Almighty painter

Chapter 425 Cao Xuan takes the stage

“If we have to donate billions to achieve victory, then it’s okay not to have this victory.”

When the gallery owner of CDX applauded, he said in a very soft voice: "If it were my child who did this, I would really put her in the cellar, hang her up and smoke her."

"Ugh……"

The sea of ​​applause covered up his faint sigh.

"But you're right, Larry. Today, no one can defeat her. We can only buzz and clap like poor bees flying around the queen."

The art masters in the front row stood up one after another to praise and applaud Miss Anna.

Even Sir Brown.

No one knows how this man, who has only been an infinitely brilliant artistic king for five minutes, feels when he applauds.

It must be quite gloomy.

No one wanted to explore.

Even as a personal secretary.

Anna teased with a smile.

"Forget it, a little girl in a wheelchair insists on walking up on her own. If I am still trembling and hanging down in a gust of wind, doesn't it look really useless?"

Mr. Cao asked with an angry smile.

"Let's go, it's time for me to go up."

Cao Xuan would come to help her, which was more of a gesture of support for her and a way of showing goodwill.

She pursed her lips and smiled, and reached out to hold Cao Xuan's arm, which was an obvious sign of goodwill.

People get old.

Elliot was just as shocked and stunned as many people present.

Hey, don’t say it yet.

She only knew that Anna insisted on walking up to the podium today, but she didn't know that the other party had made up his mind to donate tens of thousands of family collections and build a public museum.

There was another burst of applause in the venue, and flash lights were connected.

The legs and feet are really nimble.

Secretary Elliot took Anna's arm, handed her a cane that had been prepared, and whispered in the woman's ear.

He will shrink in height, but the old man's hunchback is not serious.

"All kinds of insurance and maintenance cost a lot of money every year. Anyway, I never planned to sell them. By handing over these artworks to the family foundation, I can also use the exhibition income to cover the daily maintenance and insurance expenses. If we make a profit and absorb donations, we can even continue to purchase new works of art. I think it’s a good deal, isn’t it? The Getty Center and the Rockefeller Foundation all have this model.”

"Thank you. You look younger than a lot of people."

They were immediately snatched away by their respective assistants and secretaries who were waiting aside, their hearts almost stopping due to nervousness.

He craned his neck.

The two of them just walked a few symbolic steps.

The old gentleman's competitive childlike temper came out again.

"Miss, I shouldn't interfere in your decision, but for such a big matter, you really should discuss it with me and the housekeeper Mr. Adral in advance."

It’s unclear who is supporting whom and who is holding on to whom in this pairing.

He took long strides in all directions and walked towards the podium.

"That's a good point. Miss, do you need my help to show some chivalry? If you're not too old yet."

Cao Xuan walked to the steps and waited for a while. Anna, who was slowly walking down the steps one by one, took the initiative to stretch out her arm.

"You have to think so, Elliot."

Going down the steps is harder than going up.

Anna is also the tall type.

Cao Xuan looks like a dry old man, but he is actually quite tall.

In addition, she was wearing flat shoes, so the two generations, one old and one young, stood almost side by side, which was quite photogenic.

When he was young, he was the kind of tall and handsome guy on the beach who often appears in standard old Hong Kong movies.

Cao Xuan organized the speech in his hand, waved his hand, and refused Lao Yang's support.

joke.

He estimated the possibility that he and the old gentleman would roll down together, and looked at the rosy face of the little old man.

It seemed like a historic handshake between the "Eastern and Western art circles" that spanned the 70-year age gap. Photographers immediately captured this milestone shot.

In addition, after standing on the stage for so long, Anna really felt like she was about to fall.

Miss Elena knows.

The secretary is unhappy and doesn't want to talk.

Everyone wisely avoided the low-pressure air mass surrounding him, leaving him with some quiet private space.

She hesitated briefly for a few seconds.

The construction cost of a large museum alone is enough to pay insurance for many years.

Elliot helped Anna walk towards her seat without saying a word.

The standing crowd trying to surround her were parted waves, pushed away by Anna's invisible radiance.

"why?"

As he walked past Sir Brown, the old gentleman stared blankly at the stage and suddenly asked.

His voice was soft as if he was talking in his sleep.

But Anna still heard it and knew that the other party was talking to her.

"You just said that every glorious dynasty will collapse, but that is not today." Anna looked at Cao Xuan, who had walked back to the rostrum, and said lightly, "You are right, today is the art of Irina's family The day when the dynasty collapsed. But it is not the day when you can ascend the throne. Mr. Brown, maybe one day you can realize your ambition. But unfortunately——"

"Not here, not today."
-

"There are talented people from generation to generation."

Cao Xuan looked at the respectful and enthusiastic eyes in the entire venue, and felt a very strange feeling in his heart.

He had seen the same look countless times in his life.

The difference this time is.

He knew that the eyes in the audience were not looking at him. Most people were still immersed in Miss Elena's shocking speech and could not extricate themselves.

Ninety-nine percent of people will think that Anna is out of her mind and that she is unimaginably prodigal.

Only Cao Xuan, who has experienced hundreds of years of ups and downs and is becoming increasingly strong, doesn't think so.

He guessed that Miss Elena might be willing to take out her shares of "Oil Painting" to win over the leading figures in the art world.

But I didn't expect it.

The other party was more decisive, more willing, and more courageous than he imagined.

He directly donated the vast art collection that had been passed down by his family for hundreds of years without even frowning.

Not to a certain group of people, but to everyone.

Did Anna lose?

The Elena family was destined to only hold on to piles of gold coins, and its influence gradually withered and decayed.

just now.

It was directly brought to life by Anna.

At the peak of her great-grandfather's influence, it wasn't much stronger than this.

The combined influence of the direct heirs of the Habsburg family who are now racing drivers or political activists may not be as great as hers alone.

If influence can be bought with money.

Then Nelson Rockefeller (Note) would not have repeatedly failed in the election, and throughout his life, he would have been one step away from the supreme power of the president.

(Note: The former Vice President of the United States, the person with the most consecutive terms as governor of New York in history. But he started out in the arts. He was once the director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He was also the heir to the richest oil family in the past. He is mentioned repeatedly in the memoirs of many political figures. , he is very capable and good at dancing. But because his family is too rich, he is the kind of super-dandy-like figure. He lacks decisiveness and the drive to gamble on important political nodes. Therefore, he cannot be elected from the grassroots. Born Nixon.)

She just announced that the art palace gathering dust in her home was open to the public.

It's like the famous "Exquisite Chess Game" in Jin Yong's martial arts novels. It fills the air and then takes root.

As for money?

Is there any difference in people's lives between money that cannot be spent in ten centuries and money that cannot be spent in a hundred centuries?

And even if you hold a mountain of gold and silver in your hands, can anyone really see the changes in the situation a hundred years from now?

1.4 pieces of art can be used to revitalize a family's reputation.

Make a lot of money.

Earn blood.

"It's really skillful and powerful." Cao Xuan could only sigh and sigh in his heart.

He waited a little longer, waiting for the boiling discussion in the venue to gradually subside, and then slowly said: "I suddenly felt that I was really old. The most obvious characteristic of people getting older is that they start to feel that they can't keep up. The pace of the times.”

"What a beautiful speech. If I were asked to speak, I probably wouldn't be able to deliver it."

Cao Xuan opened his mouth.

The venue finally slowly calmed down.

"Ms. Elena, you put me, a poor little old man, in an embarrassing situation. I was arranged to appear in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 after Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. The helpless and hesitant pastor speaker was so nervous that he couldn't even speak properly. The scene was simply a disaster. Every time I watch the TV broadcast review, I feel embarrassed for that gentleman."

"But, fortunately, every art exhibition and every speech I have held has actually been quite successful, better than I imagined. Because I have a secret, a secret that is not passed on. Now, I can share it. for everyone."

The old man smiled mysteriously and raised his eyebrows.

Everyone in the venue listened attentively.

Even Gagosian and the others' hearts beat a beat faster and they exchanged fiery glances.

Art exhibitions are high-cost, high-risk, high-reward things.

A large exhibition can cost at least millions.

Super-large exhibitions like Hirst's "Grassi Palace Exhibition", which cost tens of millions of pounds in materials and labor alone, will occasionally appear.

The exhibition was a success.

All costs can be doubled, the artists' personal values ​​have soared, and gallery owners have made a lot of money. Needless to say, they have bought islands and planes.

But the exhibition failed, which made people vomit blood.

Spending tens of millions to hold an exhibition and inviting various celebrities and critics to see it, only to be scolded in the end.

Not only was the exhibition cost lost, but after calculations were made, piles of money were thrown out. As a result, the value of the money tree fell even further.

Then I feel really depressed and want to eat shit.

Smash it a few times.

Intercontinental Gallery also had to go bankrupt.

This is the source of Mashi Gallery’s current predicament.

Ma Shi III doesn’t like to linger like this. He really wants to sell the iron pot and come up with 50 million or even 100 million euros.

To organize a first-class super exhibition that attracts world attention, people grit their teeth and sell their blood, so they just tighten their belts and do it.

If only I could bring out a money tree. Mashi Gallery started shaking again.

But it can afford to do it, but it can't afford to lose.

If such a big exhibition fails, even if it doesn't fail, as long as it is not explosive enough, the cost cannot be recovered.

Mashi Gallery can then declare its closure completely.

What is the possibility of using hundreds of millions of euros to build the next Hearst?

No more than twenty percent, maybe no more than ten percent.

So I might as well continue to live like this.

This is why even Gagosian, the world's number one gallerist, has to bend down to hug the thigh of Sir Brown, the top critic.

Is there really any secret to this kind of thing?

How could there be a secret?

Others dare to brag so shamelessly in front of Gagosian and the others.

He will definitely be beaten out as an ignorant and fearless liar.

But it’s the master on stage now.

Thinking about the brilliant and extremely successful career of this evergreen figure in the beauty world, they are still willing to take it with a pinch of salt.

Everyone glanced at each other quietly, then turned away in disgust, suddenly feeling that each other was an eyesore.

oops! Master Cao is also confused. How can he say this kind of thing publicly? Let's have a cocktail party in private. Just tell me quietly and I'll be alone! How can those other coquettish bitches have the right to listen?

"The secret is to lower your expectations." The little old man winked at the camera.

puff!

The audience was silent for two seconds, and then burst into laughter, almost blowing off the entire new art center's alien roof.

Some even laughed to tears.

"Wow! I like him. This old man is so interesting!"

"It's very kind, it feels like my grandpa."

"I heard that he and Picasso knew each other, and I thought that such a highly respected artist would either have Picasso's unsmiling demeanor in interviews, or Henry Boole's crazy and hard-to-understand demeanor. To think that he is so interesting."

Gu Weijing, who was in front of the screen, was also surprised by Mr. Cao's funny opening remarks.

He was still worried.

After Miss Irina takes the stage, it will be difficult for Cao Xuan to handle the scene.

Now it seems.

The old man is young and old, but he can cope with it very well.

Worrying about Mr. Cao, Gu Weijing was really a bit worried, not knowing how high the sky was.

Actually.

If it were purely compared to a typhoon, it would be more inspiring than a speech in grabbing people's hearts.

Even though he is several generations older, Cao Xuan is still slightly inferior to Miss Anna just now.

Of all the people present, Gagosian, Sir Brown... none of them could compare.

One is the impression of public image.

It's not that Cao Xuan's image is bad, but Anna's stage image is too buggy.

You can't force someone to compete with a white-haired old man who is nearly a hundred years old or a young lady in her prime to catch people's attention in front of the camera.

This is no longer a question of academic level or speaking ability.

It is an unreasonable dimensionality reduction attack from biological instinct.

It might not work if you dig out Einstein and move it here.

Another more important reason is the difference in education and social positioning.

People like Sir Brown, after all, are only scholars or artists.

Cao Xuan, who was taught by words and deeds of the literati temperament, was more restrained.

The Elena family was once one of the core rulers of the old times in Europe.

Historically, they were famous for their eloquence and long-sleeved dancing during the palace struggles centered on various salons.

Speech is almost a basic skill for Western politicians.

Even though they have long since faded out of the political stage and lost their titles, their huge empires disappeared in the rolling waves of war.

But Anna’s family education since she was a child and her elders’ position towards her.

Or completely different.

Not every aunt will give her niece a shotgun and let her choose to be Anne Boleyn or Ye Huang.

therefore.

In fact, since she was a child, a certain part of her body has been preparing to be on stage and shine in the eyes of the world.

Anna had been preparing for this for twenty years.

So the moment she stepped onto the podium and uttered the first word from her lips, it became as grand and passionate as the beautiful song of the sirens.

It firmly grasped everyone's eyes and hearts.

Cao Xuan's speech had a completely different feeling.

Very approachable.

There is absolutely no airs of a great artist.

Both humorous and humble, he grabbed the audience's attention without realizing it.

"This is no joke. Don't expect how successful your speech or art exhibition will be, how much money you can make, or whether it will be recorded in history."

"Think more about what you can give, rather than what you can get. Think more about whether you can impress the audience, whether you can give them a happy mood, and whether you can make everyone feel more calm, so that everyone can be more happy. A deep reflection on the times. It’s not about me rising or falling in the artist’s auction rankings.”

"When getting turns into giving, and greed turns into selflessness. Then you see the world differently. This is really the secret of my career."

"My teacher taught me not to think about how many people come to your exhibition, but to think about what you can give to each person who comes to the exhibition. This is the virtue of a gentleman in the East."

Cao Xuan's eyes were bright.

He said seriously: "Believe me, when people with such a mentality do things, the results will usually not be too bad."

"The beauty of precipitated art, the nostalgia of home and country, and the torrent of the times can all be integrated into a small paintbrush. Everyone can see a little projection of the ripples in their hearts at the art exhibition - this is my disciple Tang Ning and CDX Gallery, the promotional slogan for the "Mountain View" art exhibition to be held in London in the second half of this year."

"I'm looking forward to seeing if it can be done. Please help me supervise it."

Everyone burst into applause.

Both Cao Xuan and Tang Ning are famous and top painters, worthy of the respect given by these masters.

"Tang Ning, that sky-high-priced artist who just set new records for both individual unit price and auction total at the Hong Kong auction at the beginning of this year?"

"Yes, yes, she is Cao Xuan's daughter. You don't know, right? The village has just been connected to the Internet?"

Some netizens couldn't help but joke.

"Tang Ning is opening a new personal art exhibition? This is striking while the iron is hot. We want to create another good story. Looking forward to it, looking forward to it."

"Do you want to open it in London? It sounds interesting."

"Cao Xuan announced his closure a few years ago. Now, it's time to support new people. Judging from the price trend and exposure in the past few years, she is most likely to be promoted. Alas, I thought before that she was backed by the central government. The beautiful Lin Tao will have a chance."

"People have said in interviews that I am Mr. Cao's successor. If not her, who should I recommend? Lin Tao is the oldest, but his current net worth should be much lower than that of his junior sister. When he was not regarded as Gagosian's number one person in Eastern Xia, Mr. Lin indeed lost a lot from the perspective of his worth."

"Lin Tao is the art master, and Tang Ning was brought up by the old man himself since he was a child. It is not a concept. From a long time ago, the critics have most likely determined that this is the one who will succeed the old man. She is the true prince."

Netizens discussed it with great interest in the comment area.

In the venue, the assistant Lao Yang in the front row also breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, fortunately, I made the right bet.

Although there were disagreements over small things, Mr. Cao still took care of Tang Ning when it came to big things.

I will still support you on such occasions when I need to support you.

In the camera, the spotlight was on Tangning.

Tang Ning stood up and waved her hand in a graceful manner to the audience and colleagues who were applauding her.

of course.

She didn't get the opportunity to speak in person on stage, but under the influence of her teacher, she also got a few seconds of long shots.

In terms of the exposure effect of the annual meeting, it almost achieved the same treatment as Elvis Presley.

Tangning was completely opposite to Hunter Bull, who was like a homeless man in the venue.

Her confident public image and self-marketing skills are not as good as Anna's, but they are much better than Bull's.

Ever since her debut, Tangning has been a social butterfly.

Do not misunderstand.

This is not a derogatory term.

When the term "courtesan" was first invented in the early 20th century, it was purely a complimentary term. It was used by New York tabloids to praise gossip stars like the rubber king's daughter who were pursued.

It was first introduced into the Eastern Xia Dynasty.

It is also used by "Shenbao" to describe ladies who are of noble birth, have excellent education, and are chased by people in social situations.

Representative of social butterfly.

One south and one north, one light and one thick, Southern Tang and Northern China.

Whether it was Tang Ying, who made Song Ziwen write many love letters, or the more famous Lu Xiaoman, who had an on-again, off-again relationship with Xu Zhimo, it was all serious young ladies from well-known families who could be chased by newspapers in social situations in those days.

And Tang Ning is confident that she has Tang Ying's lightness and Lu Xiaoman's elegance.

He is a typical person who is full of poetry and calligraphy.

She enjoyed the flashes of flashlights all around, leaving her most artistic figure to everyone.

He exhaled with a smile and looked towards the stage.

The world's cameras were on her.

Her teachers are making her famous, including the gallery owners of Gagosian, Lisson, PACE, CDX, Sir Brown, including Miss Irina who just stirred up the world's art scene.

Everyone was politely applauding her.

The teacher still prefers me.

She believed that one day would not be far away. She can sit in the front row by herself, sit among those people, and become one of the attendees of these top art feasts.

And none of this can be stopped by a bitch jumping out of Yangon.

no way.

(End of this chapter)