How you can own a part of the world's most popular contemporary art

Andy Warhol's Self-Portrait and George Condo's The Outcast can be yours - well, at least a fraction of each.

The two paintings are offered by Mintus, a new investment platform that allows you to buy shares in a company that directly owns and manages the artworks. Authorised and regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, Mintus announced it will offer over US$200 million (S$277 million) in paintings - both individually and through curated art portfolios - this year.

On the advisory board are former Sotheby's CEO Tad Smith and Brett Gorvy, Christie's former Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, who also doubles as Mintus' chief curator.

Although fractional ownership of art is not new, the launch of Mintus comes at a time when people are increasingly investing in the shared economy, a trend that's expected to shape financial growth for the next decade.

The first two paintings offered are exceptional examples of the quintessential styles of each artist. Warhol's Self-Portrait, painted in 1966 and available for the first time in more than three decades, is priced at US$5 million. It was appraised at US$6.8 million by an independent expert in March. Figurative painter and auction darling George Condo was name- dropped in Jay-Z's Picasso Baby ("Condos in my condo").

The platform also invites anyone looking to unlock liquidity from their collections to contact its Fine Art team.

ALSO READ: A guide to investing in art and the best platforms to start with

This article was first published in The Peak.