WWF Korea has invited art lovers here to “adopt” 14 adorable pandas from the world-famous “1600 Pandas+ World Tour,” an auction event to honor Korean cultural heritage and support sustainability through sculptural art.

The Korean chapter of World Wide Fund for Nature, the world’s leading conservationist organization spanning 100 countries with over 5 million supporters, organized the auction event to promote awareness of environmental protection, and healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles.

A series of 14 special edition pandas were created in collaboration with French handcrafted papier-mache artist Paulo Grangeon, Korean calligrapher Kang Byung-in and installation artist Rho Dongsik. The unique artist collaboration created 14 little papier-mache heartthrobs, including the “Jeju Island Panda” and “Hanbok Panda.”

The 1,600 Pandas+ World Tour event in Seoul has drawn fast popularity among Koreans with more than 3 million viewers. Launched on May 23 at the Sejong Performing Arts Center, the 1,600 Pandas+ Flash Mobs toured 15 scenic spots in the seven cities of Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju.

“Art enthusiasts will have one more opportunity to support creative arts and conservation work, by adopting a special edition panda,” WWF Korea stated in a press release.

The works are available for offline auction at Jamsil Lotte Mall until July 25. Online participation is also available by emailing to info@1600pandas.kr. A special panda auction catalog can be downloaded at www.1600pandas.kr.

All funds raised from the auction will be directly donated to WWF Korea’s conservation efforts in the country, and all donors are eligible to receive an official charitable tax receipt.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)