medium of paint under the theme of “Conditional Planes,” repeating and varying physical actions on top of the flat surface to understand painterly existence. In the mid-1970s, the artist produced what are known today as the “Sandpaper” and “Fingerprint” series.

Throughout the mid-1980s and the 1990s, Myoung Young’s repetitive movements took on vertical and horizontal orientations to settle as his unique methodology and style.

Myoung Young often uses the expression “monotonous” to describe his works. Creating superficial space composed of regular units—by performing repetitive actions within the frame of the blank, quadrilateral canvas—can be seen as a daily act of validating existence. The canvas as a background no longer distinguishes or restrains art and life. Just as the body and the mind are no longer subjects for distinction, the conditional plane is now an existential “platform,” an infinite space that serves to intertwine and reveal the artist’s repetitive actions. This is precisely why Myoung Young’s creative world is a demonstration of “controlling monotony,” something that ceaselessly flows toward infinite variations.

Permanent Collections:
His work is held in several permanent public collections including:

• National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul, Korea
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
• Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
• Busan Museum of Art, Busan, Korea
• Daegu Art Museum, Daegu, Korea
• Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju, Korea
• Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea
• Shimonoseki City Art Museum, Shimonoseki, Japan
• Mie Prefectural Art Museum, Mie, Japan
• Hongik Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
• Posco Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
• Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
• Gidang Art Museum, Jeju-do, Korea
• Walker Hill Art Center, Seoul, Korea
• Ho-Am Art Center, Yongin, Korea
• Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul, Korea
• Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
• Saatchi Collections, London, UK

Myoung Young's work has been exhibited internationally in numerous galleries and art fairs.

Selected Solo Exhibitions:

• 2025-2026 - National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul, Korea - Upcoming
• 2024 - Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, “Choi Myoung Young,” Tokyo, Japan
• 2024 - The Page Gallery, TEFAF New York, New York, USA
• 2023 - Almine Rech, “Choi Myoung Young: Conditional Planes,” Paris Matignon, Paris, France
• 2023 - Art Chosun Space (ACS), Seoul, Korea
• 2022 - Gallery Bisunjae, “Choi Myoung Young: Conditional Planes,” Seoul, Korea
• 2022 - The Page Gallery, “Choi Myoung Young”, Seoul, Korea
• 2019 - The Page Gallery, “Choi Myoung Young: Conditional Planes II,” Seoul, Korea
• 2017 - Gallery Shilla,“Choi Myoung Young”, Daegu, Korea

Selected Group Exhibitions:

• 2024 - Almine Rech, Frieze Seoul, Seoul, Korea
• 2024 - Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Frieze Seoul, Seoul, Korea
• 2024 - Almine Rech, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
• 2024 - Shinsegae Gallery, “Contemplation”, Seoul, Korea
• 2024 - Hammer Museum, “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s,” Los Angeles, USA
• 2024 - Hoban Cultural Foundation, “Resonance of the Times”, Seoul, Korea
• 2024 - Gallery Shilla, “Winter Collections In Daegu”, Daegu, Korea
• 2023 - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, “Only the Young: Experimental Art in Korea, 1960s–1970s,” NY, USA
• 2023 - Hakojae Gallery, “Eui-geum-sang-gyeong: Over her embroidered robe she puts on a plain garment”, Seoul, Korea
• 2023 - Space21, “Crtic Lee II and the Avant-Garde group in the 1970s”, Seoul, Korea
• 2023 - Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
• 2021 - The Page Gallery, ”Chusa Kim, Ufan Lee, Choi Myoung Young, Choi In-soo”, Seoul, Korea
• 2018 - Puerta Roja Gallery, “Reflections – Celebrating Eight Years of Cross-Cultural Collaboration”, Hong Kong
• 2018 - The Page Gallery, “A to P (A letter from the new Page)”, Seoul, Korea
• 2018 - Gallery Shilla, “Black Selections”, Daegu, Korea
• 2017 - Museum San, “Looking into Korean Art Part2: Dansaekhwa”, Wonju, Korea
• 2017 - Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, “Rhythm in Monochrome Korean Abstract Painting”, Tokyo, Japan

The “Conditional Planes” series symbolizes Myoung Young’s artistic journey throughout his work, since the 1970s. This style emphasizes the flat surface of the canvas, aligning him with the Dansaekhwa paintings, which are characterized by geometric, simple, clear lines and forms in primary colors. Myoung Young’s particular style in this era was based on the idea of the creation and extinction of traces on canvas by using fingerprint and sandpaper.

Context in Time ⏳

Choi Myoung Young’s work has gained international recognition, reflecting a renewed global interest in Dansaekhwa. With upcoming exhibitions in major cities and increasing gallery presence, Myoung Young’s art is poised for substantial growth, attracting collectors seeking both historical depth and long-term appreciation potential.

Conclusion 🎯

Choi Myoung-Young’s “Conditional Planes” series combines cultural significance, rarity, and historical importance within contemporary Korean art. With a competitive purchase price and proven growth potential, this painting represents an exceptional investment opportunity. As demand for Dansaekhwa artists increases globally, this work offers substantial upside potential and diversification within a thriving and culturally rich art market.