Van Gogh Reborn!

– What do you mean by ask? Don’t come. 

Henry Marceau's voice came closer. 

I think he snatched the smartphone from Sherry. 

– Just check your mail. 

The call got cut off. 

The perfect opportunity to taste Sherry Gado's dish again disappeared in vain. 

I opened my mailbox. 

Société Nationale des Beaux Arts. 

A mail from SNBA had just arrived. 

I opened the mail. 

Subject: Sent from SNBA. 

From: Salon_SNBA 

To: PotatoPizza, 

Hello, Artist Ko Hun. 

I’m Robin Hugo, Operations Management Team, National Art Association of France. 

Our SNBA holds the National Art Salon Exhibition in France every December. 

This year, artists from all over the world will be invited to hold an exhibition from December 14th to 17th, and I would like to invite Artist Ko Hun for it. 

Our SNBA director Henry Marceau said that Artist Ko Hun's bold painting style and challenge should be widely promoted. 

I have sent a copy of this mail to your agency ‘Sunflower’. 

Hoping for a positive reply. 

Thank you. 

I think this is why Henry Marceau asked me to look at my mail. 

I would have happily accepted it if he had asked me about this from the beginning without talking about useless things. 

He is a man who’s considerate and inconsiderate at the same time. 

‘SNB……It's a name I've never heard of." 

I searched for the National Art Association of France. 

It is said that the group was founded in 1861 by Theophile Gautier, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, and Edouard Manet.

‘I thought it got disbanded.’ 

I can't believe that an organization created in protest of the Royal Academy of Art is still active for over 160 years. 

Looking at it in more detail, it is said that they continued to work and failed, but were re-formed by Chavan, Duran, Rodin, etc.

It is a place where the spirits of French artists continued, and now Henry Marceau seems to be the one in charge. 

Great. 

I once wanted to create a community of painters so that artists could work together and have a positive impact on each other. 

I failed in less than two months.

It seems like many people have tried to become independent from power and have continued to this day. 

It's a shame and envy for me. 

Although Henry Marceau is rude and brazen, he is also working for the independence and development of artists. 

I should also find a dream that I gave up on. 

Everything has changed since then, so there must be something I can do. 

When I was thinking, I got a call from Uncle Bang. 

"Yes, uncle." 

-Hun, did you see the mail sent from the National Art Association of France? 

"I just saw it. What do you think, uncle?" 

– It's fine. I was looking for their schedule and was planning to call them even if they didn't. I'll send you a list of other events, so take a look. 

It seems like Uncle Bang was looking for other events other than the French National Art Salon. 

Since I don't know what kind of exhibition is out there, I'm just grateful that there are people who help me like this. 

"I will." 

– Yeah. I think Henry Marceau set the terms well. 

After finishing the call with Uncle Bang, I called Henry Marceau. 

The ring continued for a long time, and after a while, Henry Marceau's grumpy voice was heard. 

– What? 

"I saw the mail. I'm looking at other events and I'll take that into consideration.”

-Okay. 

"Thank you. I wish you'd told me from the beginning." 

– Shut up. 

Henry Marceau hung up. 

I checked the time, and it's been about an hour, but I haven't heard from my grandpa. 

Grandpa seems to be talking to Ferdinando Gonzalez for a long time. 

He'll contact me, so I'll have to walk around leisurely until then. 

"Ah." 

I stopped at a work that I hadn't seen before. 

It was a work that forms an image by hanging several colored bars on the ceiling. 

An artist of this era tried to show different paintings depending on the angle of view of the painting in the bars in different colors. 

I am surprised every time because there are so many different things from the conception of the idea to the way they execute the idea.

I moved my feet excitedly to see what the next work would be. 

While enjoying the exhibition, I got a call from grandpa. 

The time was 7 p.m., and about four to five hours passed in an instant. 

"Yes, Grandpa." 

– Did you wait for a long time? 

"No, there's a lot of fun stuff." 

– I'm on my way to pick you up. I'll see you in ten minutes. 

“Okay,”

Grandpa’s voice seemed shaky. 

As I went outside, worried about what happened to grandpa, a taxi suddenly stopped in front of the Whitney Museum.

Grandpa beckons from the inside to get in. 

Grandpa looks exhausted with his shoulders drooping and his face looks dark as if he was tired. 

“What's wrong, grandpa?” 

Grandpa nodded. 

"Let's talk on the way." 

On the way to the hotel, grandpa brought up the story that Ferdinando Gonzales was very sick. 

"Is it really bad?" 

Grandpa nods his head hard. 

Ferdinando, who I believe was 39 years old, is too early to die. 

“Can't it be treated?” 

“They found out too late. There is a treatment, but if complications come together, there is no countermeasure." 

Grandpa explained that he has lung cancer and his immune system weakened due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 

I don't know what kind of disease the latter is, but I've heard of cancer in a drama I watched with Mama. 

I know that it will heal after surgery, but it seems different. 

"Can't you treat it with surgery?" 

"It's a case if his immune system were fine." 

Even me, who sees him only as an outstanding artist, is so sad, then how about grandpa, who’s acquainted with him?

I put my hand on grandpa’s back because I wanted to comfort him even a little. 

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

"Huh?" 

Kim Jungmin, a member of the WH Art Museum, doubted his eyes. 

It was because of the e-mail sent by Ferdinando Gonzalez, a leading figure in the American art world. 

"Section Chief," 

Kim Jungmin called the section chief Sung Gyul, who was in charge after Bang Tae resigned and got promoted. 

"Ferdinando Gonzalez commissioned an exhibition." 

Sung Gyul blinked. 

It was a look of what kind of joke he was making so seriously from the morning. 

"It’s real," 

Kim Jungmin sent a link to his mailbox through an in-house messenger. 

Sung Gyul narrowed his eyes and checked the email sent by Ferdinando Gonzalez. 

Ferdinando's email address was the same as Gonzalez's official mail, and the content was specific to the point that it can’t be considered someone's prank. 

One thing that bothered him was the content of the work to be exhibited. 

"Candies?" 

Ferdinando Gonzalez hoped to place 79 kg of candies at the entrance or rest area of the WH Art Museum from August. 

He also wanted them to lay out 34 Kg of candies in the space facing the 79 kg candies.

The type of candy to be displayed can be chosen based on the children's favorite in Korea, and they were asked to add as much weight as they lost once a day.

The money to replenish the candies was paid by Ferdinando Gonzalez's agency once a month, and the deadline was until the WH Art Museum decided not to display the work anymore. 

They knew that Ferdinando’s works were unusual, but regarding this one, they couldn't help but be confused. 

"Let's all check Gonzalez's mail and have a meeting in half an hour." 

"Yes."

When the WH Art Museum was wondering about Ferdinando Gonzalez's request, art galleries around the world were also discussing the same request. 

Caro Seedorf, the curator of the Museum of Art in Amsterdam, asked for advice from an acquaintance while pondering what Ferdinando Gonzalez's intentions were.

"Caro." 

Kevin McCurley, director of the Van Gogh Museum of Art, visited the pub after work.

"Is there anything interesting?" 

Kevin McCurley asked, ordering a beer. 

"Well, Ferdinando Gonzalez asked for an exhibition." 

Kevin opened his eyes wide. 

"It's cool. It's a good thing." 

Ferdinando was an artist who people from all around the world wanted to invite. 

"It's not an exhibition, it's just two works, and the conditions are weird." 

Kevin drank the beer he ordered and looked at his friend Caro Seedorf, who told the story about 79 kilograms and 34 kilograms of candies. 

“Does he want you to fill it up every day?” 

“Yes, until we don't want to display it. There's a monthly charge.” 

"Hmm." 

It's an unfamiliar story even for Kevin, who's been exposed to a lot of art. 

"What do you think?" 

Kevin continued to worry when asked by his friend. 

Gonzalez asked to stack the candies that children love randomly at the entrance of the museum or in the resting area and make it available for the children to eat them freely. 

"I hear it's for children rather than exhibiting a work. Like the way art galleries try to attract kids.”

"I see." 

Kevin exhaled. 

"It's weird, but is there a problem? Gonzalez's work would make headlines and attract more visitors.”

"That's true." 

Kevin and Caro hit their glasses and continued to drink. 

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

Meanwhile, the French National Art Association, which proposed a salon exhibition to Ko Hun on the recommendation of Henry Marceau, also received a proposal from Ferdinando Gonzalez.

Robin Hugo, who is a member of the operation and management team and also a participant in the salon exhibition, was also surprised along with the staff of several art galleries. 

He couldn't understand what it meant when he asked to maintain the weight without telling them how to arrange the candies. 

"Is it important that we can’t understand?" 

One of the team members stepped up while everyone was thinking about how to respond to Ferdinand Gonzalez's demands. 

"Someone will understand. I don't think it'll be bad since we don’t have to drop a work to display it.”

"That's right." 

“Well, the odd thing is, I heard a similar story at lunchtime.” 

“Similar story?” 

“Yes, my friend at the Victoria and Albert Children's Museum said he also received a similar request offer from Gonzalez.” 

Robin Hugo and his teammates frowned and tilted their heads. 

“Really?” 

“Yes. I didn't even talk about it at first, and it was weird because it was the same thing." 

Robin Hugo, who pondered for a while, said. 

"Ask people you know. Don't mention it. Ask them whether they got commissioned by Ferdinand Gonzalez?" 

TRIVIA

Vincent van Gogh hoped to create a community of painters in Arles. Although he encouraged his acquaintances to participate, Paul Gauguin was the only writer who responded, and the two separated after about two months together. 

Active AIDS patients do not receive liver transplants.

(To be Continued)

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