Episode 10: A Genius in Art Enrolls
At the end of February, just before the start of the new school term.
Many people gathered inside the Seoul Campus Art Theater.
Typically, university entrance ceremonies don’t see such large participation.
Unlike elementary school entrance ceremonies, the children are already grown up, and many parents are tired of these formal procedures.
But the entrance ceremony at the Korean National University of Arts (KNUA) was different.
Every year, they would present a new artistic performance during the entrance ceremony, attracting not only related personnel but also local residents who came to see the show.
It was so popular that if you didn’t arrive on time, you couldn’t even get in, much like a performance at the Seoul Arts Center.
With hearts pounding, new students, parents, and spectators filled the seats.
The excitement in their eyes made it clear who the freshmen were.
Although their faces didn’t look particularly young.
There were many students who had taken a gap year or two, and even some who had reentered after graduating from another major.
People whispered congratulations to each other…
“Wow. Son, you’ve enrolled in an amazing school. The facilities are great too…”
As Kang Lim’s father finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Darkness.
The lights in the audience dimmed, and the murmurs ceased instantly.
Time passed…
The heavy silence was broken by the ballerinas on stage.
The cold, blue lights gradually turned red.
The ballerinas, like flower buds blooming after a long winter, danced to Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers.”
‘Wow… There’s an actual orchestra below.’
Kang Lim observed the orchestra from the conservatory playing beneath the stage.
Though it was dark, one person stood out.
Kim Sanghyuk, the first violinist.
A few years later, he would become the first Korean to win first place in the Tchaikovsky International Competition.
‘This year’s entrance ceremony theme is spring and new sprouts, but…’
The ballerinas in their pointe shoes seemed to float in the air.
The dancers, spinning and turning on stage, split into two groups.
They moved as if conversing, then paused for a moment.
A robust ballerino burst through the space at a fast pace.
He would later be known as the genius dancer, the Korean Baryshnikov.
‘Wow. Originally, the main ballerina should appear and the male dancer should handle the lifts, but they’ve reinterpreted it with just a ballerino!’
Kang Lim noticed the tempo and key of Tchaikovsky’s music had changed.
The image of the new sprouts they depicted was not of fragile young leaves.
‘It’s resilient and robust, growing boundlessly… Life itself.’
Sitting in the audience, just interpreting the performance made his heart feel stifled.
Unable to hold back any longer, Kang Lim pulled out his sketchbook and pen from his bag.
He didn’t look at the paper he was drawing on, nor did he try.
His eyes were fixed on the stage, and his ears were focused on the orchestra.
Scratch, scratch.
The fierce run of the violin.
The dancers crossing the vast stage.
Simultaneously, the sharp pen tip followed them closely.
As the finely honed lines overlapped and captured the movements of the people second by second, vigorous leaps and free joint movements all settled onto the paper.
“What are you doing… Not coming up.”
At that moment, an assistant bent over and nudged Kang Lim, who was sitting next to the N-row aisle.
Kang Lim was needed for the freshman entrance oath.
“Oh… Yes.”
Reluctantly, Kang Lim left his sketchbook on the chair and followed the assistant, bending low.
The path to the emergency exit was clear.
After the successful performance, a promotional video produced by the film and playwriting departments was shown.
The contents were humorous, but sharp sensibility was evident throughout the video.
“What a unique mise-en-scène. Who’s the student director? With this skill, they could make great fine art videos too.”
While most spectators might have laughed and moved on, Ryu Miyeon recognized the hidden intentions within the sensuous visuals.
As the fourth child of Korea’s top conglomerate, Jeil Group, and the director of Jeil Art Museum, ‘Heyum,’ she had come as a parent to attend her daughter’s entrance ceremony, but her professional instincts couldn’t be suppressed even here.
One of the key tasks of an art museum is to discover new artists, invigorate the art world, and present new visions.
So it was only natural that her seasoned eye was activated in this place where new talents breathed.
“Ah, mom. Just take a break…”
Of course, she stopped at her daughter’s gentle tug on her arm.
She also disliked being exposed to the media.
“Well, they are just university students after all. They probably don’t have proper portfolios yet… Let’s just rest.”
“Yeah, nothing much to see here!”
For most art museum competitions, artists needed to submit portfolios with at least 20 works they had created.
So it might be too much to expect university students, who were just starting out, to have extensive portfolios.
‘Unless they’ve been accumulating works since they were young, it’s impossible for a university student to have many works.’
Ryu Miyeon decided to put her thoughts to rest.
“Hello, new students~!”
As the video ended, the lights in the audience came on.
The student council delivered a lively greeting and proceeded with the ceremony according to the schedule.
As the national anthem began, Ryu Miyeon stood up.
However, her eyes, which should have been directed at the national flag, were fixed on one spot.
When was the last time she had been so captivated by a drawing?
It had been a long time since she felt this sensation.
The unique sketches seen in the seat right in front of her…
The uncontrollable, sensuous lines swayed.
Following the drawn lines, the choreography from the opening performance naturally replayed in her mind.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The dancer’s feet rolling.
Simultaneously, the timpani crashing.
Her heart raced at the drawing, which seemed to bring the music to life.
Her hand, which should have been placed over her left chest for the national salute, began to tremble slightly.
‘Could it be? Did someone capture that fast solo dance in order? How is it possible to draw something like that in the dark?’
It seemed as if the artist had grown accustomed to the well-worn notebook, leaving appropriate spaces as they drew.
‘Who was the student who drew that? I couldn’t see their face since I was focused on the performance.’
The seat was now empty.
‘No, no. It’s just… a drawing. It’s not even a finished work, so don’t be surprised.’
This wasn’t a local gallery, and she couldn’t just hand out business cards for a mere sketchbook.
If the student was an aspiring artist, they would apply to exhibitions anyway.
Ryu Miyeon swallowed her inexplicable regret.
However.
The shallow rise and fall of her chest, the faint sound of her breathing caught her daughter’s ear.
Seoyeon’s eyes followed her mother’s flickering gaze.
Over the well-worn, thoroughly used notebook.
After the president’s speech and congratulatory messages from special guests.
Finally, it was time for the freshman entrance oath.
With pride, Kang Lim’s parents held hands tightly, watching their son ascend the stage.
Behind the stage, banners representing the six departments—Music, Fine Arts, Dance, Traditional Arts, Theater, and Film—fluttered down.
Six new students, representing these departments, entered one by one.
The students stood in line, and Kang Lim stepped forward among them.
As he climbed the podium, one step higher, continuous applause erupted from the audience.
The sound of “Art Institute Chaaampion-“ leaking out made the audience burst into laughter.
Students seated here and there whispered.
“Hey. He’s in the Department of Fine Arts.”
“Wow. So, it’s pure art. Isn’t this the first time a freshman representative has come from there?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s legendary.”
“I heard he got accepted to all the famous art schools.”
Every year, the overall freshman representative was someone who scored perfect marks in both written and practical exams.
However, it was unprecedented for professors in the Fine Arts department to give a perfect score, and even if they did, it was difficult to gain recognition from professors in other departments.
The reason was simple.
Music has scores, acting has scripts, and dance has choreography.
But in fine arts, even if a problem was posed, the criteria for evaluating ‘creativity’ were ambiguous.
Unless the artwork was unanimously recognized, it was hard to convince everyone.
So today marked the beginning of a legendary record.
“We will now have the freshman representative’s oath.”
Representing the Fine Arts department, Kang Lim read the preface with a clear voice in front of a multitude of people.
His hand, sharply angled.
His voice was firm and clear.
He appeared so composed that it was hard to believe he was a freshman who had just graduated from high school.
After finishing the oath and receiving the scholarship certificate as the freshman representative, thunderous applause erupted.
The other five representatives also received their scholarship certificates and shook hands with the chairman.
They all then took seats prepared behind the stage.
Now, before singing the school song, the final order of the ceremony remained.
The professor’s congratulatory address began.
Representing the faculty, Koo Haeyoung from the Fine Arts department ascended the podium.
The spotlight focused on the white-haired professor.
His deep eyes and firm, high nose.
The mystery emanating from his neat appearance created an illusion that even his white hair looked silver.
“Welcome, new students of the Korean National University of Arts.”
With the start, applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
‘He’s definitely a popular professor.’
Kang Lim nodded from behind.
It was understandable since a large-scale retrospective of his works would open at the Tate Modern in England in a few months.
A retrospective for a foreign artist in a national museum of another country?
It was unheard of.
Which professor, currently active, could boast such credentials?
“South Korea. Our school was founded solely with the artistic potential of those gathered here in mind. Until you step into society, the school will be a solid fence for you. While you are here, I hope you arm yourself with a spirit of experimentation, challenging everything without worry.”
Kang Lim would receive a full tuition waiver for four years along with a stipend for experimental practice.
The stipend wasn’t much, but it would be quite helpful when struggling with material costs.
Moreover, being a small elite school with few students, he could work in a spacious studio, just as Koo Haeyoung had said, dedicating himself to his work without worry.
Kang Lim made a resolution. To participate enthusiastically in every class, taking this opportunity as his friend.
“Do not try to fit into the works of existing artists or the current trends of the world. Time always passes quickly, and systems become outdated.
Newly born from breaking authority, it has already acquired another authority.
Do not work to be recognized by the art world. Instead, let your work change the art world.
Your task is to stand at the top of the system and break it again.
Destroy and create.
This is the way to go out into the world and the only answer I can give to those of you who want to survive as artists.”
From the first to the third floor.
Looking up at the audience clapping densely, it seemed like stars were twinkling.
Koo Haeyoung turned around and looked at Kang Lim.
In his heart, the scars from the bullet fired by Kang Lim still lingered.
There had never been a student who evoked such anticipation.
On the stage filled with the spirit of an artist.
The eyes of the two people met intensely.
